Never mind the body of the current, 6th generation Golf featured on these test two Volkswagen prototypes snagged by our scoop photographers in Germany; these are test mules for the upcoming Mk7 Golf GTI and its more powerful sibling, the Golf R.

Despite the fact that both vehicles look alike at first, a closer glance shows that the GTI is the one with the twin tailpipes while the R features a quad exhaust outlets. Another important detail worth mentioning are the rear wheel arch extensions that suggest a wider rear track for both models.

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Volkswagen will participate with three 450-hp Golf24 cars in one of the most grueling endurance races in the world, the famed 24 hours of Nurburgring that will take place this weekend at the renowned German circuit. Read more »

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For the past thirty year, tens of thousands of enthusiasts of Volkswagen Group cars assemble on the shores of Lake Worthersee in Austria to participate in the largest festival of its kind in the world. Over the years, Volkswagen and the other brands of the German group including Audi, Seat and Skoda, have used the show to unveil special concepts, new models and studies that hint at future production versions or accessories.

At this year’s event (June 1 to 4, 2011), the VW Group prepared several vehicles for the festival including the production VW Golf GTI 35 Edition with 235HP, the VW Golf Cabriolet GTI and R concepts, the wild 503HP Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro study, and the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible prototype. As you may have noticed, the company didn’t show much love for its Seat brand which was left to display its current lineup.

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Yesterday, we brought you the first images of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Cabriolet study but today we have live photos from the car’s world premiere at the Wörthersee meeting in Austria along with official information on the concept.

The hotted-up convertible is based on the standard Golf GTI with power coming from the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 210-horsepower and 280 Nm (207-lbs/ft) of peak torque at 1.800 rpm.

Volkswagen says the open-air model’s performance matches that of the closed-top GTI with a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 7 seconds and a top speed of around 240km/h (149 mph).

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If there’s one thing die-hard Volkswagen fans visiting this week’s annual Wörthersee Tour in Austria aren’t going to complain about, is the lack of Golf concepts. We have already shown you the Golf GTI Cabriolet and Golf R Cabriolet and now we bring you two more studies based on the flagship Golf R hatchback. The two Golf R Color concepts were first shown at the Geneva Salon this past March and were created to demonstrate the numerous customization possibilities. Read more »

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And the news just keeps dropping in from the largest annual GTI Meet in the world at lake Wörthersee in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia. Aside from the 270-horsepower strong Golf R Cabriolet concept that we told you about earlier today, Volkswagen also brought along a GTI study of the recently launched drop-top model.

We’re still short on information as Volkswagen has not yet published any details, but it’s safe to say that the Golf GTI Convertible is powered by either the standard Golf GTI hatchback’s 210HP 2.0-liter TFSI or the Golf GTI 35th Anniversary Edition’s 235HP 2.0-liter turbocharged unit sourced from the Golf R. Obviously power is transferred to the front wheels either through a six-speed manual gearbox or VW’s DSG transmission. The car also appears to be riding on a lowered suspension.

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This year’s Wörthersee meet in Austria is turning out to be quite an event for the Germans with the Volkswagen Group brands churning out one concept after the other. Following the debut of the Skoda Fabia RS 2000 Convertible, the German group pulled the veils off the Golf R Cabriolet study.

Using the recently introduced new Golf Cabriolet as a base, the designers and engineers of the Volkswagen R GmbH division built a convertible version of the gutsy Golf R hatchback.

Just like its closed top counterpart, the soft-top Golf R Cabriolet is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 270-horses and 350Nm (258.2 lb-ft) of peak torque from a low 2,500 rpm. The standard sprint to 100km/h (62mph) from standstill comes in less than 6.0 seconds while top speed is limited at 250km/h (155mph).

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Developed to celebrate 35 years since the launch of the original Volkswagen Golf GTI in 1976, the GTI Edition 35 will make its premiere at the Worthersee Tour (June 1-4) in Austria. A 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine that develops 235-horsepower and 300 Nm of torque (221 lb-ft), 25HP and 20 Nm more than the standard GTI, powers the limited edition hot-hatch.

However, Volkswagen says the engine is not an upgraded version of the standard GTI's unit but a detuned version of the AWD Golf R's four-pot, adapted for a FWD setup. With 25 more horsepower than the standard GTI and a power-to-weight ratio of 6 kg/hp, the Golf GTI Edition 35 reaches a top speed of 247 km/h (153 mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.6 seconds (gains of 7 km/h and 0.3 seconds respectively).

