Volkswagen Golf GTi Pirelli news - Slick and tyred - 2007

Volkswagen is going the whole 1980s retro hog with the revitalisation of its Golf GTi.

Now that it has found hot-hatch form once again, VW is introducing a modern version of another 1980s favourite, the Golf GTi Pirelli.

Slapping a set of Pirelli tyres and different wheels on the latest version was not enough, so there are titanium-effect 18in wheels with unique Pirelli P Zero tyres.

There are some tiny Pirelli logos on the seat fabric, the steering wheel and selected other parts of the cabin. Go for leather seats and you get a tyre-tread pattern embossed into the seats.

The GTi Pirelli gets the 227bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine from the Edition 30 model, too.

That makes for 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds for the manual gearbox models and 6.6 seconds for the DSG version. Top speed is 152mph for both.

It all sounds quite appealing in a 1980s retro sort of fashion, but UK buyers will not have the chance to find out because the Golf GTi Pirelli won't be sold here.