Over the weekend Volkswagen quietly released some new photos of three Golf GTI concepts to help celebrate the model’s 50th anniversary.
Golf GTI W12-650
The wildest of the three concepts, at least in this writer’s opinion, is the W12-650 which made its debut at the 2007 GTI Festival in Wörthersee, Austria.
Based on the three-door Mk V GTI, the W12-650, as its name suggests, is powered by a 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine borrowed from the Bentley Continental.
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Intakes on the roof and sides help to feed air into the W12 engine, which lives where the rear seats normally reside. It pumps out 478kW (or 650 metric horsepower) and 720Nm to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic from the Volkswagen Phaeton.
Flat out, it can obliterate the 0-100km/h standard in 3.7 seconds, and hit a claimed top speed of 325km/h.
Other elements pilfered from the Volkswagen Group parts bin include front brakes from the Audi RS4, and a rear axle from the Lamborghini Gallardo.
The W12-650 rides on classic-style 19-inch alloy wheels all round, but the units out the back are massive with 295 section tyres. It sits 70mm lower than a standard GTI, and with its pumped-up guards is 160mm wider.
For the GTI’s 50th birthday celebrations Volkswagen has repainted the W12-650 from its original white to Tornado Red.
GTI Roadster
The Volkswagen GTI Roadster Vision Gran Turismo was originally released in 2014 as downloadable extra for the PlayStation Gran Turismo racing series.
While many Vision Gran Turismo vehicles created for the game stay digital only, a physical version made its debut at the 2014 Wörthersee Treffen in Austria.
Said to be based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB architecture, the GTI Roadster has a 3.0-litre twin-turbo VR6 under the bonnet. The six-pot makes 375kW and 560Nm, and drives all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Riding on centre-lock 20-inch alloy wheels with 235/35 tyres at the front, and 275/30 rubber at the rear, the GTI Roadster can reportedly complete the 0-100km/h dash in 3.6 seconds, and hit a top speed of 309km/h.
The GTI Roadster is a fair weather friend as there’s no roof, but it does have plenty of wings, as well as doors that swing upwards and out.
For the GTI’s 50th anniversary bash the car has been repainted from its original red to dark green.
Design Vision GTI
Debuting at the 2013 event in Wörthersee, the Design Vision GTI has a clear visual link to the Mk VII Golf GTI it’s based on, even though are no shared body panels.
Like the later GTI Roadster, the Design Vision GTI has a 3.0-litre twin-turbo VR6 under the bonnet. With 370kW and 560Nm to its name, all-wheel drive, and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, it requires 3.9 seconds to bring up a century.
Compared to showroom-ready versions of the GTI, the concept’s body is 71mm wider and is 57mm lower. It rides on 20-inch alloy wheels with 235/35 tyres up front and 275/30 units at the rear.
Red calipers are allied to 380mm disc brakes up front, and 356mm rotors at the rear.
There’s also a stripped back interior with a carbon-fibre dashboard, and almost every conceivable surface finished in microfibre.
The rear seats have been removed and replaced by a massive X-shaped brace, and the boot includes tie-down straps for two matching helmets. Unlike the other concepts seen here, it hasn’t been repainted from its original white.