Hot on the heels of the Golf GTI Clubsport “concept”, Volkswagen has unleashed the Golf GTE Sport at the 2015 Wörthersee Tour in Austria.
Volkswagen says the Golf GTE Sport Concept is a blend of road and race car technologies – and it certainly delivers. The body is made up entirely of carbon fibre and is styled to resemble Volkswagen’s Vision Gran Turismo concepts, as well as the 503-horsepower Design Vision GTI revealed two years ago in Wörthersee. It even wears a set of swing-up doors inspired by the Volkswagen XL1.
Powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-four plucked from the Polo R WRC racer, the Golf GTE Sport’s gasoline engine alone produces 294 horsepower. But thanks to two electric motors – one mounted at the rear axle and another positioned inside the six-speed dual-clutch transmission –that number jumps to 396 HP, while combined torque is rated at 295 lb.-ft. That kick is sent to all four wheels, lending to a zero-to-100 km/h sprint of 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 280 km/h, according to Volkswagen.
Though it might be a concept, Volkswagen says the Golf GTE Sport is tame on the street as it is wild on the track. For starters, it can sip up to 117 miles per gallon thanks to selectable driving modes. ‘Hybrid’ uses the car’s regenerative braking system to charge the battery; if the battery is full, regenerative braking itself is disabled to allow the car to coast.
There’s also an ‘E’ mode, which lets the GTE Sport to drive solely on electricity for a range of up to 50 kilometres. Of course, if Hybrid and E modes don’t cut it, the full-tilt GTE mode pushes the car’s three motors to their limits.
Inside, the Golf GTE Sport is configured with two isolated capsules for the driver and passenger, showing off plenty of exposed carbon fibre and a set of seats with five-point racing harnesses. A Formula One-inspired steering wheel and an instrument panel with three displays completes the look.
The Volkswagen Golf GTE Sport Concept.
Handout, Volkswagen