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As the adage goes, there is no such thing as bad publicity and it is better to be reviled and even mocked at than to be ignored. In the case of Larry Roesch Volkswagon (that’s how the name of the German automaker is spelled on the dealer’s Youtube account), making the automotive ridiculist was intentional to grab some media and customer attention. And since we’re here talking about it, you could say that their goal has been achieved…

The VW dealer has published a series of intentionally cheap and corny commercials starring one of the company’s salesmen, Nick Pontarelli. In two of the videos, Pontarelli abuses a Volkswagen Golf GTI and a Jetta by forcefully shutting and climbing onto the doors to prove the cars' ‘German’ strength and quality. His final statement is “try that with a Hyundai or a Honda”. Watch the clips after the break.

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This year, Volkswagen is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the introduction of the original Golf GTI in 1976, and to mark the event, the German carmaker has unleashed a special version, named “Edition 35”. As with the “Edition 30” launched in 2006, the latest anniversary model benefits from an upgraded and more powerful engine as well as discreet styling tweaks that differentiate it from the standard Golf GTI.

Starting with the mechanical updates, the GTI's 2.0-liter turbocharged TSI engine is tuned to deliver an extra 25 horsepower, for a total of 235 horsepower. The increase in output should improve the hot hatch’s performance, but Volkswagen has not yet revealed any official figures, simply stating that the car will be more fun to drive. The automaker didn't say whether the “Edition 35” will feature a lower suspension than the stock car, as was the case with the “Edition 30”.

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Get ready for four new Golf concepts from Volkswagen, all based on the recently hotted-up Golf R. With these four Golfs, Volkswagen R GmbH hopes to explore the themes of "especially high-end" and "especially sporty".

The more luxurious Golfs feature unique paint (Oryx White and Carbon Steel Grey), 19-inch Talladegas, aluminum trim, and Nappa leather interiors crafted by Volkswagen R Exclusive. The white one wears St. Tropez over black leather, while the dark gray one dons Almandine Red over black.

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Last week, Volkswagen unveiled the Golf24 endurance racer with which it will compete in this year’s Nürburgring 24-hour race. This is the first time since 2007 that the Germans enter a Golf-based competition model in the event. Unlike its 300HP, front-wheel drive predecessor, the new model gets all-wheel drive and a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine cranking out 440 ponies and 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of peak torque. Hit the jump to see the Golf24 in action at the Vallelunga racetrack in Italy. Read more »

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The Volkswagen Golf Mk7, based on the cost-saving modular transverse architecture known as MQB, is scheduled to debut at the “end of 2012 or early 2013”, according to a Reuters report citing a company spokesman.

The German automaker plans to eventually build some 3 million MQB-based vehicles annually across the group and expects savings in the double-digit percentage range thanks to a new production process. Unlike previous strategies that offered synergies across brands using the same underpinnings, the new manufacturing method delivers synergies across both brands and models.

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Hot hatches are mostly a European fad, but Volkswagen’s R- and GTI-badged products have proved successful in the North American market over the years. That said, VW loyalists will be happy to know that the new Golf R has finally received the green light for America. No specific launch date was given, but according to the official announcement, the U.S.-bound Golf R will be released in “limited numbers and for a very limited time” starting from 2012.

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Made for those that find the GTI underpowered, the Golf R with its 270HP 2.0-liter turbo-four is the most potent and fastest-accelerating Golf ever to be produced by VW. Still, that's not enough for certain buyers that wouldn't mind a few extra ponies. And here's were tuners like MR Car Design come into the picture.

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Red Devil is the name German tuning firm 'Wimmer RS' chose for its latest take on the Volkswagen Golf R. 'Red' because of the color chosen for the car, and 'Devil' because this Golf R packs a sinister punch under the hood...

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Squeezing a few more ponies out of a new engine today is as easy as 1-2-3; all you need is to connect a computer to the vehicle's engine control unit (ECU) and reprogram it with new software. The VW Golf R's 2.0-liter turbocharged four, is one such example. By tweaking the ECU, German tuner Mcchip-dkr has bumped output from 270HP and 350Nm to 315HP and 440Nm. If you're interested in the ECU upgrade, it's priced at €899, equal to about US$1,150 at today's exchange rates.

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The people over at CFC Styling Station and MK-Soundstyle in Neuss, Germany are trying to give old Phil a run for his money when it comes to baseless ego (scroll down to read excerpts and add curse-free insults, this is a family show). With the Hi-Fi Golf, these people have created a huge, rolling boom box...of doom.

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