Volkswagen Golf 2009 News

Volkswagen has unveiled the world’s whackiest Golf GTI -- well, at least since the last time it let its hair down with a W12 mid engine Golf GTI concept at the Worthersee festival, in 2007.The Design Vision Concept Golf GTI shown at the 32nd annual Worthersee event, which opened overnight, is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre direct injection V6 with a claimed output of 370kW and 560Nm.Thanks to an all-wheel-drive system and Volkswagen’s DSG gearbox the company claims the Design Vision Concept Golf GTI can reach the speed limit in 3.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of more than 300km/h. Carbon-ceramic brakes sourced from sister company Lamborghini and 20-inch wheels help it stick the road.The designers also used the clean slate as an opportunity to experiment with new interior materials and a new instrument display. It also replaced the regular interior door handles with red fabric, to save weight Porsche 911-style.However, as with the wild W12 mid-engined concept VW Golf GTI shown at Worthersee in 2007, the Design Vision Concept is another flight of fancy that is unlikely to make it to showrooms in any form. It is also not a hint that the V6 engine may make a return to the Golf after the V6-powered R32 was axed in 2008.Volkswagen is readying a follow-up to the 2.0-litre turbocharged Golf R introduced in 2009, the fastest and most powerful Golf of all time. It is due to arrive in European and Australian showrooms next year.Meanwhile the seventh generation Golf GTI is due in Australian showrooms in October, with an expected starting price less than $40,000.Fast facts: Design Vision Concept Golf GTIPrice: N/AEngine: Twin turbo 3.0-litre V6Power: 370kW and 560NmDrivetrain: AWD with DSG0 to 100km/h: 3.9 seconds (claimed)Top speed: In excess of 300km/hOther highlights: Carbon ceramic brakes, 20-inch alloy wheelsThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Volkswagen's hardcore Golf GTI concept that we told you was heading for Austria’s annual Wörthersee Tour tuning event has turned out to be a striking race car concept dubbed the Design Vision GTI. The concept is based on the latest 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI, the seventh generation of the iconic hot hatch, and has been developed as a ready-to-race product. The regular VW Golf GTI drivetrain has been thoroughly overhauled for the concept, with the standard four-cylinder turbo replaced by a twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 3.0-litre V6. Peak output now registers at 375kW and 560Nm, which is more than double that of the regular Golf GTI. All this power and torque is distributed to the wheels via a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission and Haldex all-wheel-drive system. Volkswagen boasts the concept will hit 100km/h from rest in just 3.9 seconds and max out at 300km/h. In order to slow this souped-up Golf GTI, designers fitted large carbon ceramic brakes, sized 380mm up front and 355mm at the back. The 20-inch wheels, which feature the GTI’s ‘Austin’ pattern, come with special blades designed to vent hot air generated by the brakes through the wheel openings. The wheel bolts are covered to give the appearance of a centre-lock design.   The design team for the Design Vision GTI, led by Volkswagen brand design chief Klaus Bischoff, has drawn the C-pillars and sills outward, thus creating space for substantially wider front and rear tracks, as well as the specially developed wheels (with 235 tyres in the front and 275s at the rear). The concept is slightly shorter than a regular Golf GTI, however, thanks mainly to a more compact rear bumper treatment, and it sits a bit lower as well. One particularly neat element is the GTI's typical red grille divide, which on the concept also divides the headlights. The actual lighting elements are set back, giving them a deep, sunken look. Inside, designers had a ‘pure GTI’ focus, which meant concentrating on the truly essential but with a little style. This meant as few switches as necessary, so that they can be operated intuitively even while driving hard. Unique features include an electrical kill switch, a push-button for a fire extinguisher and an ESP deactivation button. The car has three drive modes: "Street," "Sport" and "Track". The shapes of the dashboard and the center console correspond to the GTI's, but are even more driver oriented, with tauter surfaces and harder edges. The race-car impression is reinforced by the use of carbon fiber, which is combined with Alcantara and Nappa leather. The rear seats have also gone; their space taken by an X-shaped cross member that further strengthens body stiffness. Volkswagen explains that the aim of the design was to provide a glance into the future of the GTI. Though we’re unlikely to see the Design Vision GTI enter production, many of the concept’s features are likely to appear on eventual race versions of the latest Golf as well as the more extreme 2015 Golf R hot hatch due out next year. The 2013 Wörthersee Tour kicks off today and concludes on May 11. www.motorauthority.com  

