Volkswagen will show its spectacular GTI Roadster concept car in North America for the first time at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. First seen at the Wörthersee enthusiast festival in Austria in May, the car erases the boundaries between the virtual world and the real world and further demonstrates the bandwidth of the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture that underlies the new Golf, Golf GTI, e-Golf and Golf models R.
The GTI Roadster is a Golf GTI show car that was created as a purely electronic CGI entity for the Sony PlayStation®3 classic “Gran Turismo 6” (“GT6”). This two-seat convertible is powered by a twin-turbocharged TSI® 3.0-liter V6 engine that produces 503 horsepower and a whopping 413 pound-feet of torque between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm; From just 2,000 revs, 369 lb-ft of torque is available. TSI engine power is transferred to a 20-inch wheel and tire combination via a seven-speed DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission and 4MOTION® all-wheel drive system. This lightweight, 3,133-pound sports car is capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 192 mph.
Volkswagen and Sony. The GTI Roadster is the result of a collaboration between Volkswagen and Sony Computer Entertainment. Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design at Volkswagen commented: “When Sony asked us if we would develop the Vision GTI vehicle exclusively for the game to mark Gran Turismo's 15th anniversary, we didn't hesitate a bit.” An internal competition was soon launched and young Volkswagen designers submitted their designs. Entries were judged by Bischoff and none other than Kazunori Yamauchi, Director of Polyphony Digital and Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment—and founder of the “Gran Turismo series.”
Yamauchi is a GTI fan. The Japanese executive has his own sports cars which include the Golf GTI, an iconic sporty compact car. Bischoff and Yamauchi ultimately chose two designs which were then developed further. Designers Malte Hammerbeck and Domen Rucigaj were responsible for developing the exterior, while Guillermo Mignot was responsible for the interior. The entire development process is realized on the computer and even the 3D model of the vehicle is virtual.
Together, the three partners formed a sort of “Vision GTI -GT6 task force”, working with other designers. Just a few weeks later, their GTI Roadster was ready. Sony and Volkswagen launched the PlayStation®3 version for the virtual world on May 26 and three days later, Volkswagen unveiled the original GTI Roadster at the GTI festival in Reifnitz, Austria as a tribute to fans of the Golf GTI and “GT6”. Starting in mid-June, “GT6” players can download GTI Roadster, and Vision Gran Turismo for PS3.
The most spectacular GTI ever. Because Volkswagen designers gave free rein to their imaginations in designing the “GTI Roadster” for the “GT6” game—and were able to ignore production constraints such as price and production feasibility—the resulting car is certainly the most spectacular Golf GTI ever. Klaus Bischoff: “The Vision GT project offered an incredible opportunity to sketch out extreme ideas and GTI design elements that were envisioned as vibrant, dynamic, and emotional. The further development of the unique design and love of detail reflects the high standards held by the Volkswagen GTI and the Sony PlayStation® brand of ‘Gran Turismo’ products.”
In designing the GTI Roadster, Volkswagen revolutionized the visual concept of the Design Vision GTI concept car presented at the Wörthersee and Los Angeles Auto Show in 2013. The car was further developed, reinvented, and sent into the future as a roadster, although there are still links to it. previous car because Volkswagen used Design Vision GTI to show what a racing version of the Golf GTI would look like. Like the Design Vision GTI, the Roadster retains the principles of Volkswagen Design DNA and also incorporates wild C-posts and side skirts, but expressed to a whole new level.
These two concept cars show the potential of Volkswagen Design DNA, and the GTI is here to stay for a long time to come. The goal of the GTI Roadster is to push the Design Vision GTI concept to an even more extreme level. The Roadster's 98.2-inch wheelbase is significantly shorter than the production GTI and the “Design Vision GTI.” With minimal, low overhangs, a height of 42.9 inches, and a width of 74.6 inches, the 163.7-inch-long Roadster has jaw-dropping proportions.
