2008 Volkswagen GTI Named Among Car and Driver's 10 Best Cars for 2008

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 10 -- Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced that the GTI has been named one of Car and Driver magazine's 10Best cars in its 26th annual competition. This is the fifth time the GTI has earned this distinction, including a back-to-back 10Best nomination for the 2007 and 2008 models.

The GTI is fun to drive, with its high-tech, 200 horsepower 2.0T four- cylinder engine that produces 207 ft.-lbs. of torque, fully independent sports-tuned suspension, aggressive exterior styling, and a practical interior that equally mixes functionality, flair and a driver-first focus and layout.

The 2008 GTI is a solid and aggressive sports model with an available automated manual DSG(TM) transmission that utilizes direct shifting, which automatically depresses clutch-shift points more efficiently and quicker than even a professional driver can. For those driving enthusiasts who want the control of a clutch, the GTI comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission. With all that power and performance, and fuel economy of nearly 30 miles per gallon on the highway, it is easy to see why the GTI is a repeated winner of Car and Driver's 10Best.

Car and Driver selects its 10Best cars after a weeklong, editorial staff- wide examination of all of the year's newest and best cars. The GTI was among 57 vehicles considered for the honor.

Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Rabbit, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Passat, Passat wagon, Eos, Touareg and Phaeton through more than 600 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com.