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Tuned VW Up! GTI Is One AWD System Away From Getting the 'R' Moniker

After an explosive launch four and a half years ago, during which it was praised by the media and compared to the original Golf GTI, the Volkswagen Up! GTI has somewhat fallen into the abyss.
VW Up! GTI 6 photos
Photo: Facebook | Siemoneit Racing
VW Up! GTIVW Up! GTIVW Up! GTIVW Up! GTIVW Up! GTI
That, however, doesn’t make it any less exciting, as it’s still one fun pocket rocket, which is now knocking on the door of the upper segment in terms of power, courtesy of Siemoneit Racing.

The tuner shared a few pics of the car strapped to the dyno shortly before Christmas, accompanied by a caption that reveals what they did to it, and how much power it has. The vehicle has received an upgraded turbo, modified air intake and downpipe, and an aftermarket exhaust system.

As a result, the output and torque have been boosted to 191 ps (188 hp / 140 kW) and 264 Nm (195 lb-ft), up from the stock car’s 115 ps (113 hp / 84 kW) and 200 Nm (148 lb-ft). Without anyone messing with its oily bits, the turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine, which works in concert with a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive, allows the Up! GTI to hit 100 kph (62 mph) in sub-9 seconds from a standstill, en route to a 196 kph (122 mph) top speed.

Siemoneit Racing ended the caption by saying “stay tuned for more,” so they should, in theory, drop more details about it, and perhaps more images. Meanwhile, we will have to settle for the two pics shared in our image gallery above that reveal the matte purple wrap, adorned by a few decals, a 'clown!' logo on the tailgate, and a very Joker-ish saying that’s visible when popping the hood open. The Up! GTI in question appears to have bigger wheels, and that’s about it, but we’ll definitely keep an eye open for possible future updates to learn more about it.


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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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