Photo: X-Tomi Design
Affordable sports cars don't really sell in Europe, with about 900 units of the GT 86 being shifted last year. Sure, there's Porsche, but what do you get if you want a convertible that's not the Miata? Probably something that used to be a hatchback.
The MINI Cooper is probably the car you're thinking of right now, though German automakers are also top players in this tiny segment. About 20 years ago, the TT Roadster came out, and the Golf rag-top is even older than that.
You still see them at Worthersee and other car shows, the early "picnic basket" Golfs that are named for their rollover hoop. There was even a modern version up until a few years ago.
We're talking about the Golf GTI Cabriolet. It was offered right up until 2017, despite being an Mk6 model at a time when the hatchback had the Mk7 body. Volkswagen could do that because it outsourced production to another company.
The GTI went through several engines and there was even a short run for the Golf R Cabriolet with AWD. While a product like that seems crazy in the modern era, the T-Roc convertible crossover seems like an even worse idea.
If it's such a bad idea, why then are we talking about a 2021 Golf GTI Cabriolet? Well, partly because this rendering by X-Tomi Design is entertaining, but also due to there not being anything like this on the market, big enough to seat four people and still agile.
The rendering shows only the front of the car, combining the Golf 8 GTI with an interior that's probably 'stolen' from an Audi A3. The good news is that if you're set on having this car, it can be forced to happen.
Back in 2016, we presented a GTI Convertible that looked like the Mk7, but only because it had received a face swap.
You still see them at Worthersee and other car shows, the early "picnic basket" Golfs that are named for their rollover hoop. There was even a modern version up until a few years ago.
We're talking about the Golf GTI Cabriolet. It was offered right up until 2017, despite being an Mk6 model at a time when the hatchback had the Mk7 body. Volkswagen could do that because it outsourced production to another company.
The GTI went through several engines and there was even a short run for the Golf R Cabriolet with AWD. While a product like that seems crazy in the modern era, the T-Roc convertible crossover seems like an even worse idea.
If it's such a bad idea, why then are we talking about a 2021 Golf GTI Cabriolet? Well, partly because this rendering by X-Tomi Design is entertaining, but also due to there not being anything like this on the market, big enough to seat four people and still agile.
The rendering shows only the front of the car, combining the Golf 8 GTI with an interior that's probably 'stolen' from an Audi A3. The good news is that if you're set on having this car, it can be forced to happen.
Back in 2016, we presented a GTI Convertible that looked like the Mk7, but only because it had received a face swap.
Google News