Track-focused VW Golf at Woerthersee
* Design Vision GT has 496bhp and 413lb ft of torque
* Could be put into production as a limited edition
These sketches tease the Volkswagen Design Vision GTI – a new concept car based on the VW Golf GTI – unveiled at the Woerthersee GTI meeting in Austria.
The Design Vision GTI is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 TSI turbocharged petrol engine, which develops 496bhp and produces 413lb ft of torque. This power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic gearbox with 0-62mph taking just 3.9 seconds.
With this amount of pace, the Design Vision GTI will be at home on the racetrack. It uses the new chassis that underpins the latest road-going Golf, but has a much wider, lower stance than the standard GTI an extra 71mm in the width of the car covers its enlarged front and rear track. Other styling tweaks include extensive use of carbonfibre over the tailgate and diffuser, as well as unique 20-inch alloys.
The rest of the look is heavily influenced by the Golf GTI, with the familiar honeycomb grille and red, white and black detailing.
Inside, the track-focused theme continues with a large X-shaped cross member taking the place of the rear seats. There is also a pair of red loops in place of the standard door handles.
On the dashboard, a large display shows lap times and on which circuit the car is being driven. It is also capable of communicating with other vehicles on the course and shows where the car is in a race.
There are currently no plans to put the Design Vision GTI into mass production, with a spokesman describing it as just a concept car. However, it could form the basis of a racing version of the new VW Golf.
By Ed Callow and Tom Webster
