Tuesday, 13 November 2007

Volkswagen Golf GTI-W12

Every year the world's Golf GTI enthusiasts would congregrate in a field in Austria and they talk bout fuel injection, wear junpers with GTI on them. Well i'd rather blow-torch my nipples off. But Volkswagen have sent us a concept car to say "thank you for your loyalty" to their fans.

This year though, disaster. Volkswagen forgot. 8 weeks to go, and they had to build something out of anything, just to keeps fans happy.

Luckily Volkswagen owns lots of other car companies. Bentley for example, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Audi, Skoda and Seat, so they have a wide field to lurk around for parts.

What they did then with the clock ticking is that they took the rear axle and brakes from a Lamborghini Gallardo, the twin-turbo W12 Engine from the Bentley Continental GT, and the rear subframe from an Audi R8, and then they put all these bits and pieces in a body of a Golf.

Well u end up with this. Its called the GTI W12 and unlike most concept cars, this one actually works.

Sort of.

Even though this car has been made so quickly there are 1 or 2 issues. The paddles behind the steering wheel don't work. The indication signals, they don't work. The GPS does work, but it only shows maps for Germany. The Air-conditioning switches are not connected, so its very hot inside. The 6.0L W12 engine? That works, just fine.

That produces 641BHP.

The result of that is 0-60mph in 3.5secs and it flats out at 202mph.

To contain all that power the W12 is 70mm lower and 160mm wider than the normal GTi. The engine is where u'd expect 2 find the back seats to accomodate the mid-engine design. The roof is made of carbon fibre. Massive vents can be found on its sides and the tires sit like snails on the ground and the bottom of the car is swollen like ur grany's ankles.

The funny thing is u sit at the Golf's dashboard looking at a Golf's bonnet thru the Golf's windscreen and u think: "Well, its a Golf."

Well its so isn't!

Its a ridiculous car. Opening up a Golf to find it has 640BHP is like opening up Ming Jie's trousers to find he's wearing stockings n suspenders.

Unfortunately, there is a small problem.

This car will not go round corners.

The wheelbase is short and its rear-wheel-drive so u have to be extremely gentle like its made of glass. Even if u do go really gentle, u still end up coming out a corner backwards.

Then when i thought i was getting somewhere, WOOOSH!!!!... u guessed it.

I think the kindest thing i can say about the brakes and suspension is that, they're not finished, yet.

Really, i don't really think there is any problem with this car, except that i can't really see the point. "I've got a supercar, and the great thing is, it looks like a Golf!" Its like saying: "Im married to a supermodel, and the great thing is, she looks like Ming Jie!"

I think if car would be complete if it had a 4WD Drivetrain, or maybe a stiffer suspension, and if it hits at the right price, this car could be the best ever hot hatch ever made on this planet.

(This review is the same one done by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear, Season 10, Episode 1.)

Labels: Cars