Extreme Volkswagen Golf GTI concept boasts 496bhp, 4WD and a 190mph top speed
Volkswagen is set to reveal an extreme 496bhp version of the seventh-generation Golf GTi as part of activities at this year’s Wörthersee fan meet in Austria, projecting the iconic hatchback into the performance realm of some of the world’s most celebrated supercars.
Dubbed the Design Vision GTI, the radical concept showcases a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine developed for use in upcoming models that, like the Golf GTI, are based around Volkswagen’s MQB platform structure.
Set to find its way into selected new Volkswagen models in future years, the direct injection engine replaces the Golf GTI’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit and is mounted transversely in the engine bay.
Power is up by 279bhp, or almost 129 per cent, rising from 217bhp to a Porsche 911 GT3-beating 496bhp. Torque also increases by 155lb ft, going from 258lb ft to 413lb ft – some 368lb ft of which is claimed to be on tap at just 2000rpm.
No specific details of the V6’s block and head architecture have been revealed, although rumours suggest that it is a new design and is not linked to the new Porsche V6 turbo developed for the upcoming Macan Turbo.
The Vision GTI’s prodigious power is channeled through a dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the specification of which remained under wraps prior to the concept’s unveiling in Wöerthersee.
But unlike the standard Golf GTI, which has traditionally boasted a front-wheel drive layout, the Vision GTI uses a multi-plate clutch four-wheel-drive system to apportion drive to each corner.
The result, according to Volkswagen’s official performance claims, is a 0-62mph time of just 3.9sec – an improvement of 2.6sec over the standard Golf GTI. Top speed increases by 38mph, extending from 152mph to 190mph.
Styled by a team of in-house designers overseen by Volkswagen brand design boss Klaus Bischoff, the Design Vision GTI builds on the look of the standard Golf GTI with a heavily reworked body that takes full advantage of a modified chassis boasting wholesale increases in track width and the inclusion of 20-inch wheels to give the hatch a truly aggressive stance.
The styling is said to include elements destined for a limited-edition 40th anniversary celebratory Golf GTI model due in 2014, while providing hints to the look of an upcoming track version of the iconic hatchback set to be sold through Volkswagen’s increasingly active motorsport department, which is responsible for the German car maker’s World Rally Championship campaign.
At 4253mm in length, 1870mm in width and 1385mm in height, the new concept is 15mm shorter, 71mm wider and 57mm lower than the standard Golf GTI.