(May 5, 2018) HERNDON, Va. — On Wednesday, May 9, around 7,300 cars and 125,000 people are expected to turn the town of Reifnitz am Wörthersee in Austria into the Mecca of the Golf GTI world. A special highlight of the world’s largest GTI gathering this year will be the debut of the near-production-ready Golf GTI TCR. This top model in the GTI range, with 286 horsepower, will be launched at the end of the year.

This special edition is the road-going version of the two-time overall winner of the international TCR race series: the Golf GTI TCR.

The new road-going GTI TCR’s turbocharged engine delivers its 286 hp between 5,000 and 6,800 rpm and has 273 pound-feet of torque from 1,600 rpm, remaining flat until 4,300 rpm. A 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission gearbox and a standard limited-slip differential are responsible for power transmission and excellent traction.

The maximum speed is 155 mph, but this can be increased to 164 mph by opting to remove the electronic speed limiter. This makes the new GTI TCR the fastest Golf GTI ever.

With more than 2.2 million units sold, the Golf GTI has become one of the world's most successful compact sporty cars. It all started life in 1976 as a 110-horsepower front-wheel drive hatchback, which made great driving dynamics affordable. Originally, only 5,000 cars of the original GTI were to be built — 4,400 times as many have now been produced.