Exterior design
The GTI Roadster's design launched the GTI far into the future. The visual image of this visionary two-seater already promises an immediate and immersive driving experience. The driver sits in a monocoque and races on GT6 world tracks from the height and perspective of a formula racing car.
The roadster's body is aerodynamically optimized, with the most prominent visual feature being the large rear wing. This creates a lot of downforce which helps with traction, along with the all-wheel drive system. In front of the wing, the C-pillar—which is the defining design element of the Design Vision GTI, extending to the roof—forms a roll-over bar. The rear spoiler gives the appearance of a wing floating behind the roadster.
The GTI Roadster features a bright and intense metallic red, a new interpretation of the classic Golf GTI “Tornado Red”. The designer gave the name “Gran Turismo Red” to the new color. Malte Hammerbeck said: “We were looking for a very provocative and aggressive red. The car must look fast, even when stopped, and the paint must emphasize the contours of the surface.” All bolt-on parts are designed with matte carbon as an accent that complements the shiny red color of the body. Only the radiator grille and the bulkhead above the engine compartment ventilation are finished in high-gloss black.
The doors can be rotated up and forward, visually dividing the prominent character lines into top and bottom. The door contours are also very distinctive, as they are framed by the side skirts (adorned with “Gran Turismo” badges at the rear), C-pillars, and flared wheel arches. A small but exclusive detail on the side is the illuminated GTI badge integrated into the “tornado” lines. On the top door, the side windows form a line that rises to the front with a low-profile windshield, like that of a speedboat.
The Golf GTI's 20-inch centerlock aluminum alloy wheels have body-colored elements and are 8.5J at the front and 9.5J at the rear, with 235/35 ZR20 and 275/30 ZR20 front tires. The brakes are large enough to match the car's performance: 15.0 inches in diameter at the front and 14.0 inches at the rear.
Front-end design: Viewed straight from the front, this roadster looks like a Golf GTI—except, one from the future. The front of the GTI has a three-dimensional design with floating bumper elements and a splitter designed to increase downforce at the front. Classic Golf GTI design elements such as the prominent VW badge, red radiator strip, and GTI logo are offset by dual LED headlights and LED daytime running lights that have a distinctive light signature. In the world of GT6 racing, this distinctive and charismatic front-end will cause discomfort when competitors see it approaching through their digital rearview mirrors. The closer the GTI approaches, the more visible the wedge-shaped air scoop on the hood becomes.
Sculpted back. Viewed from the rear, the carbon blade at the front continues unbroken across the side skirts and into the rear as a wrapping element. At the rear, they function as aerodynamically optimized air channels. The rear diffuser is highlighted by a metal blade and two low-slung taillights. Trapezoidal dual exhaust pipes (badged GTI) are positioned in the center of the car above the diffuser. Adding to the layered look at the rear are narrow three-dimensional headlights and a spoiler above.
Design Interior
The driver and passenger sit in a carbon fiber monocoque. The two sides are separated by an open bar running up from back to front, with a fire extinguisher underneath. The GTI Roadster is equipped with two low-mounted racing-style buckets. The four-spoke grip-style seat and steering wheel are covered in Alcantara. Another motorsport-style feature is the cockpit display mounted directly onto the steering column, well in front of the driver. The steering wheel is mounted on a very long and open steering column, which is also a characteristic of racing cars. The designer placed a red rotary light switch and gear shift paddles to the left and right of the center axis of the steering wheel, so the driver does not have to take his hands off the wheel.
Interior and exterior materials and colors are deliberately differentiated: the signature GTI red is used for several interior accents, such as the five-point seat belts, contrast stitching on the seats, door handles, and steering wheel controls on the steering wheel. , but the other color options are trimmed to “Black” and “Anthracite”. Inside the GTI Roadster, most decorative elements are removed in favor of an uncompromising motorsport atmosphere so the driver can focus exclusively on real and virtual race tracks.
