Well, America, here’s your last chance to get a manual VW Golf GTI

If you ask us, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is a hot hatch best stirred with a stick. But if you want one, you’d better act fast: the GTI 380 is the manual car’s swan song, and it won’t be around for long.

Volkswagen of America confirmed this week that the manual Golf GTI will go out of production after the 2024 model year. To send it off with a bang, the GTI 380 is a unique build combination that bundles some of the hot Golf’s best features, making it a super compelling buy.

Every US-spec 2024 Golf GTI with a manual transmission will come standard with the 380 upgrade, which includes Volkswagen's DCC adaptive damping system, 19-inch gloss black aluminum wheels, summer tires, and a black roof and mirror caps. The latter should look great with the GTI 380's many color offerings, but especially the Graphite Gray Metallic that's exclusive to this model. It's an ace combo.

Inside, the Golf GTI can be ordered with either leather or cloth upholstery, but don’t be daft, make sure to spec yours with the hatch’s iconic plaid seats. VW’s wonky infotainment system is also standard, and while the company says the 380 comes with a "golf-ball inspired manual shift knob,” it’s still the too-big shifter you’ll find in other Mk8 GTI models. Gosh, do we miss the actual golf ball shift knob from the Mk7.

Mechanically, the Mk8 Golf GTI 380 is the same as it ever was, with a 2.0-liter engine cranking out 241hp and 273lb ft of torque. Oh, and if you're curious, the ‘380’ comes from the Mk8 GTI's internal code name. A neat bit of trivia for all you VW nerds.

With a starting price of $33,635, including $1,150 for destination, the Golf GTI 380 is $1,955 more expensive than the current Golf GTI S, and loading one up with things like leather seats (boo), premium audio, and more will set you back as much as $41,775. But hey, this is the last time VW will offer a manual Golf GTI in the US. Good as the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox is, we can’t imagine ordering a GTI any other way.