Volkswagen Golf GTI W12-650 concept: a 640-hp hot hatch
Explore the Volkswagen Golf GTI W12-650 concept, a 640-hp prototype with a W12 engine for the GTI's 50th anniversary. Learn specs like 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.
Volkswagen has once again showcased the Golf GTI W12-650 concept to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the GTI model. This unique prototype, originally built in 2007, features a 6.0-liter biturbo W12 engine borrowed from the Bentley Continental GT, mounted behind the front seats.
The engine delivers 640 horsepower and 750 Nm of torque, channeled to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission from the Phaeton. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, with a claimed top speed of 325 km/h—though this figure was never officially tested.
The project combined parts from various Volkswagen Group models, including front brakes from the Audi RS4 and the rear axle and brakes from the Lamborghini Gallardo. The three-door Mk5 body was widened by 160 mm, fitted with a carbon fiber roof featuring an air intake and 19-inch wheels wrapped in 295 mm wide tires.
Overall, the Golf GTI W12-650 stands as one of the most extreme hot hatches in the brand's history, a unique concept-car exercise that was never intended for production.