German manufacturers are often known for having an air of stoicism about them. Between the extreme engineering, constantly escalating horsepower war, and a new-prfound focus on going green, it's truly no wonder that many of these companies tend to offer very little in the sense of humor department. Back in 2007, however, Volkswagen broke the mold and showed how funny they could actually be.
Every year, Volkswagen and Audi engage in the Wörthersee Auto Show, which is basically a celebration of Germany's car brands. Additionally, the car show serves as a lucrative advertising platform to show off new models, prototypes, and concepts. Unfortunately for Volkswagen, they had nothing to present, and the show was only eight weeks out.
So, what did they do? Well, they took an inventory of all the cars within the Volkswagen Group and began to pluck parts from various models. According to Top Gear, they took the brakes and rear axle from a Lamborghini Gallardo, the rear sub-frame from an Audi R8, and most importantly, the W-12 engine from a Bentley Continental.
And what did they put all of this into? Well, a Golf GTI, of course!
Here's a look at the ludicrous, scary, and downright hilarious W-12 powered Golf GTI.
It's Not Just Fast For A Golf... It's Fast Period
Dubbed as the Golf GTI W12-650, the car was announced as a prototype. Specifically, the vehicle was created to showcase what Volkswagen could do when they put their minds to something. Additionally, they also did not want to disappoint their young, flat-brim wearing, vaping, fanbase.
The W-12 in question had a cataclysmic displacement of 6.0-liters and had two turbochargers attached to each side of the engine. It had also been placed directly in the middle of the car. Together, these go-faster parts allow the Golf to have access to an invigorating 650 HP and a top speed of 202 MPH! That's the equivalent of a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, which, remind you, was literally purpose-built to go that fast in a straight line.
As you can imagine, the 0-60 times are not too shabby either. From a standstill, the Golf is able to rocket up to 100 KPH in a head-spinning 3.5 seconds! This becomes even more impressive when you realize that this car only sends its power to the rear wheels.
Unfortunately, Not Everything Works
As you may already know, when a car is being developed and designed, there is quite a bit of work that goes into it. In turn, it tends to take quite a bit of time to test everything out. Since the W12-650 only took eight weeks to build, not too much of this happened.
Basically, almost every single button inside of the Golf does not work. The paddle shifters behind the steering wheel? Nope. How about those cool switches on top of the dash? Negative. Air-conditioner? Uh... no. Essentially, the main feature is the engine that is sitting where the rear passenger seats should be.
And Then There's The Steering
Moving on to the chassis, the GTI has been lowered by 70mm and widened by 160mm. Additionally, 295-mm tires have been mounted at the back, and 235-mm tires have been fitted at the front. As a result of these changes, you would think that this thing is a beast in the corners, right? Sadly, the answer to that question is a big "no".
Weirdly enough, the Golf is actually a terror in the bends (and not in a good way). Unfortunately, the car is extremely oversteer happy to the point that it is not even controllable. The reason for this terrible handling comes down to the short wheelbase and the mountains of power that the vehicle has on tap (what a pity).
Why Didn't This Ever Go Into Production?
As mentioned beforehand, this car was created for the sole purpose of having something new and exciting to showcase at a car show. Because of this, the vehicle was never intended to go into full-scale production. While this may be the chief reason why the car never entered Volkswagen's lineup, there is yet another reason: Dieselgate.
Shortly after the Golf GTI W12-650 was debuted, it was revealed that the German-based company had not exactly been playing by the rules. Specifically, it was made known that the company had been fudging its emissions numbers. The result was some massive fines being issued, a ton a car buybacks, and even some arrests.
Despite that event, the W-12 fitted Golf wouldn't really thrive in today's automotive environment anyways. As you are probably aware, we are currently in the midst of trying to electrify as many cars as we can. Volkswagen alone plans to go all-electric in Europe by 2026. As a result of this, a Bentley-powered Golf probably wouldn't help drive that agenda forward.