Volkswagen has been busy keeping up with the new auto industry shift towards electrified vehicles. Back in July 2022, Volkswagen released its first all-electric sedan concept, the ID.AERO, and although it’s hard to say if we’ll see a concept as a production model, the design was classic VW. Talking about a classic, the Golf GTI sports car has been on the market for 40 years, hitting a nice milestone. To celebrate, Volkswagen will soon be releasing the 2023 Golf GTI 40th Anniversary Edition, and the best thing about it is that the model will be sold exclusively in the North American market!

For once, amirite? We always see cool cars overseas that don’t always make it to North America, let alone the states. With about 1,500 units to set sail for the U.S, VW is keeping the GTI in its eighth generation for this special edition, but the “hot hatch” will be celebrate its four-decade history with unique features dazzling the exterior to separate from the rest of the lineup. Some new, some old – we can’t call it a classic without some VW heritage flair.

“The limited-production 40th Anniversary Edition model offers our North American enthusiasts a dose of heritage along with everything they love about the Mark 8 GTI,” - Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President of Product and Strategy, Volkswagen of America

To start, 40-inch decals with a honeycomb design can be found running along the door sills for a touch of Volkswagen history in the exterior style. A new illuminated grille goes well with the other classic look, a GTI red stripe. Riding on multi-spoke 19-inch wheels painted gloss black with red pinstripe accents, these come wrapped in 235/35 summer performance tires. This limited edition VW will be based on the European Golf GTI Clubsport 45 model for a more sophisticated look while still being performance-focused. Completing the look, the Anniversary Edition comes with an exclusive black painted roof and gloss black mirror caps. Consumers have the choice of four exterior colors: Urano Grey and Tornado Red (unique to the 40th Anniversary Edition), a classic GTI shade, Opal White Pearl, and Pomelo Yellow Metallic.

The inside has few changes, adorning the steering wheel with a 40-inch clasp at the bottom of the wheel (six o'clock) and the traditional honeycomb accents. Keeping the sports car tune, the transmission comes with a manual shift knob, in the shape of a golf ball, but consumers have the choice of a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG® automatic transmission with Tiptronic®. The upholstery is Scalepaper Plaid cloth, but it sounds so much better with leather. Performance is clearly the main focus for this special anniversary edition, because the turbocharged EA888 2.0-liter engine keeps up with the exterior racing style, able to generate 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Keeping the driver in control of those fast turns, the 2023 Golf GTI 40th Anniversary Edition comes with electronic stability control (ESC) with an electronic differential lock (XDS®) and the standard DCC® adaptive damping system.

With a scheduled release for the middle of 2023, there will be plenty of time before orders are sure to go live, in case some savings are needed, but the starting MSRP is lower than we expected. The 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI 40th Anniversary Edition starts at $33,055 (plus destination fee) with a manual transmission, and $33,855 (plus destination fee) for automatic transmission. Just in case orders do start early, you may want to check back with us on NowCar social media to find out when this VW goes live.

Photo Source/Copyright: Volskwagen