The Mk7.5 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR Concept, which
first made its debut at last year’s Wörtherseetreffen event in Austria, has
finally gone on sale in Germany. Prices start from 38,950 euros, and
it can be had with track-ready semi slicks, if you so fancy.
The Golf GTI TCR was derived
from two-time overall winner of the international TCR racing – features a 2.0
litre turbocharged four-cylinder TSI engine that’s tuned to deliver 290 PS and
370 Nm of torque. Power is channeled to the front wheels through a seven-speed
dual-clutch DSG gearbox, and it features a front-axle differential lock.
Performance figures include a 0-100 km/h sprint time
of 5.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically capped at 250 km/h. Owners
can choose to have the Vmax upgraded to 260 km/h, too. With that, it gains two
extra radiators to help keep things cool. Comparatively, the Golf R puts out
290 PS and 380 Nm, and with 4Motion all-wheel drive, it manages the century sprint
in 5.1 seconds.
Moving on – the Golf GTI TCR gets perforated brake
discs, driving profile selection, premium front sport seats with a new
microfibre/fabric design, seat belts with red edging plus an exclusive sports
steering wheel. Just like the racing series, the leather is specially imprinted
(perforated leather) at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions as well as with a
red mark at 12 o’clock.
As standard, it comes with the 18-inch Belvedere
forged wheels (or 18-inch Milton Keynes as an alternative), black exterior
mirror caps, sill extensions, front splitter, TCR roof spoiler and a rear
diffuser. As a bonus, the TCR logo is projected onto the ground when the front
doors are opened.
If you want a more personalised look, you can opt
for the new honeycomb decor foil for the side panels, carbon door mirror caps,
a black painted roof, as well as various 19-inch alloy wheels, which is sold as
a separate package.
The first package (2,350 euros) includes
Reifnitz 19-inch rims with 235/35 tyres, the Vmax upgrade, a sportier rear
damping system and Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive chassis control
system. The second package (3,200 euros) includes Pretoria 19-inch rims
with 235/35 profile racetrack-ready sports tyres (semi-slicks), and includes
the sports dampers and DCC. This package also includes additional wheel locks
with expanded anti-theft protection.
