2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR Concept
At a glance, it would be hard to mistake the front end of this concept as anything but your standard Golf GTI. Volkswagen even claims that it gave it a new fascia with a new front splitter. What that really means is that the lower lip of the front fascia is a little more pronounced and painted in a glossy black. It鈥檚 the same story on the sides where the side skirts have been emphasized a bit and bear the TCR logo - a nice touch but not exactly anything to write home about. The classic GTI honeycomb is plastered on the side, though, giving a nice touch of contrast. The final touches on the side profile include a pair of 18-inch, Belvedere wheels in gloss black and those red brake calipers, but we鈥檒l talk more about those later. 19-inch wheels are optional as is that honeycomb decal, so don鈥檛 expect to get it without ponying up a little extra pocket change.
Around back there is a little more going on, thanks to an all-new diffuser with four vertical fins. It also has a new pair of flanged out, chrome tailpipes and a nice overlay that is nearly identical to the insert on the front fascia. All told, the Golf GTI TCR concept is attractive, but it鈥檚 not as good looking as Volkswagen would have you believe if you didn鈥檛 actually take a look for yourself. But, there鈥檚 a lot more to the concept than looks, so let鈥檚 take a closer look at the interior. Premium sports seats wrapped in microfiber material. The interior got a little more treatment than the exterior, with the highlight - arguably- being the new contrast layout on the sport seats. They get the Flash Red stripes in the center to go with red stitching. That red stitching is also found on the steering wheel, armrest, and gear shifter boot. Furthermore, the seats are wrapped in microfiber - the same material found on the shifter boot and door inserts. Finally, steering wheel gets the flat bottom and a 12 O鈥檆lock stripe on the top of the steering wheel.
That鈥檚 not all, though. The panel trim is illuminated in red for an extra bit of ambiance, and the doors project the TCR logo onto the ground when the doors are opened. Yeah, it鈥檚 not as over-the-top as some of you might like, but it鈥檚 quite a nice look over that of the standard GTI, and there鈥檚 even more going on under the hood. So much so, actually, that it鈥檚 enough to sway you to take that one step closer to Golf R territory without dropping the GTI Badge. The Gold GTI TCR Concept is powered by a 2.0-liter, gasoline engine, but it鈥檚 a bit more powerful than the engine found in the standard GTI. To help keep things cool, the Golf GTI TCR Concept, and the production model it represents, have two extra radiators. If you鈥檙e one of those guys who really likes to go to the track, you can also opt for a more dynamic sports chassis that also includes adaptive chassis control. It鈥檚 a little too much technology for me, but if it鈥檚 your thing, it might not be a bad upcharge to take on. You鈥檒l also find you can have electronically adjusted shock absorbers that are button controlled to help control ride height and suspension stiffness.
Caterpillars remove debris from the collapsed Morandi highway bridge, in Genoa, Italy, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Officials say 38 people are confirmed killed and 15 injured. Prosecutors say 10 to 20 people might be unaccounted-for and the death toll is expected to rise. Caterpillars remove debris from the collapsed Morandi highway bridge, in Genoa, Italy, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Officials say 38 people are confirmed killed and 15 injured. Prosecutors say 10 to 20 people might be unaccounted-for and the death toll is expected to rise. Caterpillars remove debris from the collapsed Morandi highway bridge, in Genoa, Italy, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Officials say 38 people are confirmed killed and 15 injured. Prosecutors say 10 to 20 people might be unaccounted-for and the death toll is expected to rise. Firefighters work on the collapsed Morandi highway bridge, in Genoa, Italy, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Officials say 38 people are confirmed killed and 15 injured. Prosecutors say 10 to 20 people might be unaccounted-for and the death toll is expected to rise. A view of the collapsed Morandi highway bridge, in Genoa, Italy, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Officials say 38 people are confirmed killed and 15 injured. Prosecutors say 10 to 20 people might be unaccounted-for and the death toll is expected to rise. Caterpillars remove debris from the collapsed Morandi highway bridge, in Genoa, Italy, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. Officials say 38 people are confirmed killed and 15 injured. Prosecutors say 10 to 20 people might be unaccounted-for and the death toll is expected to rise.
The latest Beetle has been an instant success for Volkswagen since it went on sale in September 2011 as a 2012 model. And that success will continue with the introduction of the Beetle Convertible, the sportiest and most dynamic version of the iconic softtop seen so far. Ever since the type 15 Convertible from 1949, the Beetle has been one of the most popular open-top cars built. More than 330,000 examples of the first Beetle Convertible were manufactured over a 32-year span, while another 234,619 New Beetle Convertibles were produced in an eight-year period. The New Beetle Convertible was not a straight copy of the original, but a reinterpretation and development of it. And that鈥檚 the case with the third-generation Beetle Convertible. Klaus Bischoff, Head Designer, Volkswagen Brand says: 鈥淩etro is not our thing: we are always looking forward. Volkswagen has reinterpreted the Beetle Convertible鈥檚 timeless design with a sportier and more dynamic silhouette, just as it did with the Beetle Coupe. The car is substantially wider, has a longer hood, and has a more upright windshield that sits further back than before. At launch, there will be three special edition Beetle Convertibles that evoke three distinct decades in American cultural history鈥攖he 1950s, the 1960s, and the 1970s. The 鈥?0s Edition Beetle Convertible is classic and classy in black with a tan interior. The 鈥?0s Edition has groovy two-tone seats and Denim Blue paint that gives a nod to blue jeans, the most ubiquitous fashion statement of the era. And the 鈥?0s Edition Convertible harks back to the more sophisticated side of the decade with a Toffee Brown exterior and chrome-look disc wheels. Read entire article here.
