The Wörthersee Festival, in Austria, not only annually hosts some of the most extreme modifications to Volkswagen models, it has also been the stage for the presentation of unprecedented models – as was the case with the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S last year.
This year, the novelty is different: the Volkswagen up! GTI Concept . Yes, it is a prototype, but according to the Wolfsburg brand it is very close to the production version, which will only be released in early 2018.
A tribute to the original GTI
41 years after the launch of the Golf GTI Mk1, Volkswagen wanted to pay tribute to the «father of sport hatchbacks» and joined the two models on the track:
But the tribute didn't just go through this promotional video. Like the Golf GTI Mk1, the aim was to make the Volkswagen up! GTI is a compact model, with a good power-to-weight ratio and sporty styling – both share, for example, the red stripes on the front grille and seat covers.
In terms of performance, the new Volkswagen up! GTI beats the Golf GTI Mk1 to points. Weighing 997 kg and a tricylindrical 1.0 TSI block with 115 hp , the city is able to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 8.8 seconds and reach 197 km/h of top speed. In comparison, the Golf GTI Mk1 (810 kg and 110 hp) took 9.0 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h and reached 182 km/h.
Compared to the current Volkswagen up! as standard, the new up! GTI adds black side strips and mirror caps, new 17-inch wheels and a suspension that reduces ground clearance by 15mm.
THE Volkswagen up! GTI Concept will be the highlight of the Wörthersee festival, which runs from May 24th to 27th in Germany.