Enthusiasts starved for affordable German performance were rewarded with the Volkswagen GTI back in 1983, a monochromatic hot hatch patterned after one of Europe’s most fun models but based on the relatively pedestrian Americanized Rabbit.Nevertheless, the original GTI featured practicality blended with responsive handling if not outright straight-line performance, and the car cultivated a loyal band of customers.

Straight-line performance is not a problem with the completely redesigned 2007 Volkswagen GTI, a car that has taken its sweet time coming to America. Running the same mechanicals as the excellent Jetta GLI sedan – a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 200 horsepower and plenty of low-end torque to the front wheels through a standard six-speed manual or available Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission – the new GTI continues a tradition first started, and frequently mimicked since, the early 1980s.

The 2007 VW GTI is a three-door hatchback, equipped with monochrome paint, big 18-inch wheels and tires, blacked-out trim, larger brakes, and suspension upgrades. Inside, sport-bolstered seating grips front occupants in turns, and the driver faces a meaty flat-bottomed steering wheel that would be right at home in a racing car. Silver trim pieces lighten the gray interior décor, and there metal alloy pedals for your feet. Side-impact, side-curtain, and whiplash-reducing head restraints help to minimize injury in an accident, and standard stability control works to keep a wreck from occurring in the first place.

The 2007 Volkswagen GTI goes on sale this month and starts at around $22,000, continuing the tradition of offering driving enthusiasts practicality in an affordable, fun-to-drive package.