Volkswagen Golf GTi - Paris motor show - 2008

We had high hopes for VW's new Golf GTI. Then we saw pictures of it last week. And then we saw it here in Paris.

Hardly world-shattering is it? Looks the same as the last one, with the Scirocco's now-not-so-exclusive front end.

Yes, they've pushed the front fog lights out to the edges to make it look wider and they've put the twin tail pipes on either side instead of together, but really, we're not amped up about it.

But maybe that's the point. It's the antithesis to Vauxhall's Astra VXR and Ford's Focus ST. It's the quiet one. The one that doesn't make a fuss, but gets on with the job.

It's the James May of hot hatches.

It's a quiet upgrade in the power department, too. The two-litre turbo engine is now putting out 207bhp and 206lb ft of torque, good for a 0-60 time of 7.2 seconds and a top speed of 149mph. Lively enough, but is it going to look a bit slow against the hot hatch in a few years' time?

That said, the interior of the GTi looks spot-on - a nice dinky steering wheel and a neat set of gently-bucketed seats.

If you're still feeling a bit underwhelmed by the Mk6 Golf, there is some better news: we hear rumours of a several hotter Golfs in the pipeline. How does a GTi 'Plus' grab you? 270bhp or so, along with all-wheel drive?

And how about a replacement from the R32 in the shape of an R42, complete with a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cyliner engine?

As we say, they're only rumours. But they'd sure make the Golf a bit more interesting, wouldn't they