How did it go at the world's biggest Volkswagen GTI rally?
We were at the GTI Fan Fest in Wolfsburg, Germany, together with many fans from various continents
There is only one place in the world where more than 700 sporty Volkswagens can be seen gathered. That is the GTI Fan Fest, the event that fans of the German brand cannot miss.
An event that has grown in popularity around the world over the course of several editions, and this year there was no shortage of enthusiasm. Outside the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, just a stone's throw from the brand's headquarters, hundreds of models, from the most historic to the most modern, most of them customised by their owners, gathered.
And even if you don't own a GTI (or an R), you are still a welcome guest. Hundreds of 'ordinary' fans came to Germany from countries like Brazil and South Africa to experience the Fan Fest atmosphere, and we were there too.
A festive atmosphere
The party started already in the morning, with dozens of Golfs and Polos of every generation outside the German stadium. Past the 'official' Fan Fest entrance, there were exhibitors such as parts and tuning companies and the ever-present merchandising corner.
Here we saw some truly exaggerated models, such as a 1998 Golf IV 'revolutionised' by a Swedish tuner with a 2.1 five-cylinder with over 900 PS. A real monster for the road, with various components from the Audi RS 2 and S1 Sport Quattro, and then there were all the Clubsport, R32 and R generations.
Volkswagen GTI Fan Fest 2024
Between rarities and strange creations
The real heart of the Fan Fest, however, was in the car parks around the arena. Hundreds of Golfs, Polos, Up! and Sciroccos (and more) lurked and came from all corners of Europe. Among them we were able to get an up-close look at super-customised cars, from the aesthetics to the mechanics.
Some were very strange experiments, like a beige Swiss Golf II with a mini caravan derived from a Golf II (inside which was a game station in which to virtually drive on Playstation 3 a... beige Golf II).
Volkswagen GTI Fan Fest 2024
Walking through the car park we also encountered a Golf Mk 5 GTI converted for camping and one of only 2,600 Polo R WRCs ever produced, the most powerful production Polo ever with its 220 PS 2.0-litre TSI. Adding further colour and sound to the ambience, there was a special dynamometer to measure the power output of one's own model.
The concepts
In addition to the countless customised and tuned Volkswagens from specialised tuners, there was the brand's official exhibition space where we met the restyled Golf GTI Clubsport, equipped with the 2.0 TSI boosted to 300 PS and capable of a top speed of 165 mph with the Race package. It is one of the most powerful production GTIs ever built.
Volkswagen GTI Fan Fest 2024, the concept corner
Volkswagen GTI Fan Fest 2024, racing models and the ID.R concept
Volkswagen also showed off its future with the ID.GTI, a concept based on the ID.2 that prefigures the sports version of the German manufacturer's electric vehicle 'for the people'. Its technical specifications have yet to be declared, but already in person it conveys the typical GTI image. From the red trim to the wide and imposing body kit, this prototype already seems to have part of the sporty DNA that has distinguished these models for more than decades.
And speaking of concepts, on the same stand dedicated to the ID.GTI, there were some gems from the recent past such as the GTI Roadster Vision, a prototype first made for the virtual world of Gran Turismo and then produced in the 'flesh'. This is a 503 PS model, capable of reaching 193 mph, combined with the Golf Vision, another knockout concept, with an extended wheelbase and the same 3.0 V6, again with over 500 PS.
In short, past, present and future intertwined in Wolfsburg, in what was Volkswagen's biggest party of 2024.
More about sporty Volkswagens:
Gallery: Volkswagen GTI Fan Fest 2024
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Woman Buys Volkswagen Tiguan. Two Months Later, The Dealership Still Hasn’t Handed It Over: 'Handed A Big, Fat, $30,000 Check'
'It Wasn't A Date': Man Takes Car To Dealership. Then He Asks A Worker To Take Him To The Movies
Volkswagen Might Bring Back The Regular Golf In The US
The New Audi A6 Allroad Is The Perfect SUV Alternative
Volkswagen Believes Gas Cars Will Become Obsolete—Just Like Horses
AMG's Biggest Product Push Yet: Over 27 New Models In 36 Months
Volkswagen Is Officially Done Selling Manual Cars In America