A new chapter in Golf GTi history
IT’S enough to take any hot hatch fan to fantasy land, except this is no dream.
A new chapter of Golf GTI history has begun:
With the world première of the 213 kW / 290 PS1 strong Golf GTI TCR Concept, Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen Board Member for Sales, has unveiled the road version of the racing car of the international TCR series of the same name.
The première took place earlier this month at the legendary GTI meeting at Reifnitz am Wörthersee, Austria.
‘At the moment, the Golf GTI TCR Concept – an athlete derived from racing sport – is a study. But at the end of the year, we want to make this GTI vision come true,’ said Mr Stackmann.
The design, power and performance of the Golf GTI TCR Concept follow pure sports car doctrine.
The power of the 370 Nm strong turbocharged engine is already transmitted to the front wheels from 1,600 rpm as standard via a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) and a locking differential. The top speed of the standard version will be 250 km/h, but this can be increased to 264 km/h by opting to remove the electronic Vmax limiter, making this Golf the fastest GTI of the current model range.
Numerous individual features contribute to the particularly sporty character of the new Volkswagen.
The future standard version will leave the Wolfsburg plant with 18-inch “Belvedere” forged wheels; 19-inch alloy wheels will also be available as an option. Behind the large wheels there is a high performance braking system with perforated discs that decelerate the production car just as effortlessly as the TCR racing car.
The top Golf GTI model features two extra radiators to ensure sufficient cooling for high engine performance.
If desired, particularly enthusiastic drivers can order a package that pushes the performance even further towards the racetrack: besides removal of the Vmax limit and the new 19-inch wheels, it includes an even more dynamic sports chassis and the adaptive chassis control (DCC). It adapts to the characteristics of the electrically adjustable shock absorbers at the touch of a button.
The Golf GTI TCR Concept shows that the future standard version will also prove its outstanding position in terms of looks: at the front, a newly designed bumper with sharply contoured splitter (front spoiler) identifies the Golf GTI as a TCR version. Also new: the newly designed panel attachment on the side, which is continued to the rear. Here, they join a diffuser and the exhaust system tailpipes.
In the silhouette, the “TCR” lettering above the sills also attracts attention and is optionally customised with an additional decoration in the typical GTI honeycomb design. The Golf has a particularly inviting effect when opening the front doors: the TCR logo is then projected on to the asphalt. The stainless steel sill panel trim is personalised by means of a red illuminated element.
On the inside, the premium sport seats are finished with newly designed microfibre/fabric covers. The door inserts and gear stick cover have also been finished in microfibre. The seat centre sections are in the contrasting colour “Flash Red”, which is the bridge to the red contrasting stitching on the sports steering wheel. That is - just like racing - provided with a red 12 o’clock stripe.
The vehicle is in the trial phase and is not yet on sale; it is therefore not subject to Directive 1999/94 EC. All technical details on the new Golf GTI TCR are predicted values as at May 2018.