Skip to main content

With 503 hp, the Design Vision GTI concept awakens the Volkswagen nerd in us all

Volkswagen Design Vision GTI sketch front three quarterThe annual Worthersee Festival is like Comic Con for Volkswagen fans. Nearly 150,000 of them are expected to make the trek to the Austrian city of Reifnitz this weekend to celebrate all things GTI.

Volkswagen usually returns the love with a concept car or two. This year, the Wolfsburg wonders already have the Audi TT ultra quattro and SEAT Leon Cup Racer on deck, but the Design Vision GTI will probably turn the most heads.

Based on the newly minted Mark VII Golf GTI, the Design Vision GTI will boast 503 horsepower, 413 pound-feet of torque and a top speed of 186 mph (300 kph).

To put that in perspective, a U.S.-spec GTI produces just 220 hp (a Europe-only performance pack bumps output to 230 hp), and 258 lb-ft. of twist.

How did they do it? The stock GTI’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder is gone, replaced by a 3.0-liter V6. It’s backed by Volkwagen’s DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Volkswagen Design Vision GTI sketch rear three quarterIn addition to its 186 mph top speed, VW says the Design Vision GTI will do 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 3.9 seconds. That means it could outrun the speed-governed BMW M5 (155 mph) and a 0 to 60 mph drag race between the two would be a dead heat.

To slow the car down form those insane speeds, VW gave the Design Vision GTI carbon ceramic brake discs and wheels designed to vent said brakes.

Unlike the stock GTI, which has always been a bit of a sleeper, the Design Vision GTI has styling to match its grandiose performance (and its grandiose name).

This concept is wider, shorter, and lower than a stock GTI, giving it a means, hunkered-down look. A wide body treatment helps to cover those massive bladed wheels, and accentuate’s the GTI’s signature kinked C-pillar.

As with nearly every other performance-oriented concept car, there’s also a front chin spoiler and a rear diffuser, just in case you didn’t get the message.

Volkswagen Design Vision GTI concept interiorFor the interior. VW’s designers took the opposite approach, going for a minimalist look. This “reduced design” was meant to eliminate as many buttons and switches as possible, probably a good idea when the driver is wrangling 503 hp.

Those controls are limited to the DSG’s paddle shifters, the ESP stability control system, climate control, an engine kill switch, and a pushbutton fire extinguisher.

The rest of the interior is similarly racy, with bucket seats, an X-brace that takes the place of the rear seats, and Porsche-style fabric loops instead of door handles.

Keeping with the racing theme, Volkswagen did manage to work one tech feature into this concept. A camera mounted in the A-pillar records on-track action, which can be transmitted to other drivers on the course, or played back later on a dashboard screen.

The Design Vision GTI probably won’t be mass-produced, but it will probably draw as much attention at Worthersee as Joss Whedon at a Firefly screening.

Editors' Recommendations

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Alpine sale: Up to $160 off speakers and subs for your car
alpine speaker sale crutchfield march 2024 car and amp setup on table

If you’re looking to kit your car out with some superior speakers or a subwoofer, Crutchfield is the place to go today. Right now, there’s a huge sale on Alpine subwoofers and speakers with nearly 50 different items forming the sale. As there are so many options, the best idea is to hit the button below to see what’s around. If you don’t know where to start though, read on while we take you through some great items in the sale.

What to shop for in the Alpine sale
Buying the best aftermarket car speakers are important for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road and is currently dealing with a mediocre sound system. One good starting point in the Alpine sale is the 2-way speakers for $104 instead of $130. You get two 2-way speakers with a polypropylene/glass fiber/mica woofer with a specialized rubber surround. There’s a one-inch silk dome tweeter with speakers able to handle up to 80 watts RMS with 240 watts peak power. The grilles aren’t included but the factor ones should be fine for most purposes.

Read more
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more