Rather than stabbing a Botox shot into one of its five doors as a birthday present to itself, the Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years has instead hit the gym hard.

It takes the Golf GTI Performance as its base, but for $500 extra (100 units from $46,990 plus on-roads) gets a six-speed manual (400 units of the Performance’s seven-speed dual-clutch are $48,990), sports exhaust and a big power hike from 169kW to 195kW.

There’s icing on the four decades-of-GTI cake, too. The 2.0-litre’s larger turbo and increased charge pressure not only delivers 195kW between 5350rpm and 6600rpm, and (an unchanged) 350Nm between 1700rpm and 5600rpm, but 213kW/380Nm becomes available for 10 seconds in third gear and above three-quarter throttle.

Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years rear

That’s how it feels. The EA888 four-cylinder has discovered newfound thrust to replace the regular GTI’s linearity, from about 5000rpm tearing the tachometer needle towards its top end. The new sports exhaust delivers subtle pops and crackles on overrun, injecting the Golf with greater character to match its more aggressive exterior (gloss black front gills, spoiler, mirror caps and in other than grey paint, a black roof with the remaining white or red hues).

Unchanged are brakes and tyre size (225mm-wide, 19-inch) but ‘Ruby’ alloys, Pirelli P Zero rubber and an ESC Sport mode (or ESC Off) are all Golf GTI 40 Years exclusives.

Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years dashboard

That extra powertrain aggression tests the front-drive-plus-LSD configuration of this gruntiest-ever GTI. This isn’t like the R, which offers sheer traction everywhere.

Knowing how to work the front diff – with late and hard braking into corners, or a trailing brake that delicately shifts weight to the outside rear wheel – and when to instead adjust a cornering line on then off the throttle is crucial.

Volkswagen Golf GTI 40-Years side

We tested only the DSG, which is damned impressive these days, but the manuals will likely be the bargain and the sweet spot. Sadly they’re all but sold out, though Volkswagen Australia has promised us a drive.

Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years interior

4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

SPECS Engine: 1984cc turbocharged four, dohc, 16v Power: 195kW @ 5350-6600rpm Torque: 350Nm @ 1700-5600rpm Weight: 1357kg 0-100km/h: 6.3sec (DSG claimed) Price: $48,990 (DSG)