Volkswagen Golf GTI W12 concept (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

17 May 2007 04:44

VW Golf GTI W12: the lowdown

We loved the Clio V6, despite its dynamic shortcomings, and some CAR staffers still go weak at the knees at the mention of a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 rally car. But now Volkswagen is muscling in on the mad-hatch genre by showing this one-off Golf GTI W12. You read that right. Wolfsburg's crazier engineers have built a unique hot hatch powered by the Phaeton's 6.0-litre W12. It's twin-turbocharged. And mounted amidships...

Yes, this is the maddest Golf you'll ever see. That W12 has a punchy 641bhp and 553lb ft of twist, driving the rear wheels. You read that right - like other wild hatches of the past few decades, this uber Golf is mid-engined, built around a bespoke aluminium platform. It's enough for a 3.7sec dash to 62mph and a top speed of 184mph if you keep those 19-inch wheels spinning long enough. Don't go expecting any Golf W12 on sale, though. This was strictly a one-off for the renowned Wörthersee Tour, an Austrian celebration of hot-hatch madness. The VW Group has clearly taken this event seriously this year, as Audi unveiled its TT speedster there yesterday.

By Tim Pollard