New VW GTI 380 - The Last Manual GTI?

Raise a glass for the coveted 3 pedal hot hatch, the VW GTI. 2024 has been announced as the final production year for the do-it-yourself transmission on the GTI and Golf R. Volkswagen of America has decided to celebrate the heritage of the manual-transmission of the GTI in its final year with a special equipment set, exclusively to the North American market, known as the Golf GTI 380. “380” comes from the Mk8’s internal production code, which is a nod to the Mk4 GTI 337, which in itself was borrowed from the model code of the original Mk1 GTI. 

“The GTI 380 conveys our appreciation for the enthusiasts who have continually demonstrated their love for the manual-equipped GTI for over four decades,” said Petar Danilovic, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing & Strategy for Volkswagen of America.

The Golf GTI 380 equipment set will come standard on every 2024 manual-transmission equipped GTI from S to Autobahn. It sets itself apart by including gloss black 19-inch wheels borrowed from the Golf R 20th wrapped in summer performance tires, as well as standard DCC adaptive damping system. Gloss black mirror caps with matching painted roof will be accompanying red exterior GTI detailing. Along with the standard GTI colors comes an exclusive Graphite Gray Metallic, which is an exclusive color for the GTI 380. 

The interior honors its history with a golf-ball inspired manual shift knob, a mainstay of every generation GTI, with honeycomb accents. S and SE trims will feature Schlepper Plaid cloth, while Vienna leather adorns the Autobahn trim, but is also an option on the SE. 

Powered by the EA888 2.0-liter with 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, this will be your last chance to get yourself a good old fashioned 6-speed manual GTI and Golf R which goes on sale this coming fall. The 7-speed DSG is the inevitable future for all GTI and Golf R after this final year. Volkswagen has stated that the Jetta GLI will still continue to be offered with a manual transmission if you still want to row those gears yourself. 

It hasn’t specifically been said as to why we are losing another manual gearbox specimen, but its probably to save money on the production line, and to prepare for the next iteration of the GTI. With North America being the only region to get the Mk8 Golf R previously, it is truly sad to see this end of an era.