Next Generation of Golf GTI and R choose Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a hot hatch legend, and it’s backed up by the even more rapid Golf R.

First launched in 1976, the Golf GTI has been a constant in VW's range ever since and the latest is the quickest and most high-tech of all eight generations to date.

You can measure just how far the GTI has come in that time when you compare the 0-62mph times of this iconic hot hatch model. Where the 1976 original took 10 seconds, the latest 2.0-litre turbocharged GTI with 245hp needs just 6.4 seconds for the same sprint. If that’s not quite rapid enough for you, a new Golf R will have you from rest to 62mph in a supercar-teasing 4.7 seconds.

That’s not all, either. The first GTI topped out at 113mph, but the new one will press all the way to 155mph on a German autobahn or race track. Order your Golf R with the Performance Pack and its top speed increases from an electronically limited 155mph to a mighty 167mph.

Keeping this sort of pace safely under control requires an equally high performance tyre and Volkswagen uses the Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 as standard for the GTI and R.

This 19-inch tyre has been individually developed to work every bit as well in the wet as it does in the dry, and it offers superb braking, cornering, and steering precision. As a result, the Ventus S1 Evo 3 is the ideal tyre for these Volkswagen hot hatches that will work as family cars as well as something to make you smile whenever the road ahead is free.

A key difference between the GTI and the R model of the Golf is the R comes with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive. This gives it enormous grip off the line and through corners, and it harnesses the R’s 320hp 2.0-litre turbo engine’s power without wasting a single drop. The Hankook tyres play their part here and also contribute to the R’s fine 35.8mpg fuel economy. Go for the GTI and it’s even easier on the bank balance with economy of 39.8mpg.

Along with such affordable running costs, another huge draw of the Golf GTI and R models is their ease of use. They may be very quick cars with a focus on entertaining their drivers, but they will keep the rest of the family happy too. There’s lots of space in the front and back, and the boot will happily take a full load of holiday luggage.

The Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3 tyres mean these two fast Golfs are refined and comfortable for everyday driving duties. They are also ready to take on twisty and fast roads any time you fancy reminding yourself why the Volkswagen Golf GTI and R have become legends in their own lifetimes.