Wörthersee 2018: VW Golf GTI TCR Is The Fastest Ever

The Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR broke cover at the annual Wörthersee GTI festival thing and it seems it’s production ready.

Volkswagen’s annual GTI Treffen, held in Worthesee, is underway and as usual, VW has dropped a concept car. Called the Golf GTI TCR, VW says the concept is the fastest GTI ever. The press release bangs on about being “near-production” but the car you see in these slick VW photos is pretty much the real thing. For serious.

Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR

Powered by VW’s 2.0-litre turbo four, the GTI TCR punches out 213kW (290PS) and maximum torque of 370Nm. The twist is available from 1600rpm.

That’s nowhere near the Golf R’s power figures, so how is it the fastest? Well, VW is being a bit tricky, which is totally out of character for such a truth-obsessed brand. The “standard” TCR is limited to 251km/h (155mph), like most German cars capable of such a speed. The press release says you can “opt to remove the speed limiter” which sounds awfully like an option you’ll have to pay for.

Once you’ve paid your money/flashed the ECU *cough*, you’ll have access to 266km/h (164mph). That sounds mildly terrifying for a front-wheel drive hot hatch. One imagines a derestricted Golf R would surpass that number, but we’re not here to deal in speculation or start an argument. Asking VW will depend on whether the car is in a government lab or not.

You can’t shift your gears yourself, so if you don’t like the seven-speed DSG, you’re out of luck. A locking limited-slip diff will help with the cornering and various shenanigans Golf GTI owners like. The Golf GTI TCR rolls on 19-inch alloys and you’ll be riding a whopping 20mm closer to the ground, which will no doubt do wonders for the ride quality. Dynamic Chassis Control is also along to either reign in your idiocy or let you have a bit of fun. Or both.

The looks are further enhanced with new bumpers front and rear, a big spoiler and a new colour, Pure Grey.

An Akrapovic exhaust will be available for those who like their upshift farts extra noisy and you can pick honeycomb vinyls for the body. Inside the honeycomb motif appears on the seats which also appear to be swathed in Alcantara. The door inserts and gear knob sport microfibre for some reason.

When and How Much?

The roadgoing Golf GTI TCR (you can buy a race car any time you like for about €95,000) will likely start rolling down the production line late in 2018. VW is saying it will be on sale in some markets by Christmas. Hopefully Santa is bringing some extra cash, because I reckon the TCR will command a hefty premium.

VW Golf and Golf GTI TCR Price Comparison

* cheapest price I could find
** includes emissions tax
**includes FRT

Is your country missing? Let me know in the comments and I’ll add it.

Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson is the Editor and founder of the theredline.com.au. He’s been writing about cars for years and finds it difficult to talk about anything else.