With every new generation VW Golf comes a byproduct tagged the GTI. So with the 7th generation Golf, due towards the end of 2012, a GTI version is expected to follow suit. According to Car Magazine, the new GTI will be revealed to the public at next year's Geneva Motor Show. It will sit 30 mm lower than today's car (a huge difference) and the wheelbase will be around 2 inch longer. The new Golf GTI will also be based on the new MQB platform.

This will give the car a huge potential for change (for the better or worse) in the car's handling and performance and thus in the overall driving experience. The 7th generation GTI will be launched with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine capable of 217 hp and 251 lb-ft. Estimated top speed is 153 mph and acceleration from standstill to 62 mph is clocked at 6.7 seconds. When you see the 7th generation GTI you'll be able to recognize it easily, since VW designers will not stray away from the shapes and design cues of the two previous generations.

Any change will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary as the car's edges will be sharper than before. A small step backwards that will cheer up driving fans will be the use of a mechanical limited slip differential instead of today's electrically operated system. Expected also is a tuned down version, under the sobriquet Bluemotion GTI with skinnier tires, longer gearing and a recalibrated ECU to reduce exhaust emissions.