Second Volkswagen GTI concept slated for Wörthersee debut

By Stephen Edelstein May 13, 2015

Volkswagen Golf GTI concept Worthersee 2015 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The annual Wörthersee festival is where Volkswagen fans go to celebrate the brand, and where Volkswagen goes to celebrate its fans. The carmaker is certainly bringing the love this year.

In addition to the already-revealed GTI Clubsport concept, VW will unveil a second GTI concept that was built by a group of 13 apprentices in Wolfsburg, Germany. They started out with a bare shell and were tasked with building an entire show car.

Volkswagen used the project as a vocational training exercise. The team of 17- to 25-year-old apprentices includes four women and nine men from five specialties: interior fitting, paint, mechatronics, media design, and materials engineering.

So far the only apparent modification is a snappy two-tone paint job, but the Wörthersee concept — which is based on a Performance-package GTI — also features engine, suspension, interior, and sound system modifications, VW says.

Related: 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI first drive

The perhaps means the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine will get a little more than the 220 horsepower available on the stock version. We’ll have to wait and see if this concept has a six-speed manual transmission or DSG dual-clutch automatic.

At Wöthersee, the apprentice-built GTI concept will share the stage with the CTI Clubsport, a 265-hp tuned model that could preview a future addition to the GTI family, slotting between the base GTI and the Golf R.

While Wörthersee started out as a GTI love fest, Volkswagen has turned it into a marketing venue for many of its other brands, and has been bringing ever-more flashy show cars to get maximum attention for them.

So far this year, the two confirmed GTI concepts will be joined by the 600-hp Audi TT Clubsport Turbo Technology concept, and two cars from Skoda – the FUNstar pickup truck and Fabia Combi R5 rally car.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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