Volkswagen to showcase two concepts at the UK GTi International Event.

Two top Volkswagen concept cars from Germany will be among the major attractions at this year’s GTI International, Britain’s longest-running and most successful annual event for enthusiasts of the Golf GTI and other related high-performance Volkswagen Group models.

GTI International will this year again be staged at the Shakespeare County Raceway, near Stratford-upon-Avon, from 4-5 July.

Star attractions this year will be the 190 mph Golf R 400, with 400 PS and 450 Nm of torque – plus the looks to match its huge performance – as well as the XL Sport two-seater sports car, which is powered by a 200 PS Ducati Superleggera V2 engine and has a top speed of 168 mph.

Both cars will be on display in the main Show ’n’ Shine and Concours area, sponsored by Dialynx Performance, which also attracts hundreds of the best-kept Volkswagens in Britain and Europe, with entries from original and restored concours classics to highly modified and customised cars.

Another novel attraction that needs to be seen to be believed, is a 70 mph four-wheel-drive Volkswagen V6-powered fully road-legal wooden shed!

The other main focus of attention will be the quarter-mile sprint track, sponsored by Milltek Sport, where visitors to the event can test the acceleration of their cars against the clock on a real drag strip with world-class timing, watched by a crowd from the 3,000-seater grandstand.

The strip will also witness demo runs from many of the country’s top tuning companies, as well as members of the Volkswagen Drag Racing Club. 

Returning this year and planning to break his previous record will be Paul Jordan with his four-wheel-drive Scirocco 20VT that last year covered the quarter-mile track in 9.021 seconds at 148.78 mph.

The club display area will be crammed with all the country’s top Volkswagen clubs and there will also be a wide range of trade stands, cars for sale, an autojumble, Monster truck rides and a funfair, while overnight camping on site – with permanent toilet and shower facilities, catering, clubhouse and bar – provides cost-effective accommodation as well as great camaraderie, with Saturday evening entertainment supplied by a live band – the UB40 Experience.

Volkswagen to debut FOUR all new cars at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015.

Volkswagen is preparing to delight automotive fans at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed on 26-28 June by showcasing four new cars, all of which are making their UK debuts.  These are the Sport Coupé GTE Concept, the XL Sport and the Golf R400, as well as the 2015 Polo R WRC rally car.

The Sport Coupé GTE Concept made its international debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year.  Combining an exclusive sports car design with a four-door body and a glass roof extending into the tailgate, it marks the beginning of a new design era for Volkswagen.  

Under the bonnet the Sport Coupé GTE utilises a plug-in hybrid drive, combining a TSI petrol engine with two electric motors.

The XL Sport turned heads when it was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 2014.  Developed from the Volkswagen XL1, the world’s most energy efficient production car, the XL Sport is a super-efficient concept sports car powered by a Ducati Superleggera engine.  

The two-cylinder Ducati V2 engine produces 200 PS and the XL Sport has a top speed of 168 mph.

The third concept on display on the Volkswagen stand will be the Golf R 400 which debuted at the Auto China show in Beijing in April 2014.  Based on the standard Golf R hatchback, the R 400 concept ups the ante considerably, with 400 PS and 450 Nm of torque – plus looks to match the performance.

The Polo R WRC is of course not a concept, but a very real car which has seen action across the globe in the World Rally Championship.  This model won the WRC last year and is currently leading the manufacturer and driver championships.  

The car’s appearance at Goodwood comes just a couple of weeks after the manufacturer secured a 1-2-3 podium finish at the Rally of Portugal.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed, dubbed the ‘largest motoring garden party in the world’ is a unique weekend that brings together cars, stars and motor sport ‘royalty’ to create a celebration of all things automotive.  It is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, Sussex, and includes a famous hillclimb event up the drive of the house.

Volkswagen launches a number of new models and concepts at Paris.

• XL Sport has world's most powerful two-cylinder engine
• Passat GTE is a plug-in hybrid with 218 PS of power

On the evening before the Paris Motor Show, the Volkswagen Group presented its key new products under the motto "Les images de marques". In the world premiere of the XL Sport, which is a highly efficient sports car concept, the Volkswagen passenger car brand is impressively demonstrating how high-tech developments lead to synergies across brands. At the same time, the Passat GTE is celebrating its world premiere at the Group Night.

In traditional French ambience, Volkswagen is presenting the XL Sport concept car at the Group Night; it is a driving machine unlike any other. It is a sports car with 200 PS of power and a top speed of 270 km/h that was created based on the XL1¹ - the world's most fuel-efficient automobile. Operating at the rear of the XL Sport, and the technical highlight of the powertrain, is a modified V2 engine from the new Ducati 1199 Superleggera - the world's most powerful two-cylinder motorcycle engine. 

This engine, together with a 7-speed DSG, launches the sports car from zero to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and revs up to 11,000 rpm. The aerodynamics of the concept car are especially noteworthy. The fact that the XL Sport is a very special sports car is illustrated by its numerous individual features such as special air curtains, wheel arch air outlets, an optimised underbody, a diffuser that reduces aerodynamic lift and adaptive exhaust heat vents integrated in the rear lid.

The XL Sport follows the dynamic and extravagant design of the XL1. The concept car is slightly longer and wider than the XL1 with a length of 4,291 mm, width of 1,847 mm and height of 1,152 mm. Its modified proportions, longer wheelbase (2,424 mm), significantly wider wings and larger wheels give the vehicle a wide, low and impressive appearance on the road. The wing doors, front and rear sections with the same width and an extending rear spoiler that spans nearly the entire width of the car transform the XL Sport into a classic race car. Its interior was also highly influenced by motorsport.

Along with the XL Sport, Volkswagen is presenting the new Passat GTE² in Paris. This is the first Passat to be offered as a plug-in hybrid, which comes with a TSI engine combined with an electric motor. In "E-mode" the Passat GTE covers up to 50 km all-electrically for zero emissions. When the combustion engine and electric motor work together, the Passat GTE develops a system power of 160 kW / 218 PS and has a driving range of over 1,000 km. The maximum torque of the plug-in hybrid drive system is 400 Nm. The car's eco-friendly and efficient NEDC fuel consumption is under 2.0 l/100 km and 13.0 kWh/100km (equates to less than 45 g/km CO₂). The front-wheel drive Passat GTE with a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 8.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of over 220 km/h. In the electric driving mode, it is possible to reach a speed of 130 km/h.

Standard features of the Passat GTE include extras which are also available as options on other models, including the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, Front Assist and City Emergency Braking. On the other hand, the new Passat GTE has many customisation options and feature extensions for the exterior and interior, such as the C-shaped LED daytime running lights, the "Composition Media" infotainment system that was specially adapted to the plug-in hybrid and the "CAR-NET e-Remote" app which, for instance, lets users start battery charging via a smart phone.

¹ Volkswagen XL1 fuel consumption in l/100 km: 0,9 (combined); power consumption in kWh/ 100 km: 7,2; CO₂emission in g/km: 21(combined); efficiency class: A+

² Passat GTE is not on sale yet. Preliminary data: Passat GTE: Fuel consumption in l/100 km: combined: 1,6; CO₂ emissions combined in g/km: 37. Passat Variant GTE: Fuel consumption in l/100 km: combined: 1,7; CO₂emissions combined in g/km: 39.