2011 Volkswagen R

Get ready for four new Golf concepts from Volkswagen, all based on the recently hotted-up Golf R. With these four Golfs, Volkswagen R GmbH hopes to explore the themes of "especially high-end" and "especially sporty".

The more luxurious Golfs feature unique paint (Oryx White and Carbon Steel Grey), 19-inch Talladegas, aluminum trim, and Nappa leather interiors crafted by Volkswagen R Exclusive. The white one wears St. Tropez over black leather, while the dark gray one dons Almandine Red over black.

The two sporty Golfs come in Space Grey and Aplomb Blue and come with carbon fiber trim and mirror caps, racing buckets, and mo' Nappa. Of the sporty interpretations, the light gray one gets Pure Grey over Light Anthracite leather with orange piping, piano black seat backs, polished Talldega wheels, and orange brake calipers.

The blue one rolls on Brilliant Silver 19-inch Glendales; its buckets are wrapped in blue and black leather and have carbon fiber shells, while the steering wheel gets a small helping of carbon leather.

It's good to see Volkswagen's R GmbH doing its part to keep the customer individualization train running. Next stop: Jetta?

Geneva 2011: Volkswagen R Exclusive-izes the Golf R (four times)

Get ready for four new Golf concepts from Volkswagen, all based on the recently hotted-up Golf R. With these four Golfs, Volkswagen R GmbH hopes to explore the themes of "especially high-end" and "especially sporty".

The more luxurious Golfs feature unique paint (Oryx White and Carbon Steel Grey), 19-inch Talladegas, aluminum trim, and Nappa leather interiors crafted by Volkswagen R Exclusive. The white one wears St. Tropez over black leather, while the dark gray one dons Almandine Red over black.

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New VW Golf GTI VI Tuned to 260HP by MR Cardesign

With the sixth generation Volkswagen Golf GTI already available for sale in Europe, German tuners are readying a horde of goodies with the enthusiast in mind. Following ABT's recently revealed sport package, MR Cardesign form Erftstadt is the latest German firm to apply its tuning knowledge on the Golf GTI VI. First up is an engine kit that includes an ECU upgrade which lifts output from 210HP and 280Nm of torque to a punchy 260HP and 380Nm.

The additional 50HP and 100Nm helps reduce the GTI's 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time from 6.9 seconds to 5.8 seconds while the hot hatchback's top speed is increased from 240km/h to 263km/h or 164mph.

In addition to powertrain upgrades, MR Cardesign offers a sport suspension from KW that lowers the car by 50mm up front and by 40mm at the back, along with a high performance brake system from Sportech and 19-inch alloy wheels shod in Vredestein tires size 225/35 R19. Customer may also opt for a more sonorous sport exhaust system.

ABT Does the New VW Golf GTI VI: 260HP and 300HP Versions

You knew it was coming: ABT Sportline's take on the sixth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI. Building on the basic GTI, the German firm's engineers first turned their motorsport-honed attention to the car's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot that delivers 210HP in standard form. The craftspeople at ABT developed two performance kits for the new GTI, with the first adding the usual ECU and exhaust system upgrades that lift output to 260 horsepower.

In addition to these enhancements, the second kit adds a new turbocharger that helps boost power to 300HP allowing the car to accelerate from rest to 100km/h or 62mph in under 6.0 seconds. In comparison, the factory Golf GTI VI sprints from 0 to 100km/h in 7.2 seconds.

Helping to improve the GTI's handling is a set of lower, stiffer springs plus a high-performance brake system and newly designed 18- or 19-inch alloys wrapped in beefier rubber.

The German tuners also developed an appearance package for the GTI that takes the red pin stripe theme to a new level. The kit consists of a new grille, front bumper with LED daytime lights and a lip spoiler, side skirts, roof spoiler and a rear diffuser that houses two pairs of diagonally positioned tail pipes.

And finally, the tuning folks at ABT upgraded the GTI's interior with red accents on the steering wheel, the instrument gauges the dashboard and the door trims.

