Feb 26, 20222 min read

VW GOLF 8 GTI LAUNCH

Updated: Apr 6, 2022

You can't really speak about iconic rides without at the very least mentioning the Golf GTI at one point or another. Whether in conversation or at an event you're bound to hear a GTI story. And we have our own special relationship with this car. Going all the way back to the 5th generation of GTI's...

So we were very excited to get our hands on tickets to the launch of the Golf 8 GTI last year. One thing about Volkswagen South Africa: they really know how to launch a car… what a treat this was in collaboration with VDub Fest.

A Quick story: I really learnt how to drive in a manual transmission Golf 5 GTI more than 10 years ago. Later I experienced longer distance driving in a Golf 7 GTI & that really set me up well for knowing how to handle the road, speed and long distance driving “etiquette”. I say “etiquette” because we all know that South Africa has its own code of conduct and rules but that’s a topic for a whole separate post. I’ve become more aware of the driving experience including cornering, handling, visibility and agility. And of paramount importance to my 1,54m self is the ease of parking. I absolutely loved how safe and in control I felt in this car…

The 100m speed dash in the Golf 8 GTI went and tickled some other bones in my body. I’m a firm believer that the appeal of a car doesn’t lie in how fast it can accelerate but in the attention paid to ensuring the same fluidity in braking and this car really delivers. As smoothly as I launched, that’s how smoothly I was able to slow down and return to my starting position. Check out my reel of the 100m dash experience on my instagram account at @bishneenfreeman (also linked on the image below).

Beyond that I must say the look of this baby still needs to grow on me. It’s the droopy nose and almost “bulky” shape that have me in a pickle. Naturally the Golf 5 & 7 are my favourites but I really loved the inclusion of a walk through every generation of the Golf GTI at the launch event. There’s nothing as beautiful as seeing evolution before you and the memories that they elicit. Insert another story: after sharing some snaps from the launch on my feed I received countless messages of people sharing their personal GTI stories. The most memorable being from our dear German friend, Karlheinz, who told us he owned the Golf 1-3 GTI's back in the day when he first started working. It's this that we love! Don't hesitate to share your personal GTI story in the comments section below...