VW's Anniversary Golf GTI Edition 35 with 235HP Arrives in the UK

For those looking for a bit more muscle in their GTI, Volkswagen has launched the special anniversary edition of its hot hatch in Britain. Created to celebrate the Golf GTI's 35th birthday and first shown at the at the Worthersee Festival in Austria this past June, the Golf GTI Edition comes with a tuned 2.0 TFSI delivering 235HP.

The 25HP increase over the standard model allows the Golf Edition 35 to complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in 6.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 153mph (246km/h).

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VW Golf GTI and Golf R Mk7 Photos

Never mind the body of the current, 6th generation Golf featured on these test two Volkswagen prototypes snagged by our scoop photographers in Germany; these are test mules for the upcoming Mk7 Golf GTI and its more powerful sibling, the Golf R.

Despite the fact that both vehicles look alike at first, a closer glance shows that the GTI is the one with the twin tailpipes while the R features a quad exhaust outlets. Another important detail worth mentioning are the rear wheel arch extensions that suggest a wider rear track for both models.

The next generation of the VW Golf which if not further delayed, will arrive towards the end of 2012 or early 2013, will be based on German firm’s cost-saving modular transverse architecture, more commonly known by its German abbreviation "MQB”.

The range-topping Golf models will use a new 2.0-liter TSI force-fed gasoline engine with more oomph producing somewhere around 220 to 230 horsepower on the GTI and close to 300-horses in the Golf R which will be equipped with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system.

As for what the new Golf will look like, VW accidentally gave us our first look at a very early clay prototype of the Mk7 Golf featuring a sharper snout and more steeply raked windscreen through an official video back in 2009. The company had then quickly erased the scene with the clay prototype but not before we saved the original clip.

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VW Golf GTI Cabriolet Live Photos from Wörthersee

Yesterday, we brought you the first images of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Cabriolet study but today we have live photos from the car’s world premiere at the Wörthersee meeting in Austria along with official information on the concept. The hotted-up convertible is based on the standard Golf GTI with power coming from the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 210-horsepower and 280 Nm (207-lbs/ft) of peak torque at 1.800 rpm.

Yesterday, we brought you the first images of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Cabriolet study but today we have live photos from the car’s world premiere at the Wörthersee meeting in Austria along with official information on the concept.

The hotted-up convertible is based on the standard Golf GTI with power coming from the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 210-horsepower and 280 Nm (207-lbs/ft) of peak torque at 1.800 rpm.

Volkswagen says the open-air model’s performance matches that of the closed-top GTI with a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 7 seconds and a top speed of around 240km/h (149 mph).

Finished in a fire red “Firespark Metallic” color, the Golf GTI Cabriolet rides on a lowered suspension and black-silver 19-inch “Glendale” alloy wheels with 235 tires. The car’s appearance is more aggressive than the GTI hatchback thanks to the add-on aero parts designed in shiny black piano paint.

Volkswagen’s designers also made changes to the front bumper as the fog lights of the GTI gave way to air guides for ventilating the upgraded high-performance brake system that includes brake callipers painted in “Tornado Red” with black GTI logos. At the rear end, there’s a new diffuser with a honeycomb grille separating the redesign exhaust tail pipes.

The concept model’s interior features “Black Stripe” pattern accents and Nappa leather seats with red GTI logos in the head restraints, along with two-tone door inserts and aluminum sill plates. The red decorative seams on the leather-trimmed steering wheel and the trim of the gearshift and parking brake levers as well as on the seat belts complete the upgrades.

Even though VW says the Golf GTI Cabriolet is a pure concept for the time being, we see no reason why the company wouldn’t go ahead and build a production model in the very near future.

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Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet and Golf R Cabriolet

If there’s one thing die-hard Volkswagen fans visiting this week’s annual Wörthersee Tour in Austria aren’t going to complain about, is the lack of Golf concepts. We have already shown you the Golf GTI Cabriolet and Golf R Cabriolet and now we bring you two more studies based on the flagship Golf R hatchback. The two Golf R Color concepts were first shown at the Geneva Salon this past March and were created to demonstrate the numerous customization possibilities.

The first example sports a mid-tone “Velvet Grey Metallic” exterior finish with polished 19-inch “Talladega” alloy wheels, orange painted brake callipers and carbon mirror caps.

The interior is distinguished by a set of two-tone motorsport seats with the shell finished in a black piano paint, and carbon fiber accents on the steering wheel, gear shift lever and the door sill plates.

The second Golf R Color Concept is painted in “Aplomb Blue” and comes equipped with 19-inch “Glendale” wheels that are new to the Golf line-up, while the exterior mirror caps, interior accents and the door sill plates are made of carbon. It also gets motorsports seats with the difference being in the color options.

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Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet Photos

This year’s Wörthersee meet in Austria is turning out to be quite an event for the Germans with the Volkswagen Group brands churning out one concept after the other. Following the debut of the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible, the German group pulled the veils off the Golf R Cabriolet study.

Using the recently introduced new Golf Cabriolet as a base, the designers and engineers of the Volkswagen R GmbH division built a convertible version of the gutsy Golf R hatchback.

Just like its closed top counterpart, the soft-top Golf R Cabriolet is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 270-horses and 350Nm (258.2 lb-ft) of peak torque from a low 2,500 rpm. The standard sprint to 100km/h (62mph) from standstill comes in less than 6.0 seconds while top speed is limited at 250km/h (155mph).

Volkswagen did not say if the Golf R Cabriolet is equipped with the hatchback’s all-wheel drive system or if power is transferred to the front wheels alone.

What the Cabriolet does get is a 25 mm lowered sport chassis along with a 17-inch brake system with internally ventilated discs at all wheels and blue painted high-performance brake callipers, and 19-inch “Talladega” alloy wheels wrapped in size 235 tires.

The car also features the Golf R’s aero kit with a new front bumper, side sills and a redesigned rear bumper housing two central tail pipes. Inside, there are bucket seats in dark blue carbon leather, combined with high-end Nappa leather in “Pure Grey”, plus carbon accents and sand-blasted aluminium door sill plates with black piano paint inlays.

For the time being, the Golf R Cabriolet remains a pure study, but we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a production version in the near feature just yet.

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Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet Wörthersee Tour

And the news just keeps dropping in from the largest annual GTI Meet in the world at lake Wörthersee in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia. Aside from the 270-horsepower strong Golf R Cabriolet concept that we told you about earlier today, Volkswagen also brought along a GTI study of the recently launched drop-top model.

We’re still short on information as Volkswagen has not yet published any details, but it’s safe to say that the Golf GTI Convertible is powered by either the standard Golf GTI hatchback’s 210HP 2.0-liter TFSI or the Golf GTI 35th Anniversary Edition’s 235HP 2.0-liter turbocharged unit sourced from the Golf R. Obviously power is transferred to the front wheels either through a six-speed manual gearbox or VW’s DSG transmission. The car also appears to be riding on a lowered suspension.

The upgrade package includes a bespoke aero kit a new front bumper, a GTI grille with red accents, a rear diffuser with a honeycomb grille and unique exhaust tail pipes on either side, plus a front spoiler, extended wheel arches and side sills, all finished in a piano black hue. The impressive looking five spoke alloy wheels and the GTI-embossed, body-hugging sports seats complete the updates.

Stay tuned on Carscoop as we’ll have more info on the Golf R Cabriolet later in the day.

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