At the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015 from 25-28 June, four new Volkswagens are set to celebrate their public UK debuts.
First and foremost, the Volkswagen Sport Coupe GTE Concept from March’s Geneva Motor Show 2015 will be displayed. The car previews a potential model to sit between the Volkswagen Passat and the range-topping Phaeton. It is powered by a hybrid engine consisting of two electric motors and a powerful TSI petrol engine.
Elsewhere, the Volkswagen XL Sport will debut in the UK following its world unveil late last year. It is powered by the engine from the Ducati Superleggera and consequently delivers 200 hp helping the sports car to reach a top speed of 270 km/h. Also at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015 will be the Volkswagen Golf R400. Previewing a supercar rivalling hot hatch, the Golf R400 delivers 400 hp and 450 Nm of torque from its turbocharged four-cylinder.
Finally, the German automaker’s 2015 Polo R World Rally Championship racer will also hit the famous hill climb.
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“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.”
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