Volkswagen teases new Volkswagen GTI concept ahead of 2013 Worthersee debut
Not too long ago, we received word that Volkswagen was gearing up to unveil an all-new GTI Concept at this year’s Worthersee Festival in Austria—one of the largest Volkswagen and Audi enthusiast gatherings in the world. As we know from history, Volkswagen likes to arouse interest within their enthusiast community by showcasing special concepts at the Festival.
In 2007, Volkswagen unveiled the insane Golf GTI W12-650 at the congregation, wowing the crowd with its mid-mounted Bentley Continental W12 and crazy widebody kit.
To build up interest for this year’s attraction, Volkswagen teased the concept not too long ago. This year’s special GTI model was created by 13 trainees, all who’ve been helping design and build the car for the last year.
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Click here for our original post on the 2014 Volkswagen GTI from the 2013 Geneva Auto Show.
The whole project for this year was designed as a special training project, allowing new recruits to learn what it takes for Volkswagen to produce a conceptual model to gauge interest for future markets.
Details of course were kept to a minimum, though Volkswagen’s team said that the concept will feature a “glossy exterior” and a wide variety of “good ideas” that may potentially make it to Volkswagens of the future. The concept will be unveiled sometime this week as we progress towards the 2013 Worthersee Festival.
For full details, check out the press release below.
Project Wörthersee: Volkswagen Apprentices build their dream-GTI
13 young men and women present at the GTI meeting in Austria special exhibit
Wolfsburg, 03 May 2013 – When the Volkswagen 13 trainees look at their car, their pride is to see their work. For a year they have screwed on her GTI and painted until everything was just right. In a few days they present him at the 32nd GTI meeting (May 8 to 11) at the Austrian lake Wörthersee automotive enthusiasts from around the world.
The car is part of a special training project at Volkswagen: From concept and design to interior and engine, the prospective motor vehicle mechatronics, vehicle painter, vehicle interior designers and technical model makers have almost everything themselves planned and implemented – and learned a lot.
In their training programs, the year four women and nine men are among the best. In May last year they got from the Board an exceptional job: you should build a unique GTI, which at the Carinthian PS parade every visitor would prefer to drive immediately. In countless hours they have dedicated to this task and are about to become a strong team led by project manager Holger Schulke.
“With projects like this, our students learn an incredible amount,” says Prof. Werner Neubauer, Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand manager for the business component. “For their GTI they could choose from a variety of components. You have seen how diverse our model range. And they have seen what high quality standards we at Volkswagen. “Since 2004, Volkswagen offers its students the best opportunity to expand their expertise by working on specific vehicles.
“All students of the Wörthersee team can be proud of,” says Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand “High Stakes, solid knowledge and good ideas they have created a unique piece, the car driver’s heart beat faster.”
Vanessa Amato is on the team as a budding Fahrzeuglackiererin responsible for the glossy exterior of the car. “The project has helped me a lot. It was exciting to work with students from other professions, “says the 23-year-old. Her professional colleague Nele Steiner (21) is also enthusiastic: “We had many good ideas. During the project, we have learned to select the best proposals and make decisions together. “Daniel Tobert is one of the automotive mechatronics team. “It was incredibly exciting to see the production process from the first screw to the finished car,” says the 21-year-old.
Prof. Heiko Gintz, Head of Vocational Training Wolfsburg, accompanied the trainees and their development observed: “The students were able to implement their own ideas and their decisions also represented several times before members of the Board. As a result, they have gained enormous self-confidence. “
Gerardo Scarpino, Member of the Works Council and Chairman of the Education Committee at the Wolfsburg plant, praises: “I have respect for our trainees who have built with so much ambition and perseverance their dream car. At the same time shows the Wörthersee project, the great value we place at Volkswagen on training and qualification of young colleagues. “
Some days there are until the beginning of the GTI Meet at Wörthersee. Details to their car may not tell the trainees, then presenting a world premiere in Austria. It’s clear to them, however: you have built from the interior up to the sound of a car, in which everything fits. According to their taste, it is just the perfect GTI.
The trainees of the Wörthersee teams in occupations
vehicle mechatronics (in): Dennis Drexler, René oak, Kevin Hoffmann, Kai Rauer, Daniel Tobert, Vivien Vanessa reason. Fahrzeuglackierer (in): Vanessa Amato, Giovanni Petitto, Nele Steiner. Vehicle interior designer Ronny Neumann, Nicklas Sander. Technical modellers (in): Jelte Barth, Sophia Strauss.
– By: Chris Chin
