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Volkswagen created something special for a "GTi festival" in Europe this month. The GTi W12-650 concept mates a Golf three-door bodyshell to a bespoke mid-mounted bi-turbo W12 engine, channelling drive to the rear wheels.
Not only is it the most powerful Golf ever produced by Volkswagen but it's also the fastest.
The sprint from standstill to 100km/h takes a mere 3.7 seconds.
A potential maximum speed of 325km/h is made possible through a 70mm-lower ride height and the extensive use of underfloor aerodynamic aids, including a diffuser to keep the vehicle pinned to the ground at very high speeds.
At the vehicle's heart is a bespoke mid-mounted W12 engine linked to a pair of turbochargers.
In order to make the installation possible Volkswagen engineers created a unique aluminium subframe on to which the engine could be mounted. The engine's cooling systems are fed by a pair of side-mounted cooling vents placed in the airflow just ahead of the rear wheels.
The 6.0-litre W12 engine is an evolution of that fitted to the Phaeton. It's effectively made up of a pair of narrow-angle V6s laid alongside each other in a W-configuration. With twin turbos installed, the GTi W12 makes in excess of 450kW.
A 160mm gain in width over the standard Golf GTi is designed to accommodate the mid-mounted engine, bespoke drivetrain and the side-mounted cooling systems.
The roof is constructed out of carbon fibre and features an integrated cooling scoop to channel air into the rear-mounted radiators.
The redesigned floating C-pillars further aid the cooling systems to feed air into the engine.
The bespoke design study marks the annual GTi festival being held in Worthersee, Austria.
The event, the biggest of its kind in Europe, sees fans congregate to pay homage to the Golf GTi, now in its fifth generation.
