THERE’S no author laying claim to the quote “I'm not 40, I'm eighteen with 22 years experience” but it could easily be applied to the Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years edition.

The hot hatch icon is celebrating its 40th birthday with the limited-run variant but its exuberance is anything but middle-aged.

Marking the anniversary of its humble beginnings – only 5000 units were planned for the original GTI in 1976, but more than two million have been produced so far – the anniversary model is the most powerful GTI yet.

Sadly, only a paltry number have made it here in manual and DSG dual-clutch auto guise, but neither are likely to pop up in a VW dealership new even near-new is a long shot, given what the owners are getting every time they slide in behind the Alcantara steering wheel.

Brattish brilliance by the bucket load, with more sporting character and flair than the clinical but capable all-wheel-drive R, should keep the 40 Years editions sought after and rarely found.

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