- Originally created for Gran Turismo, the GTI Roadster later came to life.
- It has 503 horsepower from a twin-turbo V6 engine.
- Although a GTI, it has all-wheel drive like a Golf R.
Volkswagen is blowing out 50 candles on the GTI’s anniversary cake by revisiting some of the most striking cars to carry the Grand Tourer Injection banner. Although smaller models like the Polo supermini and the dinky Lupo or up! have received the hot hatch treatment, the three famous letters are primarily associated with the Golf. As a side note, Wolfsburg also sold a Scirocco GTI for a while and even built a Passat GTI prototype.
After admiring the bonkers W12 one-off earlier this week, a lesser-known GTI is being brought back into the limelight. Originally conceived in 2014 as a virtual concept for Gran Turismo 6, the Golf GTI Roadster has returned. You’ll likely remember the roofless two-seater finished in red or white, but for 2026, VW has given it a green makeover. It’s likely a nod to the Golf GTI Edition 50’s exclusive Dark Moss Green Metallic finish.
While VW has generally played it safe with the Golf GTI’s design since its inception in 1976, that obviously wasn’t the case here. Based on the Mk7 but stripped of its roof and rear seats, the Roadster received entirely new bodywork, with the C-pillars repurposed as a roll bar and doors that swiveled upward like those of a supercar.
Photo by: Volkswagen
Truthfully, there’s hardly any Golf DNA left in the design. From the hood vents to the massive rear wing, the concept portrays something far more radical than a GTI, regardless of generation. With no intention of putting the car into production, VW dreamed big without worrying about regulatory compliance. The Roadster looked far more outlandish than the 2009 BlueSport, a mid-engine car that was sadly left on the cutting room floor.
The GTI that never was retained the front-engine layout and a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic, but that’s where the similarities with the road-going performance hatchback ended. Although all GTIs have been front-wheel drive, the Roadster adopted an AWD setup akin to the flagship Golf R. The unique W12 concept mentioned earlier also broke with tradition by featuring a rear-wheel-drive configuration.
Photo by: Volkswagen
Under the hood’s louvers sat a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 503 hp and 413 lb-ft (560 Nm) of torque, channeled to 20-inch center-lock wheels. The Golf GTI Roadster could reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.6 seconds and max out at 192 mph (309 km/h). Thanks to the 4Motion setup, it was even a tenth of a second quicker to 62 mph than the W12 RWD monster, though the Bentley-powered Golf had a higher top speed: 201.8 mph (325 km/h).
You’d think cutting the roof would result in a low curb weight, but with AWD and a larger V6 added, the concept wasn’t especially light. It weighed 3,133 pounds (1,421 kilograms), making it slightly heavier than the three-door Golf GTI Mk7, the last generation to skip the rear doors. Larger brakes at both axles, along with meaty 235/35 ZR20 front and 275/30 ZR20 rear tires, also contributed to the higher curb weight.
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Source: Volkswagen
Motor1’s Take: Let’s face it. VW is unlikely ever to build such an outlandish Golf, but we do hope for more concepts like this. It’s fascinating to see how an everyday compact hatchback can be transformed into something far more exciting, even if it remains a one-off. While the GTI Roadster imagined a future that never materialized, at least the regular hot hatch is still around.
When the concept broke cover 12 years ago, VW called it the “most spectacular GTI ever.” Fast-forward to 2026, and that statement still stands, and it’s hard to imagine how Wolfsburg could top it. We’d be happy to see the Golf GTI get its manual gearbox back, but that’s a story for another day.
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