Photo: johnrendering/Instagram
The Volkswagen Golf 7 GTI is about to be retired in America. As reviews of Euro-spec Mk8s are already being released ahead of the 2022 model's debut, we're actually beginning to miss the old hot hatch, and this rendering reminds us why.
The GTI is popular with tuners all over the world, but you have to admit that America has done more with the Mk7 than any other generation. The SEMA Show featured a lot of those Pandem widebody kits that creat an impractical but really cool GDM monster.
GMD, short for German Domestic Market... instead of Japanese. Get it? Bad joke, but it's hard to ignore Supra-like tuning attention for the hatchback body that used to be available from $20,000. We're talking about the 1.4T, not the GTI.
In any case, the Pandem GTI works for one reason alone: the Mk7 was available as a 3-door, which means the rear fender flares could occupy a whole 1/4 of the car's length. So for around $3,900 (plus the car) you could have a compact as wide as a muscle car.
This next digital creation has most of the Pandem elements. Artist John Design has created similar skirts and spoilers. However, his GTI goes above and beyond by installing carbon fiber lower aero, looking similar to some Lamborghini kits.
And, of course, it's got to have a full roll cage, oversized wheels, and bagged suspension. Another key difference from the Pandem setup is that this targets the 5-door model, which is more common. Sure, the rear doors can't be used any longer, but there's a roll cage where the bench used to be.
Believe it or not, but an Mk7 GTI of this caliber has actually been built. German tuner and YouTuber JP Performance made a widebody Golf which he slapped a whole Phaeton engine into. It was longitudinally mounted and tuned to deliver about 1000 horsepower.
Of course, if we're talking about European models, there's a whole lot more going on. America never got to see a W12-powered Golf (concept) and won't sample the GTI Clubsport, even though it would make such a great Civic Type R rival.
GMD, short for German Domestic Market... instead of Japanese. Get it? Bad joke, but it's hard to ignore Supra-like tuning attention for the hatchback body that used to be available from $20,000. We're talking about the 1.4T, not the GTI.
In any case, the Pandem GTI works for one reason alone: the Mk7 was available as a 3-door, which means the rear fender flares could occupy a whole 1/4 of the car's length. So for around $3,900 (plus the car) you could have a compact as wide as a muscle car.
This next digital creation has most of the Pandem elements. Artist John Design has created similar skirts and spoilers. However, his GTI goes above and beyond by installing carbon fiber lower aero, looking similar to some Lamborghini kits.
And, of course, it's got to have a full roll cage, oversized wheels, and bagged suspension. Another key difference from the Pandem setup is that this targets the 5-door model, which is more common. Sure, the rear doors can't be used any longer, but there's a roll cage where the bench used to be.
Believe it or not, but an Mk7 GTI of this caliber has actually been built. German tuner and YouTuber JP Performance made a widebody Golf which he slapped a whole Phaeton engine into. It was longitudinally mounted and tuned to deliver about 1000 horsepower.
Of course, if we're talking about European models, there's a whole lot more going on. America never got to see a W12-powered Golf (concept) and won't sample the GTI Clubsport, even though it would make such a great Civic Type R rival.
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