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The Golf GTI is 50 years young and, along with a year of celebrations, Volkswagen has just pulled its craziest concept cars out from storage and given them a refresh.
In 2013, VW unveiled the Golf Design Vision GTI, based on the seventh-generation car, in its sportiest three-door body style. The Design Vision was wider by 2.8 inches, lower, and featured a bonkers body kit with a full-height side-scoop giving off serious sci-fi vibes. A stormtrooper white paint scheme with plenty of contrasting black trim only added to the menacing mood.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Under the hood was a turbocharged three-liter V-6, driving all four wheels via VW’s 4Motion system and a DSG transmission. VW claimed the Design Vision could hit 0-62 mph in 3.9 seconds, and go on to 186 mph.
Inside, the rear seats were discarded in favor of a half-cage, and the dash design looked to have been lifted from an Audi R8. Targeting track use, the Design Vision came with storage for two crash helmets, lightweight fabric door pulls, along with carbon fiber and Alcantara aplenty.
A year later, VW took the Golf to new heights—or maybe that should be lows?—as it removed the roof to create the GTI Roadster. Barely recognizable as a Golf at all, the shrunken supercar styling included scissor doors and a whopper of a wing at the rear. The V-6 was boosted to 503 hp, cutting that 0-62 mph sprint to 3.6 seconds, and raising top speed to 192 mph.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
The GTI Roadster was launched in Gran Turismo 6, meaning that anyone with a Sony PlayStation could get behind the wheel. Power to the people!
Even this, however, was tame compared with what VW did in 2007 when it revealed the GTI W12-650. Like the Renault Clio V6, it ditched the Golf’s traditional front-engined layout for a midship method, but, in this case, VW doubled down and fitted its mighty six-liter W-12.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Strictly a two-seater, with the motor taking the place of rear passengers, the 641-hp Golfzilla could top 200 mph, while taking just 3.7 seconds to reach 62 mph from rest.
To mark the Golf GTI’s 50th birthday, VW has given the W12-650 a fresh coat of paint. “Reborn in red and still the wildest GTI ever built,” says the company.
With all three crazy concepts in running order, hopefully we’ll see them on track during the GTI’s half-century celebrations.
Volkswagen