ABT said that pricing for the comprehensive sport package for the new GTI will be announced at a later date.

VW Releases UK Pricing for Golf GTI VI, first Deliveries in May

The new, sixth-generation Golf GTI is available for ordered from today at Volkswagen's UK retailers with first deliveries set to arrive on the car's launch date, 22nd May. Powered by a new 2.0 TSI with 210HP that launches it from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 6.9 seconds, the Golf GTI is offered with a standard 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional 6-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission. Buyers can choose between a more sporty looking 3-door version or a more practical 5-door model.

Prices in the UK range from £22,410 for the 3-door GTI with a manual gearbox to £24,300 for a 5-door model with DSG. Standard equipment highlights on the new GTI include red and black tartan sports seats with red stitching and headrests featuring the 'GTI' logo, a flat-bottomed GTI multifunction steering wheel, red brake calipers, 17-inch 'Monza' alloy wheels and two-zone electronic climate control.

As with the rest of the Golf range, the new GTI comes with a bevy of safety features such as ABS, ESP (Electronic Stabilization Programme) and seven airbags, including for the first time a knee airbag, all as standard. For our high-resolution image gallery of the production Golf GTI VI click here.

Golf GTI model line-up and prices

2.0-litre TSI 210 PS	'On the road'
3dr 6-spd manual	£22,410.00
5dr 6-spd manual	£22,995.00
3dr 6-spd DSG	£23,715.00
5dr 6-spd DSG	£24,300.00

Video: New VW Golf GTI 210HP Tackling Twisty Roads in St Tropez

It's all about the new 2010 Golf GTI today as Volkswagen released heaps of info, pictures (see here) and of course, a series of videos on its hot hatch that goes on sale across Europe this April followed by the U.S. and other markets in late summer. If you follow the jump, you'll get the chance to watch three videos of the 210HP Golf GTI that include beauty shots of the new model together with the first-generation 1976 Golf GTI and driving footage filmed on a picturesque mountain road in St. Tropez, France.

2010 VW Golf GTI VI: New Gallery with 45 High-Res Photos of Production Model

The wait for the sixth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI is over as the German market launch of the hot hatch will begin in a few days with the rest of Europe following just after Easter at the end of April. North America and Asia will follow in late summer. As you can see in our mega gallery after the jump, nothing has changed compared to the 2008 Paris Show's so-called concept Golf GTI. The new model is powered by a new 2.0-liter TSI engine producing 210-horsepower at 5,300 - 6,200 rpm and 280Nm of torque between 1,700 and 5,200 rpm.

Even though its performance and displacement data might suggest that VW revised the GTI V's 200HP engine, according to the German firm, this 2.0 TSI is actually a new powerplant of the "EA888" generation of engines whose technical origins were in the 230-PS version.

The TSI used in the sixth GTI is a product of the second development stage of these engines and compared to the first "EA888" development stage, this engine has new components such as modified pistons and piston rings, a regulated oil pump, a new vacuum pump, a new high-pressure fuel pump and a new mass airflow sensor.

Like the previous model, the new GTI will be equipped with a standard six-speed manual gearbox and an optional 6-speed dual clutch transmission (DSG). According to VW's forecasts, about 30 percent of all GTI drivers will order the sporty Golf with DSG.

With the manual gearbox, the car completes its acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 6.9 seconds (same for DSG), while it handles a 1,000 meter sprint from a standstill in 27.3 seconds.. In fifth gear, the GTI accelerates from 80 to 120 km/h in 7.5 seconds (9.5 seconds with sixth gear). The GTI's top speed is 240 km/h or 149mph (DSG: 238km/h or 148mph).

In terms of fuel consumption, the GTI consumes on the combined European cycle an average of 7,3 lt /100km (32.2mpg) with the manual gearbox and 7.4 lt /100km (31.8mpg) with the DSG.

As with the previous generation Golf GTIs, the new model will be available in three-door and five-door hatchback variants.