We’ve snapped some new video footage of the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI on test in and around the Nürburgring race track in Germany.
The new GTI will appear in production trim about a year after the regular Golf Mk7’s world premiere at the 2012 Paris Motor Show this September.
The spy pictures and videos suggest that the seventh generation model will continue the Mk5 and Mk6 aesthetics, albeit with some sharper styling details. The GTI will stand out from its lesser family members by the red accent trims, bespoke front and rear ends and alloy wheel designs.
The big news for the next Golf family in general is the adoption of the VW Group’s brand-new and much hyped MQB architecture.
Even though the compact sport hatch will be slightly longer and wider than the current model, it is reported that the new platform along with other weight saving measures will help the Golf GTI drop as much as 50kg (110 pounds).
As for the powertrain, while we know that the new GTI will be motivated by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine, some reports claim that it will get a 10 to 15 percent boost from 207hp (210PS) to around 220hp-230hp, while others say that it might make as much as 260-horsepower.
We have also heard that the next Golf GTI will debut a new front differential that utilizes an electronically controlled Haldex clutch promising much improved handling traits.
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