Out of this world VW GTI Roadster lands at Wörthersee [Preview]

vw gti roadster vision gran turismo 6

What car has video game styling, over 500 horsepower, all wheel drive, and no roof to speak of?  It is the VW GTI Roadster – Vision Gran Turismo.  This wild one of a kind concept is a real-life incarnation of a Playstation® Gran Turismo 6 creation.  Designers channeled their inner 5-year-old and turned all the knobs to 11 with extra exotic styling.

Autodesk VRED Design 2014 SR1

Huge air intakes and rear wing may look cartoonish, but many elements from this concept could work very well on the next generation (Mk8) of the iconic GTI.  For example, the front grille and headlights make for an aggressive appearance that a production car could benefit from.

Autodesk VRED Design 2014 SR1

The Roadster builds on the GTI Vision coupe that Volkswagen unveiled last year.  Naturally, it uses the same drivetrain.  However, there is nothing ordinary about the 503 horsepower 3.0L twin-turbo TSI V6 that also makes 413 lb-ft of torque.  The little beast sends power to all four wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission and the latest 4Motion system.

vw_gti_roadster_engine_skin

Carbonfiber monocoque construction makes for a light-weight roadster and the whole car weighs in at just 3,133 pounds.  Volkswagen estimates the 0-60 mph performance at 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 192 mph.  Wonder if the low slung wind-screen is enough to protect the occupants at high speeds?

Check out this fun and informative TFLcar first drive video of the 2015 VW GTI Mk7.

And here is the VW GTI Vision coupe that the company showed at the festival last year.