In June of 1976, Volkswagen->ke94 introduced a sportier variant of the Golf,->ke164 dubbing it the GTI.->ke223 In the four decades that followed, this speed box helped define the very essence of the term “hot hatch,->ke304” offering tire-roasting output, corner-carving suspension tuning, and even a place in back for cargo. Now, in celebration of that history, VW is introducing a custom one-off called the Heartbeat, and it’s bringing all the stock GTI goodness, plus showstopper styling, a monster stereo, and a considerable power boost under the hood.

The Heartbeat is actually part of a duo of one-off show concepts->ke169 VW is debuting at the 35th annual Worthersee->ke3882 car meet this year. Held on the banks of Lake Worthersee in southern Austria, the event regularly attracts tens of thousands of enthusiasts from around the world, who arrive to rejoice in all things within the VAG spectrum. 

Since 2008, VW has brought along a new GTI project car to help fan the flames. The custom rides are produced as part of the Volkswagen Vocational Training program, which offers VW apprentices the chance to create their vision of the ultimate GTI. This year, 12 fresh-faced trainees designed and built the Heartbeat in less than nine months, honing their skills in five different areas of expertise. The team consisted of five women and seven men, aged 20 to 26, and included interior fitters, vehicle paint technicians, automotive mechatronics technicians, a technical product designer, and a process technician specializing in plastics and rubber engineering.

So what do you get when you leave 12 young and talented VW devotees alone with a GTI? Read on for the details.

Continue reading to learn more about the Volkswagen Golf GTI Heartbeat.

Exterior

Let’s start with the paint, which emphasizes the bodylines of the three-door hatch with a two-tone color scheme. The nose, roof, and half of the doors get a matte dark grey coloring, while the rest of it is silver metallic. Making the transition between the two colors is a hexagonal honeycomb pattern, which is echoed on the hood and roof, and includes the number 40 on the doors. In back is a trailing edge spoiler, plus there are subtle aero enhancements along the lower edges in front and back.

In addition to the grey and silver coloring, there is a variety of red accents, including a line in the grille that runs through the headlights, slats in the lower bumper intakes, GTI badges in the front fenders, a rear lower bumper insert, and hexagons in the paint, not to mention the large brake calipers. Setting the stance are huge 20-inch aluminum wheels from BBS, which are set in an open, quintuple split-spoke design and come wrapped in barely-there low-profile tires.

Once again, it looks like the VW Vocational team hit a homerun. The two-tone colors look fantastic on the GTI, while the red accents add a dash of flavor in just the right places. Meanwhile, the hexagons add volumes to the car’s inherently simplistic bodylines, enhancing its “hatchbackness” and sportiness without overly complicating it. And while I’m not personally a huge fan of the whole stance movement, the moderately tucked rollers should be right at home at Worthersee.

Interior

Open the door to the Heartbeat, and you’ll find an equally impressive cabin. First up, the seats were swapped with reclining buckets from the ‘Ring-storming Golf GTI Clubsport S. These lightweight units were customized with crystal grey headrests (which include an embroidered “40”), tan side bolsters, and a black middle section with red honeycomb perforations. The seat backs also get a glossy red finish. Additional upholstery upgrades include more red honeycomb on the door inserts. Red contrast stitching was used throughout.

Backing the heartbeat theme are copious EKG signatures scattered throughout the interior, including strips above the door trims and below the glove box. Another neat touch is the inclusion of a red honeycomb insert for the air vents.

In back, the rear bench was tossed in favor of a silver roll cage, while the cargo area was upgraded with a little light and enough sound to wake the dead. The audio system now pumps out 1,360 watts through seven speakers, including a huge sub covered by a honeycomb mesh and lit by red LEDs. More LEDs can be found illuminating the amp, which sits under an engraved, hexagonal glass cover. There are also exposed twin tweeters just behind the seats, which are mounted inside a custom box embellished with yet another red EKG signature.

While the roll cage is a bit much for my taste, the rest of it is super clean and well executed. Many show cars tend to go way over the top when it comes to shiny materials and LED lighting, but the Heartbeat is tasteful rather than garish, with just the right amount of bling.

Drivetrain

Unfortunately, VW didn’t give us the full rundown on what makes the Heartbeat tick, but the automaker did say that the engine now makes a whopping 395 horsepower (and it comes with a cool new red plastic cover). Considering the standard GTI makes just 220 horsepower, that’s a massive jump in output.

For now, we can assume the car gets the same turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder as before, with an aluminum head and iron block. To make the extra ponies, I’m guessing the team added stuff like a bigger turbo, larger intercooler, and high-flow fuel components, plus the requisite ECU tuning. Hopefully VW will dish the details sooner or later.

Info on the suspension upgrades is even murkier, but considering this is a show car, it’s more than likely the Heartbeat just got coilovers to help kill the fender gap on those massive 20-inch wheels, plus some spiffy drilled rotors for added visual appeal. In order to actually make use of nearly 400 horsepower at the front axle, the Heartbeat would need extensive modification and track time to get it dialed, which means running the risk of an off-road excursion. And like they say, never put a clear coat on a race car.

Conclusion

The Heartbeat is the ninth VW apprentice program vehicle to debut at Worthersee, and overall, it’s quite impressive. The 12 trainees obviously took their time in implementing their ideas, as there are a ton of nice details everywhere that work in unison to create an absolutely unique automobile. Hopefully VW will recognize the worth of this program as more than publicity, as the concepts it puts forward are exactly what the brand needs to stay fresh. For example – what about a GTI performance interior package with Clubsport seats, hexagonal upholstery, red air vent inserts, and LED lighting?

Either way, here’s to another 40 years of GTI performance.