Confirmed for production.
At the ongoing annual Golf GTI fan meet at Worthersee, Austria, Volkswagen have revealed a new hot hatch just for the occasion. Called the GTI TCR, and unlike many of the concept cars shown there previously, this high(er) performance variant is actually slated to be on sale later this year with this lakeside showcase being a preview.
TCR, if you’re not familiar, stands for ‘Touring Car Racing’ where Volkswagen provides private teams with a track-focused version of the Golf GTI developed by its motorsports arm. This GTI TCR, which is technically still labelled a concept despite being confirmed for a factory rollout, will feature a brawnier engine, recalibrated suspension settings, and lightweight components to enhance its track credentials.
Volume will be limited to some degree when the car does reach showrooms, but details have been kept under wraps for now, but should end when the rest of the Golf Mk7.5 generation is put out to pasture to make way for the all-new Golf Mk8’s arrival.
As you’d expect in a Golf GTI, power is sourced from the same 2.0-litre TSI turbo-petrol four-cylinder from VW’s EA888 family, but output is bumped to 213kW via an increase in turbocharger pressure in a 10-second overboost mode from 1.9bar to 2.1. Torque, meanwhile, remains at the familiar 380Nm is delivered nice and early from 1,600rpm.
While this doesn’t make a huge difference to the car’s acceleration time relative to the standard GTI as it remains front-driven through a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, the TCR does have an impressive top speed of 264km/h. However, it’s electronically limited to 250km/h.
There are new forged 19-inch aluminium-alloy wheels available as an option over the standard 18-inch ‘Belvedere’ wheels. Regardless, they’re backed up by larger perforated brake rotors all-round as well as uprated callipers said to enable braking performance that’s comparable to the racing car it pays homage to.
To further distinguish it externally apart from the special honeycomb decal, VW has fitted the GTI TCR with a new front bumper that more effectively funnels air into two additional radiators. A new, more aggressive front splitter improves front-end grip and is aerodynamically tuned to work in tandem with a new rear diffuser and integrated tail pipes. By the way, those are special titanium exits sourced from Akrapovic.
Inside, the sport seats have unique microfibre and fabric covers, with a red central motif that is repeated with the contrast stitching on the steering wheel and shifter. When the doors are opened, the TCR logo is projected on to the ground and the stainless steel rocker trim has a red illuminated element.
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