Volkswagen GTI Roadster Concept: First Look
Looks like: Video game meets reality
Defining characteristics: Large rear wing, scissor doors, Gran Turismo Red exterior
Ridiculous features: It wears the GTI name, but is anything but in terms of styling
Chance of being mass-produced: Very unlikely since VW says its designers “were able to overlook production constraints like price and production feasibility” to build it
Volkswagen’s newest concept isn’t quite new — the GTI Roadster was originally created as a computer-generated concept for Sony PlayStation’s “Gran Turismo 6” video game, and VW is bringing the car to life next week at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Related: More 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show Coverage
The sleek convertible seats two and has a very real powertrain: Its twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 makes 503 horsepower and 413 pounds-feet of torque and is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive. VW says the car sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 192 mph.
Outside, the styling is pure concept with sculpted body lines, flared wheel arches, scissor doors, a large rear wing, carbon-fiber trim accents, 20-inch wheels and blistering Gran Turismo Red exterior paint.
Inside, passengers sit on two low race-style buckets, and the driver and passenger compartments are divided by a bar that spans the car; VW placed a fire extinguisher below that, just in case things get a little heated on the track. More carbon-fiber trim lines the cabin along with a lot of red, including the five-point safety belts, contrast stitching on the seats, the door handles and the steering-wheel controls.
VW worked in collaboration with Sony to develop the car and the virtual version debuted in May with players able to download the GTI Roadster Vision Gran Turismo for PS3 starting in June. We’ll have more photos of the real car when it hits the Volkswagen stand in L.A. on Wednesday.
Check out the gallery below; click an image to enlarge.
Manufacturer images
