And Volkswagen created the Golf GTi, and it was good. And it begat other hot hatches, which some worshipped also. And then Volkswagen spake unto the GTi faithful: Try the new Mark V and yea verily it will deliver you to the promised land.

The only mobile shrine to hatch heaven on Britain's roads today is revered by petrolheads everywhere. And in the beginning was the Mark I. This model, of 1976 vintage, sparked the most serious bout of car cloning the industry has ever seen, as "the fastest Volkswagen ever" -- according to the firm's adverts -- sold 10 times the planned number in the first year of production.

Since then, the hot hatch heat has gone supernova.

Because that initial success created one sizeable rod for VW's back, with GTis Mark II to IV coming up against better, faster, and often cheaper rivals.

Now, here we are with the new GTi Mark V, with Volkswagen on a nostalgia kick and realising GTi status, and not outright speed in this latest 197bhp offering, is more the name of their own flagship flyer game.

A sound move, especially with the spanking Vauxhall Astra VXR screaming onto the market, a 240bhp beefcake bristling with superior performance figures.

The VXR, and other examples such as Honda's Civic Type-R, and the Renault Megane 225 Turbo, all ensure that the Golf GTi's once-clear open-road horizon is now blocked with views of other hatchbacks' exhaust pipes.

Not that the Golf's top speed of 146mph or 0-62mph time of 7.2 seconds is to be sniffed at, neither is the razor-edged road behaviour.

But package that kind of 2.0 litre, 197bhp punch into the latest Golf shape, let the badging and interior pay homage to the first of the 'phew', and the true pedigree bloodline is assured.

Aluminium touches on the gearknob, pedals and footrest, twin exhaust tailpipes, and old-style logos both inside and outside go beyond mere styling touches: rather like a family's heraldic shield, the GTi has the right to use them. Same goes for the sports seats, and the sporty smattering of leather here and there.

The list of standard features is a very full one, and safety standards are very high. All-round airbags, anti-lock disc brakes, with the caliper housings nicely picked out in red through the 17-inch alloys, and stability and differential assistance top the safety kit, and for luxuries you're looking at electronic dual-zone climate control, front electric windows (and rear, too, on the five-door), get-you-to-the-door headlights, and a 10-speaker radio/CD.

Torque isn't cheap, though: £19,995 for the three-door GTi, with the £500 premium for the five-door making the latter, a slightly larger car, look better sense.

The bright red car -- it's racy in red, but much less of a beast in black -- had a few fitted options, too.

Xenon headlights (£720 -- brilliant), folding door mirrors with courtesy lighting (£180 -- good), satnav, six-disc CD and highline computer with front armrest and cupholders thrown in (£1,665 -- useful) all helped bump up the Golf's going rate.

But the good news is that all the extra spend will see the GTi retain something like two-thirds of the original outlay, or 60 to 65 per cent at the three years/60,000 miles mark -- and so very few cars can do that.