VW unveils the ultimate Golf GTi with 650 horsepower

Wolfsburg, Germany - Volkswagen has shoehorned the turbocharged 12 cylinder engine from the Phaeton limousine into a Golf bodyshell to create the most powerful GTi saloon ever seen.

According to VW in Wolfsburg, the car accelerates from 0 to 62 miles an hour in a mere 3.7 seconds. Top speed is given as 325 km/h, which equates to 184 miles per hour.

The design team located the power plant longitudinally directly behind the front seats on a custom-built aluminium frame. The engine develops 650 horsepower and channels its massive torque (750 Newton Metres) to the rear wheels instead of to the front wheels as on the standard production Golf.

The team led by VW designer Klaus Bischoff said the aim was to maintain the Golf's classic silhouette while ensuring that the six- litre engine stays cool. The result is a heavily-modified bodyshell with a whole range of integrated vents fore and aft. The roof is made of carbon fibre and doubles up as a diffuser for improved airflow at the rear. Even the rear side windows slope steeply inwards in a bid to reduce drag.

The wheel arches have been exaggeratedly flared to accommodate the wider track and the GTi W12 has a low and mean look, thanks to the lowered suspension and 19 inch wheels shod with 235mm tyres up front and 295mms at the rear.

The silver grey GTi W12 was shown at a recent modified car gathering in Austria. VW says there are no plans at the moment to put the design study into series production but enthusiasts will be hoping that that isn't the last word on the matter. ?© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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