2024 VW Golf GTI Is a Stick-Shift Send-Off

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The Volkswagen GTI has been a staple of the affordable-but-fun roster of cars since its inception almost half a century ago. This hopped-up Golf (or Rabbit) gave folks an affordable outlet for their gear-wringing fun.

Then, halfway through the eighth generation of this legendary nameplate, Volkswagen announced it was moving away from the manual transmission and pivoting to an automatic-only GTI in the United States. But before sending it away, VW launched a special stick-shifted celebration version of the GTI dubbed 380.

Powering this 2024 VW GTI 308 is the same 2.0-liter EA888 turbocharged I4 that moves the other GTI variants. This turbocharged 2.0-liter sends 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque through either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic. Of course, in 380 S and 380 SE trim, the stick is the only transmission available.

On this episode of Quick Spin, Autoweek’s Patrick Carone climbs behind the wheel of the 2024 VW Golf GTI and puts it through its paces. Carone takes you on a guided walkaround of the last-year stick-shifted Golf GTI and highlights some of his favorite features. Later in the show, Carone takes you on a live drive review of the ’24 VW GTI. Adding to these segments, Carone chats with host Wesley Wren about the GTI, the manual transmission disappearing, and more. Closing the show, the pair break down what makes the 2024 Golf GTI special.

Tune in below, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever podcasts are played.