The godfather of hot hatches has been redesigned for 2018. Is the Mark 7.5 Volkswagen GTI as fast as the outgoing Mark 7?
Since 1976, when Wolfsburg first introduced the hot version of the Golf, the Volkswagen GTI has certainly evolved. Through 40 years and seven generations of development, we arrive at the current, seventh-generation GTI. For 2018, Volkswagen updated their favored son with some aesthetic updates, both inside and out. More importantly, however, they’ve also bestowed the new version with some goodies from the all-wheel drive Golf R. There’s a six-speed dual-clutch automatic on tap (the 2018 model retains its manual option as well), a limited slip differential, and brakes pulled straight from the Golf R.
VW upped the power for the new version as well. The 2018 Mark 7.5 Volkswagen GTI features 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque from it’s 2.0-liter turbo engine. That figure is up from 210 horsepower and 220 lb-ft on the 2017 model. Power is, as always, fed to the front wheels through Pirelli P7 Cinturato all-season tires. It’s worth mentioning the tires actually, as they’re less grippy than the summer-oriented tires on the old version.
In today’s TFLcar Hot or Not feature, we delve into the Mark 7.5 Volkswagen GTI, pitting it against its forebear. Can the new hot hatch daddy accelerate and put down a similar lap time to the outgoing Mark 7? Watch the video above to find out!
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0-60 Runs and Lap Times
The Mark 7.5 Volkswagen GTI performed well against its outgoing cousin in the 0-60 sprint. The 2016 Mark 7 GTI put up a respectable time of 7.19 seconds (bear in mind we’re a mile above sea level). However, the new version beat it by more than half a second, with a 0-60 time of 6.57 seconds.
The lap times, however, went in exactly the opposite direction. Paul Gerrard, TFLcar’s professional driver, set a time of 1:07.26 for the Mark 7 GTI. In the Mark 7.5, mainly owing to its all-season tires, set a slower time, at 1:08.63. While the old version with its manual gearbox is a joy to throw around the track, the Mark 7.5’s tires made it prone to understeer, resulting in a slower time.
Considering a new or used Volkswagen GTI? Check out our buyer’s guide video!
After checking out this Hot or Not video, head over and watch our GTI Ultimate Buyer’s Guide video for more on the changes from the Mark 7 to the Mark 7.5 Volkswagen GTI!
