Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced last month that they were among the recipients of Popular Mechanics 2007 Automotive Excellence Awards. The award was giving to the 2007 Volkswagen Golf GTI which won the “Driving Fun” category.

That the GTI is fun to drive can be attributed to its high-tech, 2.0 Turbo four-cylinder engine, fully independent, sports-tuned suspension, a standard six-speed manual transmission and aggressive exterior styling with a practical interior that equally mixes functionality, flair and a preoccupation with a driver-first focus and layout.

The 2007 GTI is a legendary sports sedan with a unique manual DSG^TM transmission that utilises direct shifting, which essentially automatically depresses clutch-shift points more efficiently and quicker than even a professional driver can. But the GTI today is all purity and for those who want the unique control of a clutch, the all-new GTI comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission. Top speed is electronically governed at 130 miles per hour in the U.S.

Popular Mechanics chose the winners after test driving over 100 of the newest cars, trucks and SUVs, amassing more than 100,000 miles in the process.