THE fastest and most powerful production version of a motoring icon for more than a generation, the Golf GTI, marks the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the original hot hatch.

We may be living in a wholly different, more PC, age than in 1977 but truly there’s nothing watered down about the spirit of GTI Edition 30 which is available with three or five doors.

At its heart is an uprated version of the ultra-responsive 2.0 litre fourcylinder T-FSI petrol engine that’s fitted to the standard GTI. The result is the generation of almost 230 horsepower – a rise of 30 over the standard car.

The unit can be mated to a sixspeed manual gearbox or a sequential shift DSG gearbox channelling drive through the front wheels.

The manual car can reach 60 miles an hour from standing in a fraction under seven seconds while the DSH equipped model can clip another half second off that – on its way to a claimed maximum of 150 mph. I actually did this in the mainstream GTI down at Millbrook, the industry testing ground: the bowl circuit means that you can set the car at that speed and take your hands off the wheel without it changing direction: mind-blowing.

GTI Edition 30 has been given a special exterior look. New bodycoloured side skirts are paired with a new chin spoiler for the front bumper and a body-coloured rear bumper. A subtle GTI badge sits on the bootlid below tinted rear lights. Completing the look is a set of unique 18 inch alloy wheels.

Inside, the anniversary special benefits from unique sports seats covered with cloth trim and completed with leather side bolsters and headrest. The golf ball-topped gear knob that was such a special feature of the original GTI all those years ago makes a welcome comeback.

Silver sill plates feature an Edition 30 logo while the steering wheel is clad by leather with red stitching.

Equipment levels for the Edition 30 are high. Safety features include anti-skid brakes supplemented by an electronic stabilisation programme and there are six airbags. A radio and CD player and dual zone electronic climate control are provided inside and you also get the obligatory twin chrome exhaust tailpipes.

Just 1,500 examples of the GTI Edition 30 have been made available with a range of six paint colours. Prices start at just over £22,000 for the three-door with a £1,330 premium for the DSG-equipped car. The five door car costs an additional £500.