5/29/2007

Volkswagen Golf GTI W12-650

We've seen some pretty wildly modified Volkswagen GTIs in our day. From potent street weapons to track day toys, the GTI is one of the ultimate tuner cars of the last 30 years. But what happens when Volkswagen itself decides to modify a GTI? Crazy happens.

Meet the Golf GTI W12-650. That's W12-650 as in "this GTI has a 650 horsepower, biturbo, 6.0-liter, 12-cylinder engine." You might be doubtful that such a powerplant could even fit in a GTI, and you'd be reasonable to be less than confident. But as it turns out, the engineers were able to find plenty of room after they'd widened the body 160 mm and removed the rear seats. That's right, this GTI is mid-engined and rear-wheel drive. The end result is a 0-62 mph sprint in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph.

According to Volkswagen, one of the biggest challenges was getting enough airflow to the engine, a problem solved by designing the C-pillars and rear windows to feed air to the W12. Attention was also paid to aerodynamics, with the carbon fiber roof acting as a large integrated diffuser. Virtually every other component on the car is upgraded to near-race spec as well, from suspension components to brakes. Even the wheels were specially engineered for the Golf GTI W12.

So let's recap: Volkswagen GTI; 650 horsepower; mid-mounted W12 engine; rear-wheel drive; 202 mph. When can you buy one? Well that's the catch: you can't. Volkswagen says this is a strictly a show car to show the world what the GTI is capable of.

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