2007 Volkswagen GTI W12 Concept Part 1

Wolfsburg, 17 May 2007 - Daring to create something unique, leaving conventions behind and awakening passion – these have been at the heart of the GTI concept since its inception. To date, more than 1.67 million car drivers have fallen under its charm. The Golf GTI has been an icon for a long time now. A brand in itself. A label of sportiness. To drive a GTI is to make a statement; across the globe. Since 1982, its greatest fans have been celebrating it every year at the Wörthersee in the Austrian state of Kärnten. Thousands come for this event. Five days of Mardi Gras in May. For this occasion, Volkswagen has put a Golf on wheels that is like no other: The GTI W12-650 showcar. This sports car is a tribute to our GTI friends at the Wörthersee, car fans who made the GTI a legend. It is a concept that was designed just for them.

No Golf has ever been more powerful, or wider, or faster. The GTI W12-650 gives the appearance of having come directly from the racetrack. A Golf that could be the pace car for the 24 hour race at Le Mans. Its name is its mission: W12 cylinders, 650 PS (477 kW at 6,000 rpm). A showcar, no more, no less. At the same time it demonstrates the enormous potential that such a car can offer.

3.7 seconds, 325 km/h, 750 Newton-meter

Its 6.0-liter bi-turbo engine is longitudinally mounted directly behind the driver and front passenger. This transforms the GTI into a classic mid-engine sports car. A six-speed automatic transmission hammers the maximum torque of 750 Newton-meters (at 4,500 rpm) to the rear axle. It catapults the GTI to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds. The bi-turbo propels drivers who keep their foot to the gas pedal well beyond the 300 km/h barrier. The speedometer needle does not pause until it reaches 325 km/h. The Golf GTI W12-650 outpaces nearly all other cars of this world.

1.88 meters wide, 235 tires in front, 295 in back

Under the broad 1.88 meter (production 1.76 meter) width and low 1.42 meter (production: 1.50 Meter) height of its body, engineers and designers have brought together automotive technologies not seen in this combination on any other car. Each component is sourced internally. That in particular is a tribute to the unequaled breadth of technology at Volkswagen AG.

The chassis components of this showcar, for example, were adapted directly from a super sports car. Mounted on the front axle are 235 tires in 19-inch format, while in the rear there are 295 tires. Naturally, alloy wheels are also used: Due to the gigantic tire dimensions, the brightly machined “Detroit” GTI wheels are “dished” in the direction of the wheel hub and are custom built; the pitch circle with the wheel nuts lies much deeper than the rim circle.

2007 Volkswagen GTI W12 Concept Part 2