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VW Marks GTI 50th With Return of Its Wildest Concepts as W12‑650 Reappears in Red

The trio shows VW using fan‑event showcars to stretch the GTI idea into supercar territory without signaling series production.

Overview

  • Volkswagen is spotlighting three extreme GTI studies from 2007, 2013 and 2014 for the model’s 50th anniversary, framing them as heritage touchstones rather than production previews.
  • Motor1 reports the 2007 Golf GTI W12‑650 has recently been shown driveable in a red finish, retaining its mid‑mounted 6.0‑liter W12 biturbo with 650 PS, rear‑drive layout and claimed 0–100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and 325 km/h top speed.
  • Autozeitung’s drive report reiterates the W12‑650 remains a one‑off and details its rapid development by a small team using VW Group hardware such as an Audi R8 rear axle and Audi S4 brakes.
  • The 2013 Design Vision GTI showcased a motorsport‑oriented, widened body over a 3.0‑liter V6 biturbo rated at 503 PS and 560 Nm with DSG and 4MOTION, claiming 0–100 km/h in 3.9 seconds.
  • The 2014 GTI Roadster began as a Gran Turismo digital concept before becoming a real open two‑seater using the same 3.0‑liter V6 biturbo package, with a claimed 3.6‑second 0–100 km/h and 309 km/h top speed.