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Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Electric Hot Hatchback Confirmed for Production

Remember the ID.5 GTX from the IAA 2021? The coupe-styled crossover will join the ID.4 GTX sometime next year, and not long after that, VW intends to add the ID.3 GTX to the lineup of e-performance vehicles.
2021 Volkswagen ID.X Concept (previews ID.3 GTX hot hatchback) 6 photos
Photo: Volkswagen/Ralf Brandstaetter
2021 Volkswagen ID.X Concept (previews ID.3 GTX hot hatchback)2021 Volkswagen ID.X Concept (previews ID.3 GTX hot hatchback)2021 Volkswagen ID.X Concept (previews ID.3 GTX hot hatchback)2021 Volkswagen ID.X Concept (previews ID.3 GTX hot hatchback)2021 Volkswagen ID.X Concept (previews ID.3 GTX hot hatchback)
Chief executive officer Ralf Brandstaetter told Auto Express that Volkswagen had already made the decision. “We will add a performance-oriented motor on the rear axle to give the car better acceleration and more speed,” he declared. “We are preparing the ID.3 GTX, and it will come to life.”

There is, however, a notable difference over the ID.X Concept from May 2021. Brandstaetter let it slip that it’s not going to be as powerful as the prototype, which is flexing 333 PS (329 horsepower) for a pretty exciting acceleration figure of 5.3 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour). The ID.3 GTX is believed to share the dual-motor setup of the ID.4 GTX, which makes do with 299 PS (295 horsepower) and 6.2 seconds.

Another difference, although unconfirmed by the big kahuna, concerns the curb weight. More to the point, the concept is approximately 200 kilograms (441 pounds) lighter than a series-production ID.3 for the 2021 model year.

The final unknown variable is the prototype’s Drift Mode, which doesn’t make a lot of sense if you ask me because the regular ID.3 with a rear-mounted electric motor can do the job perfectly fine. The only drawback to drifting a Volkswagen ID.3 comes in the guise of stability control, which can be turned off completely by removing a 25-ampere fuse from the fuse box.

As we’re sitting here patiently, waiting for the Wolfsburg-based automaker to reveal the ID.5 GTX and ID.3 GTX, the chief exec has added fuel to the fire. Brandstaetter told Auto Express that R would play a part in the company’s electric performance lineup, which is a rather interesting development in every respect. After all, the Volkswagen Golf R presents a totally different experience for the driver as opposed to the front-driven Golf GTI.
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Editor's note: The gallery shows the ID.X Concept.

About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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