Special Event 'GTI FAN FEST 2026' Held to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of GTI

Volkswagen Japan (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Brand Director: Martin Sage) held a special event 'GTI FAN FEST 2026' at the Volkswagen Group Japan headquarters in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, on Saturday, June 13, 2026, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of GTI.

The Golf GTI, born in 1976, overturned the conventional wisdom of sports cars and established a new genre called 'hot hatch'. Since then, GTI has been loved by many people under the philosophy of 'fusing the fun of driving with everyday life'. This year, marking the 50th anniversary of GTI's birth, we planned a premium event for fans to revisit the history and value of GTI and experience the current GTI and Volkswagen cars, recreating the culture of 'GTI Treffen', a fan meeting supported by fans around the world. The event invited a total of 230 groups of Volkswagen fans (VWer/Viwer), including GTI and Volkswagen owners selected by lottery from more than 2,600 applicants and winners of the SNS post-type campaign 'I♡VW Photo Campaign 2026'. On the day, a variety of Volkswagen cars, centered on the GTI of each era, gathered from all over the country.

The event opened with a welcome speech by Martin Sage, Brand Director of Volkswagen Group Japan, who also took office as President and Representative Director of the company in May of this year. In the following opening program, the Japanese model pilot model of the 'Golf GTI 50th Anniversary Limited Edition' was unveiled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the birth of GTI. In addition, a talk session was held on 'GTI' and 'Volkswagen' from the perspective of the brand and the driver, with professional racing driver Takayuki Kinoshita. Mr. Kinoshita also conducted a demonstration drive of GTI, and three fans selected by lottery experienced the driving performance by riding along.

As a highlight of the event held at the headquarters, a special tour of facilities that are usually not accessible was conducted. Participants selected by lottery visited the dedicated pier and the Technical Service Center (TSC), which performs pre-delivery inspections, and the Parts Depot (Parts Depot), which manages and supplies 50,000 parts, and witnessed the strict quality control process and robust logistics system from the unloading of vehicles to shipment, and were amazed.

In addition, various contents such as the 'GTI Best Car Award', which decides the No. 1 in the 'Volkswagen Department' and the 'GTI Department' by voting among the visitors, the sale of badges limited to the day, a quiz rally where original stickers can be obtained, and a kitchen car where local Toyohashi flavors can be enjoyed were developed throughout the venue, and interaction among fans was also created.

At the end of the event, the 'GTI Best Car Award' was awarded, and a group photo was taken with a commemorative board on which the participants wrote messages, and the event ended with heat and smiles.

■ Comment from Martin Sage, Brand Director, Volkswagen Japan

I am deeply moved to have been able to celebrate the 50th anniversary here in Toyohashi with all the fans who love GTI passionately. Through direct conversations with people who love cars, I once again felt that GTI is not just a name, but a special existence that connects people with emotions and performance. You are an important member of the Volkswagen community. We will continue to listen to your voices and strive to deliver cars and experiences that will make you excited. Please continue to enjoy a fun and, above all, safe GTI life. We look forward to seeing you again at such an event in the future.

■ Comment from Professional Racing Driver Takayuki Kinoshita

I came here early in the morning around 6 a.m. today, excited. I was able to see the place where cars cross the sea and come to Toyohashi, receive maintenance, and are delivered to dealers all over the country, and I was very excited. I also had a period when I drove the 'Golf', and GTI is the benchmark for hot hatches for me. When the first one came out, I didn't have a license, but I started racing from the second one, and I was taught the joy of driving a car and it was an existence that raised me.

Today, many journalists were present, and they said, 'It's a very homey event'. I think that kind of atmosphere is created by the customers. I felt that the warm feeling of Volkswagen was conveyed, and it was a wonderful world.