The Biggest Loser has proven that weight-loss shows can draw serious attention. Volkswagen must be watching because the German automaker is looking for lower numbers on the scales with the Golf. According to Edmunds, VW is nearly ready to offer up an optional extra that will help the popular hatchback ditch a few pounds. A carbon fibre roof will be offered up on the performance variants of the hot hatch, which could net weight savings of around 8-9kg. The Mark VII Golf GTI is appearing on the not-too distant horizon, so it's no surprise that we might see some of the weight-saving tech from the newest Golf. There's been a Carbon GTI rumoured to make an appearance that will make more extensive use of the lightweight material. We're happy that VW is also offering up the good stuff to those vehicles sitting a bit lower on the vehicular totem pole. Normally, carbon fibre is a very expensive material with which to work. Carmakers are learning new tricks, however, to reduce the cost and utilise the strength and lightness benefits in more applications. By bonding a bit of carbon fibre to a thin layer of steel, which acts as the core of the roof. The carbon fibre adds in the required strength for safety without requiring additional steel or aluminium. Thus a customer is left with a lightweight solution that also happens to look pretty good as well. www.motorauthority.com

In past years, the annual Volkswagen and Audi tuner fest in Wörthersee, Austria has seen the reveal of a number of exciting performance concepts that have led to production. Notable concepts included the Scirocco GT24, Audi A1 clubsport quattro and Golf R Cabriolet, which eventually spawned the respective Scicorro R, Audi A1 quattro and Golf R Cabriolet production cars.  It turns out this year’s event, which takes place from May 8-11, will be no different. We’ve already been treated to a preview of the Audi TT ultra quattro concept, which is said to preview a new lightweight version of the next-generation TT sports car, and now there are reports that a similar hardcore Volkswagen Golf GTI variant will also be previewed at this year’s Wörthersee Tour. Speaking with CAR, Volkswagen R&D boss Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed that a concept car previewing a future Golf GTI variant would be revealed at the event. He went on to reveal that it won’t be over the top like the Golf GTI W12, a previous Wörthersee concept, but instead will be “more realistic.” Volkswagen is reported to be planning a more hardcore version of its latest 2015 Golf GTI, one that’s said to focus on lightweight design, so it’s possible this is the model the automaker will preview. If this is the case, look for carbon fibre construction and an upgraded electronic differential. Another possibility is the Edition 40 GTI, a 40th anniversary Golf GTI special edition due on the market in 2016, though it’s unlikely this is the car Hackenberg is referring to, given how far its release date is. www.motorauthority.com  

The hot new hatch doesn't look at all menacing on the Volkswagen stand at the Paris show, where it only wears a 'concept' label, but a big change is coming. There will be two models of GTI for the first time in 2013. Even the cooking Golf has been upgraded to the level of the outgoing Golf R, with 350 Newton-metres of torque and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.6 seconds. It also has a handy 162 kiloWatts of power to feed to the front wheels through its six-speed manual and DSG gearboxes. But wait, there's more. Volkswagen has developed a Performance Pack that lifts output from the 2.-litre petrol engine, with turbocharging and direct fuel injection, to 169 kiloWatts. The 0-100km/h time comes down just fractionally to 6.5 seconds. But the big changes are in the driveline, where the PP GTI gets bigger disc brakes and a mechanical limited-slip differential. “We're looking at both models,” the spokesman for Volkswagen Group Australia, Karl Gehling, confirms to Carsguide. He hints that both are likely to make the trip, although not until the back end of 2013. “It will be late next year. It's not launched in Europe until the middle of next year.” There is no hint yet on GTI pricing, although the current model is priced from $38,990 as a three-door hatch and $49,490 with five doors. Despite the performance push, Volkswagen says the new GTI will also be the greenest car to wear the tag. Both GTI versions come with a stop-start system and satisfy the upcoming Euro 6 emissions standard, with fuel economy but by 18 per cent to as good as 9.65 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of 140 grams/kilometres. Both cars also come with variable-ratio steering and a flat-bottomed wheel for the driver. The package for the new car is slotted into the seventh-generation Golf body, which means reduced weight, anti-collision system and a high-end infotainment system. But it also gets predictable GTI tweaks including red-painted brake callipers, chromed 80-millimetre exhaust tips and smoked LED tail lamps. The Paris show car also has cloth tartan seats and a golf ball gear knob, although these are not likely to be standard in the production model.  As well as causing double trouble for shoppers forced to make a choice, the new GTI has the potential for mayhem in showrooms. The waiting time in Australia for the previous-generation GTI blew out to more than 18 months when the car first arrived and Gehling cannot promise any better in 2013. “We'll have to wait and see. With any new model there is likely to be a waiting list if demand exceeds supply,” he says.  

