Volkswagen Design Vision GTI: I want to remind you of this bonkers 500hp hot hatch

The Volkswagen Golf GTI is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, and in addition to launching a new special edition, the GTI 50, VW has also wheeled out a bunch of its most weird and wild GTI concepts from the last 20 years or so.

I’ve been on a bit of a GTI journey the last few weeks to really get an idea of what makes this hot hatch so iconic. I’ve reviewed the GTI 50, driven GTIs of the past and toured two of the most insane concept cars: the W12-650 and the GTI Roadster.

And now it’s time to take a look at the Design Vision GTI – a V6-powered track car based on what is arguably the best Golf GTI of all time: the seventh-generation.

What is the Volkswagen Design Vision GTI?

In 2013, Volkswagen launched the Mk7 Golf GTI. It was widely regarded as one of the best hot hatches you could buy at the time, and it continues to be thought of as the best GTI of all time. I happen to think the fifth generation car is cooler, but I concede the Mk7 is a better car.

So the world had just been treated to a new Golf GTI, which is a big deal in itself, but Volkswagen didn’t stop there. It’s no stranger to a wild one-off concept, and with a massive GTI fan festival just around the corner it decided to turn its new hot hatch into something which would steal the show.

And this is where the Design Vision GTI comes in. It’s a track-focussed version of the Mk7 Golf GTI, and while you can clearly see that it’s based on that car, you won’t be mistaking it for the standard model.

The design up close: what’s this car like in person?

Looking at the front straight-on, you can tell this car is much wider than the standard Golf GTI. Those two vents either side of the headlights make it look more purposeful, and the sleek Mk7 GTI headlights have been slimmed down, tricking the eye into making the car look even lower.

The wider stance becomes even more obvious from the side, because you can see how the doors sit inboard of the sills and C-pillar. The massive wheels add even more drama to the design – it looks like Volkswagen’s designers have taken the GTI’s styling cues and just made them way more extreme.

At the back there’s a chunky rear bumper with a large diffuser, and the rear wheel arches are hugely flared. It looks much lower than a standard Golf, partly because it is, but mostly because the massive wheels and bodykit make the car look more hunkered-down.

The interior doesn’t have much in common with the Mk7 Golf GTI. This concept has a racy steering wheel which is wrapped in Alcantara, and there’s a carbon fibre dashboard pod which integrates the infotainment system and digital driver’s display. It’s all angled towards the driver, making it feel much more like a race car than a hot hatch.

Under the bonnet: what’s powering the Vision Design GTI?

Six-cylinder Volkswagen hot hatches used to be quite common. The Golf R32 used an unusual VR6 engine which sounded fantastic, but by 2013 it had been replaced with the four-pot Golf R.

But the Vision Design GTI has a 3.0-litre V6 engine under the bonnet with a whopping 503hp, almost double the standard Golf GTI. This is sent to all four wheels, and 0-60mph takes just 3.9 seconds. That’s faster than some supercars of the time.

I want Volkswagen to build a car like this again

I love that the Volkswagen Design Vision GTI exists. There are a lot of constraints when designing a production car, such as cost, safety and practicality, but this concept is an example of what a design team can do when those shackles are removed.

It’s been a long time since VW has given us a bonkers concept car. This could be partly down to the fact GTI-Treffen – the fan festival where cars like this were debuted – was canned years ago amid friction with the local community.

Volkswagen has access to a massive parts bin, and it could create a truly incredible one-off using the current GTI as a base. Imagine shoehorning the V6 plug-in hybrid system from the new Audi RS5 into a Golf? Or what about the 666hp V8 from the Bentley SuperSports? Just an idea.

Car change? Carwow!

Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

Click here to follow us on Reddit, where you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news, reviews, advice guides and videos. You can also subscribe to our WhatsApp channel to get the latest news sent straight to your phone.