Volkswagen Golf GTI hillclimb car: 1000 hp, Audi 2.5 turbo five-cylinder, all-wheel drive and Sadev ST4-917

© Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa

Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa has built a Golf GTI making more than 1000 hp — almost four times what the South African production GTI delivers. The car runs all-wheel drive and a Sadev racing transmission, and it makes its debut on 26 July on the two-kilometre Top of the Hill climb in Pretoria. Works driver Jonathan Mogotsi will be behind the wheel.

The heart of the project sits under the bonnet. The powertrain is based on the 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder from the Audi family, familiar from the RS3. For the racing Golf the engine was heavily reworked with components from the German company Bar-Tek, while engine management was handed to Motec electronics. Volkswagen’s official announcement confirms more than 1000 hp, but the exact torque figure has not been disclosed.

The GTI name here describes the look rather than the production engineering concept. The regular Golf GTI sends 265 hp and 370 Nm to the front wheels through a seven-speed DSG. The new car has all-wheel drive and a Sadev ST4-917 transmission, which puts it structurally closer to a radically reworked Golf R.

The bodyshell was reinforced with a roll cage and the outer panels were made from carbon fibre. Widened wheel arches cover broad Michelin slicks. Downforce comes from a large front splitter, side canards and a rear wing on swan-neck mounts.

The project was not built for a display stand. Volkswagen expects the short, twisty course at Zwartkops to serve as the first full test of the car before bigger events. Volkswagen Motorsport boss Mike Rowe said the debut had to be pushed back because of parts delays, but the team considers the extra development time worthwhile.

The Golf’s rivals are tougher than the familiar bodyshell suggests. The modified car category features the Nissan GT-R, Audi TT, Audi RS3, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Lotus Exige. One of the main threats is an all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R with around 2000 hp that has won South African hillclimbs before.

No production follow-up to the 1000-hp Golf has been announced. The first real yardstick arrives on 26 July: until the debut run, neither the car’s actual pace nor its chances against the more powerful Nissan GT-Rs are known.