On this episode of Road Gang Radio, hosts Jimmy Mac and Lindsay Lawler take a joyride through the history of one of the world’s most beloved performance cars — the Volkswagen GTI — with award-winning automotive journalist Russell Hayes, author of The Complete Book of Volkswagen GTI: Every Model Since 1976.

Celebrating 50 years of the “original hot hatch,” Russell takes listeners behind the wheel of a true icon — from its humble beginnings as a backroom project to its status as a global symbol of affordable performance and driving fun. He discusses how the GTI evolved across eight generations, what makes each era distinct, and how it’s managed to stay relevant through decades of changing automotive trends.

Russell also dives into VW’s racing heritage, the engineering breakthroughs that shaped the GTI, and how models like  ...