On the weekend Volkswagen quietly released some new photos of three Golf GTI Concepts to 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 debuted at the 2007 GTI Festival in Wörthersee, Austria.
Based on the three-door Mk V GTI, the W12-650, as the name suggests, is powered by a 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine borrowed from the Bentley Continental.
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Intakes on the roof and sides help direct air into the W12 engine, which is housed where the rear seats would normally be. It pumps 478 kW (or 650 hp) and 720 Nm to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission from the Volkswagen Phaeton.
At full throttle, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 325 km/h.
Other items stolen from the Volkswagen Group’s spare parts warehouse include the front brakes of the Audi RS4 and a rear axle of the Lamborghini Gallardo.
The W12-650 rides on classic-style 19-inch alloy wheels all around, but the rear units are massive and fitted with 295 tires. It sits 70mm lower than a standard GTI and is 160mm wider with the inflated fenders.
To celebrate the GTI’s 50th birthday, Volkswagen 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 a downloadable extra for the PlayStation Gran Turismo racing series.
While many Vision Gran Turismo vehicles created for the game remain digital-only, a physical version made its debut at the 2014 Wörthersee Meeting in Austria.
The GTI Roadster is reportedly based on Volkswagen Group’s MQB architecture and features a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged VR6 under the hood. The six-cylinder produces 375 kW and 560 Nm and drives all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
On 20-inch alloy wheels with central locking and 235/35 tires at the front and 275/30 rubber at the rear, the GTI Roadster is said to complete the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 309 km/h.
The GTI Roadster is a fair-weather friend because it doesn’t have a roof, but instead has numerous fenders and doors that swing up and out.
For the GTI 50th anniversary celebration, the car was repainted from its original red to dark green.
Design Vision GTI
The Design Vision GTI, which debuted at the Wörthersee event in 2013, has a clear visual connection to the Mk VII Golf GTI on which it is based, even if there are no shared body panels.
Like the later GTI Roadster, the Design Vision GTI also has a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged VR6 under the hood. With 370kW and 560Nm, all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, it takes 3.9 seconds to get up to a century.
Compared to the show-ready versions of the GTI, the concept car’s body is 71 mm wider and 57 mm lower. It rolls on 20-inch alloy wheels with 235/35 tires at the front and 275/30 tires at the rear.
Red calipers are mated to 380mm front disc brakes and 356mm rear disc brakes.
There’s also a stripped-down interior with a carbon fiber dashboard and almost every conceivable surface is finished with microfiber.
The rear seats have been removed and replaced with a solid X-shaped brace, and the trunk includes tie-down straps for two matching helmets. Unlike the other concepts shown here, the original white has not been repainted.
MORE: Discover the Volkswagen Golf showroom
