Automotive

Golf GTE Sport peels back the curtain on VW's performance future

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The car's gullwing doors are very similar to those on the XL1
The GTE Sport includes three motors
There are two electric motors, one mounted up front and one at the rear
A three-tiered instrument binnacle is designed to give people all the info they need in the easiest way possible
Race seats and five-point harnesses hint at the GTE's potential
The car's gullwing doors are very similar to those on the XL1
The GTE Sport is still undeniably a Golf
0-100 km/h takes just 4.3 seconds
The GTE's rear-end design is dramatic, thanks to all the carbon
The GTE tops out at 280 km/h
A twin splitter gives the front end some motorsport cred
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Volkswagen has used the annual GTi festival at Worthersee to reveal the carbon-bodied and hybrid-powered Golf GTE Sport. With a history of outlandish concepts at Worthersee, the sharply-styled concept presents a more likely look at the future direction VW is taking with its GT performance brand.

Under the GTE's square-edged bonnet lies a motorsport-derived powertrain, with 220 kW (295 hp) and 400 Nm of petrol power supplied by the front mounted 1.6-liter turbocharged motor from Volkswagen's Polo R WRC. This is supplemented by two electric motors, the first of which is mounted inside the six-speed gearbox housing and produces 80 kW (107 hp) and 330 Nm of torque. The second is mounted on the rear axle, and produces the same 80 kW (107 hp) as the front motor, with 60 Nm less torque.

The GTE Sport includes three motors

Unlike many performance hybrids, Volkswagen's GTE Sport doesn't just treat the electric motors as boost for the petrol engine – instead, the car is set up to use electric power at every opportunity for lower emissions and lower fuel consumption, which is put at 2.0 l/100km (118 mpg). In GTE Mode the car does take advantage of all three motors for maximum performance, hitting 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph).

There are three drive modes available, each offering a different combination of electric and petrol power. E-Mode is, as you'd expect, made up of only electric power, and offers 50 km (31 miles) of range without firing the rally motor. GTE Mode is the sportiest option, and takes advantage of all three motors for maximum acceleration. Hybrid mode automatically decides where the power comes from.

The Golf GTE's interior also showcases Volkswagen's vision for the driver-focused cabin of the future. It borrows the XL1's gullwing doors for easy entry, and the driver and passenger sit in separate areas, each adorned by race buckets with five point harnesses, with carbon fiber and microfiber the dominant materials throughout.

A three-tiered instrument binnacle is designed to give people all the info they need in the easiest way possible

To effectively deliver information about the hybrid powertrain, speed and racetrack to the driver, the GTE Sport's instrument cluster is set up in three tiers. The closest display to the driver is the smallest and shows infrequently checked information about gear position and energy recuperation, while the middle tier shows more complex information about energy recuperation and boost intensity. The third display is the largest, and shows information about speed or, if the car is in GTE Mode, the ideal racing line.

Ergonomically, the cabin has been designed so everything falls easily to hand, including the drive mode switch which is roof-mounted for a fighter-jet feel.

On the outside, VW has taken the Golf's famous profile and made it much more aggressive, with carbon fiber bodywork that includes lovely details like integrated vents in the c-pillars. Up front, the blue grille from the production Golf GTE has been adapted to fit the concept's striking styling, while an aggressive double splitter gives the car a proper motorsport look. At the rear, a massive diffuser is the dominant feature, although the car's "floating" rear wing also does a good job of grabbing your attention.

The Golf GTE Sport is only a concept, but it almost certainly provides a clear indication of where VW plans on taking its incredibly successful GTi nameplate next.

Source: Volkswagen

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6 comments
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that looks really nice.
Mark Evans.
Sweet ride. I'll take one to go please.
Madlyb
The interior is bizarre, but the exterior is sweet!
Kevin Ritchey
Very nice but will never see the light of day, at least not for normal folks.
habakak
The interior design of this car is as far of (for a futuristic car) as the ridiculously bubble-top cars of the 50's and 60's tried to point to flying cars of the future. Future cars will be autonomous and no driver controls would be required. Performance cars will be the toys of the rich that can only be driven on race tracks (and transported like our transportation from old, the horse, is transported today, in the back of a modern vehicle). But I am glad this is still 10-20 years away. I enjoy driving my car.
habakak
And 0-62 mph in 4.3s with 380 kw on tap???? The current R does 0-60 mph in 4.5s and only has 210 kw on tap.