Volkswagen has paid homage to the original Golf GTI with the reveal of its up! GTI concept to be shown at the annual GTI Meet at Lake Wörthersee.

VOLKSWAGEN WILL SHOWCASE a near-production ready up! GTI at the annual GTI Meet at Lake Wörthersee in Germany at the end of May. The German car maker claims the up! GTI, the fastest-ever up! Variant pays homage to the original Golf GTI which went on-sale in 1976.

The original Golf GTI made 81kW and weighed 810kg and could get to 100km/h in 9.0 seconds. The up! GTI concept makes 85kW and weighs a similar amount. VW is being cagey about key details as the up! GTI will be launched next year and wants to keep its powder dry.

The up! GTI certainly looks the part. It gets the GTI badge and a red strip across the radiator grille with honeycomb pattern – it also offers double strips across the sill panels; just like the original GTI. The exterior mirror caps are in gloss black and the wheels are 17-inch alloys.

In a statement, Volkswagen said: “the up! GTI features sports running gear, lowering the body by 15mm. GTI features also characterise the rear: here, among other things, a red strip as well as a larger roof edge spoiler provides for greater downforce on the rear axle for optimised handling performance at higher speeds. The interior includes features as a leather-trimmed sport steering wheel, a GTI gear knob and the legendary “clark” seat pattern. The fact is: this GTI does not just look like one – it also drives like one. A new original.”