The hot hatch hero is being previewed at the Paris motor show today as the regular seventh-generation Golf closes on showrooms.Carsguide drives the Golf for the first time next week and will have a drive report as the engine is cooling in Corsica.The GTi has been a huge star in Australia and the previous model created a waiting list that stretched for more than 18 months during the early part of its reign.The MK7 GTi is only being called a concept in Paris but it's a car that looks ready to go, based on leaked pictures on the eve of the show opening.Without official confirmation, it appears the GTi will have around 160 kiloWatts from a turbocharged 2-litre engine coupled to six-speed manual and DSG gearboxes.Visually, the car has big alloys, red brake callipers, twin tailpipes, a rear diffuser and small spoiler at the back of the roof.More detail as it comes to hand.

The first Volkswagen Golf GTI in 1976 had a kerb weight of 810kg, but over the past 36 years it has stacked on 570kg and now weighs in at 1380kg. The GTI of today is a far cry from the tiny pared three-door that spearheaded the nameplate. But Volkswagen is working on a limited edition that will retain all the technology but get 200kg closer to the lighter weight of its ancestor - and the extra agility promised with that. The Volkswagen Golf GTI Carbon will - logically, with that name - rely on carbon-fibre for the bonnet and roof, with the latter a strong laminate wrapping a steel core, according to a report by Autocar in the UK. Aluminium will also be put to work to lighten the rear floor pan, front bulkhead and windscreen frame - with the part-alloy platform destined to be used in future hybrid and electric versions of the Golf. The Golf GTI Carbon is likely to be powered by the same 165kW 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine tipped to be under the bonnet of the standard GTI in the coming Mk 7 line-up next year. 

Paul Maric says he would. Plus why the Golf won the Carsguide Car of the Year award, and old vs. new - the battle of cars from different generations.

Less than a week after the affordable compact hatch scooped the major prize in the Carsguide Car of the Year contest the Golf has also taken a first place with Australia's motoring organisations.The Golf 118 TSI was named best mid-size car over $30,000. It was one of a total of 12 vehicles to share Best Car honours this year out of a lineup of more than 280 vehicles.Best Cars chief judge, the RACV's Ernest Litera, said the Golf represented a shift in buyer attitudes to premium small cars. "The market is shifting from large cars to quality small cars," he said. "And the Golf has that exceptional balance of performance, safety and quality."The Subaru Outback picked up the popular best recreational four-wheel drive category. "Subarus have always had high levels of safety and security with their all-wheel drive," Litera said.Litera said the awards were designed to help buyers make informed buying decisions. "The judges had a tough job this year - there are a lot of good cars on Australian roads," he said.Judges also noted the improved quality and safety of small cars, with Ford's Fiesta LX winning the best small car category and Hyundai;s i30 SX again grabbing best mid-size car under $30,000.Australia Automobile Association chief executive, Mike Harris, said the winners were assessed on three key criteria - value for money, design and on-road performance."Each year we are seeing better produced, safer and more affordable vehicles on the market," he said.Best Small Car Ford Fiesta LXBest Mid-size Car under $30,000 Hyundai i30 SX dieselBest mid-size car over $30,000 Volkswagen Golf 118 TSi ComfortlineBest large car Toyota Aurion AT-XBest people mover Hyundai iMax dieselBest sportscar BMW 135i CoupeBest luxury sportscar Audi TT-S TFSI quattroBest prestige car Subaru Liberty 3.6R PremiumBest luxury car Audi A6 TFSiBest recreational 4WD Subaru Outback 2.5iBest luxury 4WD Audi Q5 3.0 TDIBest All Terrain 4WD Land Rover Discovery 4 SE TDV6 

The Mercedes-Benz E Class is good, the Ford Fiesta is better, but the Golf is best of all from more than 100 new cars that landed in Australia over the past year.