232bhp Golf GTI revealed

Accepted wisdom tells us coral is the gift for a 35th anniversary. Volkswagen, however, has chosen power.

Meet the Golf GTI Edition 35. As the name suggests, it is a special edition built to celebrate 35 years of the revered hot hatch's existence. Details are slim, but the new hatch has sprouted an extra 25 horses from its turbocharged 2.0-litre four pot, peak power now sitting at 232bhp.

See more pics of the Golf GTI Edition 35

No word on torques or its 0-62mph time, but expect the GTI 35 to be a few fractions faster than the standard GTI (6.9secs to 62mph), and slightly slower than the 266bhp Golf R.

As expected, it gets some fresh trinketry to announce its added horsepower and status, including a new front bumper, ‘35' lettering on the door sills, head restraints and seats, as well as a high-quality metal key ring which, frankly, warrants the extra price.

Speaking of which, it launches in Deutschland in mid-June at a base price of £26,550. Volkswagen confirmed to us that the Golf GTI will hit our shores soon after, with prices still to be confirmed. It'll debut at next month's GTI meet at the Worthersee modder-fest on 1-4 June. Interested, or would you rather spend a few pennies extra and get the R? Don't forget, that was our favourite hot hatch last year...