Volkswagen unveils 286 horsepower Golf GTI TCR concept vehicle
THE SEVENTH- generation Volkswagen Golf might be closer to the end of its time than the beginning, but it’s still very much alive and kicking.
To illustrate this fact, the German carmaker has just revealed a beefed-up version of the GTI in the shape of the TCR Concept that was unveiled this week at the annual fan meet in Wörthersee in Austria.
This new take on the world’s most famous hot hatch is designed to celebrate VW’s participation in the Touring Car Racing ( TCR) championship, so this is effectively a road- going version of the car that competes in that event. And the really good news is that despite being billed as a concept, Volkswagen has already confirmed that it’s going into production later this year and there’s also the suggestion that numbers won’t be restricted.
Jürgen Stackmann, the Volkswagen Board Member for Sales said at the unveiling: “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.”
So if you want one, and you can afford the as yet unspecified asking price, you’ll be able to go and buy one, eventually.
Of course, the front-wheeldrive Golf GTI TCR won’t offer the same 345 bhp as the racing version.