2013 Volkswagen Design Vision GTI - Images, Specifications and Information

Developing a show car for the GTI meeting at Wörthersee always presents the opportunity to outline extreme ideas and pack a solid portion of "emotions" into the draft. The guidelines for the designers are straightforward and clear-cut. Klaus Bischoff: "The team was to allow for a spectacular glance into the future of the GTI - in other words, to realise a vision." No problem for the designers. After all, with Marc Lichte, Andreas Mindt and Philipp Römers, the same team who developed the latest Golf and the new GTI, also collaborated in the development of the "Design Vision GTI." This team breathed the charisma of a race car into the concept car presented at Wörthersee.

By contrast, the colour concept of the "Design Vision GTI" is nothing if not classic. It follows the traditional GTI triad of "black - white - red." The paint is white ("White Club"), the add-on parts are black ("piano paint black"), and the GTI insignia as well as the strip integrated in the front are red.

Probably the most concise feature is the C pillar in the side section designed as a detached element. To be more precise: The back roof pillar, which has always been characteristic of the Golf and hence of the GTI, is drawn outward as an autonomous design element, while the body narrows more strongly toward the rear. This process starts already right behind the front wheel with a vertical air outlet at the height of the front door joint. In parallel to that, the sill grows continually outward until its upper edge merges with the C pillar to spring forward again in the roof - a stylistic device that gives the spectacular shape of this GTI the necessary homogeneity.

A honeycomb grid, designed with the proverbial love for detail, closes the space between the widening and the body - a masterly achievement in terms of model building and attainable only with the help of computer-based technologies.

In a similar sculptural manner, the GTI design is varied in the front section. The radiator grille, the bottom air inlet and the side openings for the cooling of the brakes are combined with the headlights into a unit that is framed by an exactly defined edge. The precision and straightforwardness of its lines again follow the Volkswagen design DNA. Grille and air inlets - although re-interpreted - consciously underscore its relatedness to the production GTI; thus the honeycomb structure in the grids is a natural and obvious stylistic device. The so-called "blades" are an especially prominent detail, emphasising as spoiler edge the sculptural character of the front in the bottom area.

A shining core element of any front design is the headlights. Very consciously, the designers adopted the look of the production GTI here as well. Nonetheless, the concept car shows options of how headlights and radiator grill could look in the future: The red line typical for the GTI front divides the headlights of the "Design Vision GTI" horizontally. In the bottom half, the visual elements are set back; the design gives the "eyes" somewhat of a dramatic depth - an innovative variation of the "evil eye" popular with GTI up-daters. At this point, our Volkswagen designers like to speak alternatively of a "determined" look or simply about a "self-assured appearance."

The long and wide bonnet, whose lines extend sideways right into the bottom border of the side window graphics and toward the back up to the C pillar, thus making the body look longer and more powerful, also makes a definitely self-assured impression - a design feature that also distinguishes the production version of the new GTI from all its predecessors. The bonnet itself has an outside lid joint at exactly the same height as the horizontal all-round line that is typical for the Golf VII - a design motif with which the new Golf quotes the classic Golf I.

Analogous to the front end, an all-round precise edge makes for a consistent picture in the rear as well. The integration of the rear spoiler is the same as for the production car, while the aerodynamically conceived ribs of the rear diffuser dominate at the bottom end; the diffuser is framed by the silencer end pipes. The design of the tail lights is well-known as an element of the Golf light signature typical for the brand. What's new here are the two horizontal "blades" arranged underneath that connect the rear and the drawn out side part with each other.
<< Prev Page 2 of 3 Next >>

Article

Image gallery (18)

Specifications

Add your comments on the Volkswagen Design Vision GTI

All Cars - Contact us - Privacy Statement - Top