Worthersee's been in the news quite a bit over the last couple of weeks, with releases on a succession of concepts and show cars gradually trickling out bit by bit from all the VW Group companies in attendance. With the show now underway, we can bring all of them together in once place for your delectation - so we've done just that. Enjoy!
They do look happy with that TT, don't they?
The biggest news on the Audi stand is its
TT Ultra Quattro
. Displayed next to a selection of Audi’s historic racers as well as the new R18, it showcases a host of future weight-saving technologies that Audi hopes to incorporate into its road cars one day. Big news is the use of fibreglass-reinforced polymer for the suspension springs, as well as an unbridled smothering of carbon fibre and other exotic materials throughout; the result, together with a power hike to 310hp, is a 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds. Sadly, though, they won’t be putting it into production.
Not something that can be said for the A1 R18 ‘competition’ package (below). This basically amounts to an A1 with a snazzy sticker pack, black rims and a new front spoiler, and endowed with the name of Audi’s WEC-conquering racer. Power hike? Nope. Suspension tweaks? Not a sausage. Ho hum. Expect more of this sort of thing to come, though, as Audi’s said it hopes to introduce customisation kits for the A1 at least twice a year.
Cup Racer looks bloomin' brilliant
SEAT’s going head-to-head with VW for the prize of ‘most extreme hatchback’ this year. Saying the
Leon Cup Racer
looks cool is a bit like saying Norman Bates could get a bit moody from time to time. It’s 40cm wider than the standard car, and packs a 330hp 2.0-litre turbo mated to a DSG box and what we assume to be VW’s
VAQ
diff. With a stripped-out interior, it looks every bit the racer, and it needs to be as this is more than just a concept – SEAT expects to offer it for sale as a customer racer as early as 2014.
Also part of SEAT’s display is a tarted-up Leon FR, complete with a bodykit and lots of leather but a notable lack of extra oomph, as well as the rather cool little Ibiza SC Trophy, its 200hp hot hatch intended for one-make racing in Spain and Italy.
Rapid Sport looks sensible in this company
As you might expect from VW’s sensible trousers division, Skoda hasn’t brought anything nearly as wild or wacky as its sister companies this year, but it has brought along the Rapid Sport, a concept that some are saying could preview a
vRS
version of the model. Seems it’s purely a cosmetic beast at the moment, with plenty of talk about its 19-inch alloys and re-profiled bumpers, as well as the “circumferential carbon frame” - but little mention of any extra power. Still, it doesn’t look half bad, and the idea of one of these without the silly paintwork and with a juiced-up turbo under the bonnet instead is rather appealing.
Design Vision is barmy but brilliant
It’s no surprise that the biggest and most varied manufacturer show cars comes from VW itself, with no less than three special models being shown off. Mind you, only one of them is really worthy of your attention, and that’s the
Golf Design Vision GTI
. The stats speak for themselves: 503hp from a twin-turbo V6, four-wheel drive, a 186mph top speed and 0-62 in 3.9 seconds. But the real draw is the mad styling: if you care for wings, slats and
flared arches
As we say, though, VW’s other offerings aren’t quite as exciting. Mind you, the Amarok R-Style, a ‘sportlich’ take on VW’s chunky pickup, isn’t exactly a duffer; a 7.9-second 0-62mph time courtesy of a 272hp 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel is actually pretty creditable for something you’d more usually expect to see carting around a load of bricks. And with a selection of cosmetic upgrades lifting it visually, it doesn’t look half bad.
Golf GTI Cabrio Austria, not so much
Falling firmly into the 'tarted up with a set of stripes' brigade is the new Scirocco Million. A not-for-the-UK (yet, anyway) special edition available with any engine, this comes with R-Line bumpers, 18-inch Interlagos wheels and a set of stripes. And while it's not the most exciting thing in the world, it’s almost certainly an improvement on the Golf GTI Cabrio Austria. Complete with a set of nasty 19-inch alloys, tacky stripes and a pumping 2,250-watt sound system, this one-off special developed by 13 apprentices is already a no-no, and that’s before we get to the idea of a
Mk6 GTI Cabrio
with 330hp - which this one has (most likely with the same state of tune as the SEAT above). Fast, then, but potentially a little wobbly. Outdated and outclassed by the
new Mk7
, it feels like an also-ran at best. Taxi for one?