2025 VW Golf GTI Goes Topless in Fantasy Land, Could It Be On to Something?

The latter is currently the range-topping flavor of the series until the all-wheel-drive R arrives with its superior firepower, presumably in a few months. The Golf GTI Mk8.5 should be one of the best FWD hot hatches in the segment and will continue to take on the likes of the Hyundai i30 N and Honda Civic Type R.

Volkswagen's latest Golf GTI features a few minor adjustments on the outside, like the new headlights and taillights, grille, and a few other bits and bobs. It has premium sports seats on the inside with the classic chequered pattern or optional leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with physical buttons, red stitching, and a refreshed 10.2-inch infotainment system. It also gets ChatGPT to aid the natural voice commands, standard three-zone climate control, 30-color ambient lighting, and carbon fiber trim.

There is no more manual option, as all versions of the 2025 Golf GTI get a seven-speed DSG that delivers the thrust to the front wheels. But how much power are we looking at? That would be 261 horsepower (265 ps/195 kW) in the European version, which represents a 20 hp (20 ps/15 kW) bump over its predecessor. It is unknown yet how much the U.S.-spec has, but we wouldn't be surprised to learn it is equally powerful to the Variant sold on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. The GTI Clubsport will also be refreshed and should bring even more power to the table.

Speaking about numbers, we should tell you that the current Golf R has 315 hp (320 ps/235 kW) and 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) of torque to play with. The all-wheel drive model that tops the range will likely get a small power bump, or that's what we believe anyway, and we should find out in a few months when it finally premieres if that is indeed the case or not.

Now, as you already know, the latest Golf lineup is limited to two body styles: a five-door hatchback and a five-door station wagon. Volkswagen does not intend to expand the offering, yet that doesn't mean such a machine cannot exist in Fantasy Land, as that's where we found this 2025 Golf GTI Cabriolet. Sketched out by X-Tomi Design, it stays true to the real hot hatch up to a point, featuring a folding soft two, two doors, longer rear three-quarter panels, and a few other things.

Not only will Volkswagen not try its luck with an open-top version of the facelifted Golf, regardless of what lies under the hood, but it will also kill the T-Roc Cabriolet. The news reached our ears a couple of weeks ago, and it was very surprising, especially since this model was the best-selling open-top vehicle in Europe after MINI's drop-top. The T-Roc Cabrio will be discontinued when the next generation arrives, presumably sometime next year.