Volkswagen GTI Roadster bows at Woerthersee

As we expected, Volkswagen introduced the real version of the GTI Roadster “Vision Gran Turismo” at the Woerthersee festival in Austria on Thursday. The show car was originally created for the PS3 game's “Vision” series of cars. It debuted in-game on Monday.

"When Sony asked us if we would develop a Vision GTI vehicle exclusively for the game to mark the 15th anniversary of 'Gran Turismo,' we didn't hesitate for a moment,” said Klaus Bischoff, head of design at Volkswagen.

An in-house competition was immediately launched, according to VW. The final design was completed by Malte Hammerbeck, Domen Rucigaj and Guillermo Mignot.

The GTI Roadster houses a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 making 503 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. It makes 369 lb-ft at just 2,000 rpm. Power is transferred to a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. With a curb weight of just 3,133 pounds, VW claims the Roadster can get to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

The car was built for the game, meaning the designers didn't have to worry about constraints like laws, safety or price.

"The Vision GT project offered a wonderful opportunity to sketch out extreme ideas and design elements of the GTI that are portrayed as vibrantly, dynamically and emotionally as possible,” said Bischoff.

The Roadster has a 98.2-inch wheelbase (about 5 inches shorter than the GTI), a 42.9-inch height, a 74.6-inch width and a length measuring 163.7 inches.

VW aerodynamically optimized the Roadster to create plenty of downforce, including a stylized rear wing. The C-pillars extend onto the roof, forming a rollover bar. The doors swivel up and forward and small illuminated “GTI” badges are integrated into the style lines.

The GTI Roadster gets 20-inch centerlock wheels with body-color elements, along with 235/35 tires in front and 275/35 in the rear. Big brakes measure 15 inches in front and 14 inches in the back.

You can drive the car in “Gran Turismo 6” right now, and you may as well -- it'll probably be the only time you'll be able to get behind the wheel.

By Jake Lingeman