VW Golf GTE Sport concept revealed with 395bhp hybrid engine
Volkswagen unveils monster Golf with carbon body at Worthersee show, with gullwing doors and 395bhp petrol-electric hybrid
It seems as though Volkswagen felt the GTI Clubsport was a bit tame for the diehard Worthersee fans, so they've upped the ante. This wild creation is the new Golf GTE Sport concept, which has debuted today at the Austrian fan festival.
The dramatic concept is a massively reworked version of the standard Golf GTE, with a muscular new carbon-fibre body and bonkers gullwing doors. It also claims to produce 395bhp from a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, exactly the same amount as the Golf R 400 concept we saw at Beijing in 2014.
This time the engine used is a 1.6-litre TSI turbo petrol derived from the firm's Polo WRC rally car. The petrol engine itself produces 295bhp and 400Nm of torque, but the assistance of two electric motors, each delivering 113bhp, takes the total up to 395bhp. It also produces 670Nm of torque combined.
Claimed figures are unsurprisingly rapid, with 0-62mph dispatched in just 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 174mph – yet VW says 141mpg is theoretically possible. A 31-mile electric-only range is promised too, thank to the lithium-ion battery pack.
Open the enormous gullwing doors, which are hinged at the base, and the Golf's interior has been entirely chucked out. In its place is a dramatic split-cockpit design with a cascading central panel dividing the driver and passenger. Futuristic bucket seats and a racing-style steering wheel also feature.
Like the mad GTI W12 concept we saw in 2007, this is more likely to be a design and tech showcase rather than a production car in its own right. But we can expect styling cues and a watered-down version of the hybrid powertrain to filter down to future production models.
Now see Skoda's crazy R5 estate rally concept from Worthersee.
