Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW R36 Variant Concept

The Volkswagen and Audi crew are blowing up this year's Worthersee GTI meet in Worther Lake, Austria, first with the introduction of the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept and damn-near production version of the TT clubsport quattro, and earlier today with the unveiling of the Scirocco GT24. But VAG isn't stopping there. They've taken the wraps off of an Emeril-inspired Passat design study that kicks the already spicy R36 wagon up a notch.

The 300-hp, 3.6-liter V6 remains, but the stock exhaust has been upgraded with a new cat-back unit sporting larger tailpipes. The front brakes have also been swapped out in favor of larger Brembo six-piston units and the wheels are 20-inchers pulled from the Touareg R-Line. All the chrome trim has also been removed and replaced with pieces that match the Passat's Moonlight Blue hue. Inside, race-ready Recaros replace the softer buckets found on the standard model, and they match the two-tone, black-and-white steering wheel, shift boot and even seat belts quite nicely. Volkswagen has made it clear that the Passat R36 Variant Styling Study is exactly what its name would imply, but don't be surprised to find some of these custom bits available through VW's Individual program in the future.


[Source: Volkswagen, Carscoop]

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Scirocco GT24

If you've ever lingered behind after a professional sports event, you've probably seen some of the athletes graciously staying behind to shake hands and sign autographs while others make a B-line through the fans to the locker room. If the Volkswagen group were an athlete, it would be the former. Every year the German automaker comes to Wörthersee to meet its most die-hard enthusiasts, and never comes empty-handed. You'll recall that last year Volkswagen unveiled the shockingly exotic Golf GTI W12 650 while Audi showed up with the TT clubsport quattro. This year, not only is Audi bringing both the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept and the pre-production TT clubsport quattro roadster, but Volkswagen has rolled in to town with the Scirocco GT24, the competition version of its new sport-hatch that the German automaker will be campaigning at this weekend's 2008 Nurburgring 24-hour endurance race.

As we've reported previously, power comes from the same 2-liter turbo four that drove the race-prepped GTI to victory at the Ring last year. 321 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque are channeled to the front wheels (not all four) via Volkswagen's trademark six-speed DSG, only with beefed-up clutch plates, revised gearing and a lightweight flywheel. Dimensions for the racing version have grown slightly, with an extra 227mm in length for aero stability and 61mm in width to cover the 18-inch racing rims on a wide track, dropping ride height by 75mm. The interior is stripped and race-prepped with a full roll cage, Recaro seats with five-point harnesses, competition steering wheel, electronic instrumentation and fire extinguisher, all in all stripping 178kg from the interior.

While the Scirocco GT24 wows the crowds at Wörthersee and takes on all comers at the Nurburgring, Volkswagen has given us a mouthwatering, knee-buckling preview of what a road-going Scirocco R version could look like. Check out the images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the TT clubsport quattro

Last year at the Wörthersee tour, VW and Audi threw red meat to the fans in the form of the Audi TT Clubsport quattro concept and the VW Golf GTI W12 650. Each was awesome in its own way, and now VW/Audi has set a precedent. For the Wörthersee 2008, Audi had already announced it would be bringing the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept. Today, it drops shoe No. 2 by revealing a much more production-oriented version of the TT clubsport quattro. This is the same car that was spied out in the open last week. Officially, it's still a concept. Realistically, you know this thing's going into limited production.

The '08 edition of the TT clubsport follows in the '07 show car's footprints. Like its forebear, it packs 300 horsepower underhood (presumably from a TFSI four). That juice is directed to all four wheels via quattro AWD with Audi S tronic (i.e. Audi-ese for DSG) handling shifts. Nineteen-inch wheels shod in 35-series rubber are tucked under the clubsport's widebody kit. Up front, you'll find DRLs and a blacked-out grille, while out back you'll find a diffuser integrated in the bumper. Speedster humps sit beside the roll hoops and the chopped windscreen incorporates little baby A-pillars to help create a near-wraparound look. That's also your giveaway that this is a production car -- do you really think Audi would have bothered engineering a second version with real pillars if it didn't plan on selling it? Inside, the black interior is accented with plenty of aluminum and orange leather accents.

At the end of its press release, Audi tells us "Small-series production of this model cannot be ruled out." Well, duh, guys. You've just come out with a refined concept of a concept. You couldn't telegraph this any more if you wanted to. We look forward to seeing this Audified speedster redux in showrooms and the Autoblog Garage at some time in the not-very-distant future.


[Source: Audi]