The race-inspired Golf GTI TCR Concept was unveiled today at a Volkswagen meeting in Europe. The prototype constitutes the road version of the racing car of the international TCR series of the same name. The première took place today 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."
- Jürgen Stackmann, Volkswagen Board Member for Sales
With a top speed of 264 km/h, the GTI TCR will be the fastest GTI on offer from VW. It features a unique exterior design and comes with a 7-speed DSG (dual clutch gearbox) transmission and a locking differential. It will run on 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. Two extra radiators will help ensure sufficient cooling for high engine performance.
Inside the cabin, premium sport seats come covered with new microfibre/fabric materials. The door inserts and gear stick cover have also been finished in microfibre. Contrasting Flash Red colours provide contrast on the seat centre sections, as do the red contrasting stitching on the sports steering wheel.
As mentioned by Jürgen Stackmann, VW hopes to begin production of the raciest GTI yet before the end of the year, but we have no details beyond that for the moment. Bad news for North American consumers who want to feel the rush of driving the Golf GTI TCR: it is not scheduled for North American commercialization, at least for now…
