For 2022, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is all new. We know that it’s got some noticeable flaws plus a number of more powerful rivals, but we’re still surprised by how little the aftermarket industry has to offer in the case of the Mk8 GTI, as well as its powerful R counterpart.
Volkswagen owners love to change the wheels and call it a day. In fact, a few months ago, we featured the very first Golf 8 R to be lowered on custom wheels. However, many still want everyday usability, so simple skirts and spoilers are needed rather than custom suspension and expensive alloys.
At this very moment, there’s only one mainstream body kit coming out of Europe. It’s from a company called Maxton Design, which is relatively unknown in the States, but has catered to almost every affordable sports vehicle in the European lineup, mainly sister cars and direct rivals to the GTI, but also BMWs. It’s basically become a household name over the past few years because for many models, there simply isn’t another option.
As you can see here, they’ve got a full array of bolt-ons available for the GTI, plus a few more parts which are specific to the Mk8 GTI Clubsport and the AWD monster that is the Mk8 Golf R. The best part is these parts are all cheap and bolt directly to the underside of the fenders. The downside is there’s no widebody kit because “TÜV sagt nein!”
We counted five different designs for the front splitter, the most outrageous of which only extends a couple of inches past the original bodywork. You can also install little wings right below the headlights.
Black side skirts with red pinstripes help the GTI compete with the Hyundai i30 N, while the rear offers up four different Maxton Design diffusers with varied numbers of vertical fins. There’s also the option to attach a spoiler to the top of the trunk, as all hot hatches deserve.
For the wheels Maxton seems to be working with a black BBS modern design. Personally, I think the GTI is more of car show queen than a track car, so I’d look for a retro, chunky design from Rotiform or Innov8 Racing. Many parts are interchangeable, and the gallery below is just a small sample: normal GTI in white, Clubsport in yellow and R in black.
