WORTHERSEE 2016: Volkswagen reveal 300kW Golf GTI Heartbeat

Volkswagen has shown off a concept for the most powerful Golf GTI ever.

Called the Golf GTI Heartbeat, the new super-hatch has been created for the VW fan meet held at Lake Worthersee in Austria.

Said to have been designed, created and engineered by Volkswagen apprentices from Wolfsburg, the Heartbeat honours the 40th anniversary of the Golf GTI.

That’s why, under the bonnet, the GTI Heartbeat is powered by a 400hp (294kW) version of the regular Golf’s 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder -- as engineers wanted to give the special one-off GTI 10hp for every year it’s been in production.

Unconfirmed rumours suggest the Worthersee Heartbeat concept also runs the 300kW production engine that the all-wheel drive R400 hatch was supposed to come with before the super-Golf project was put ‘on ice’ following the fallout from the recent Dieselgate emission scandal.

Volkswagen has not released any performance claims for the Golf GTI Heartbeat.

As well as the powerful engine, the fastest-ever GTI also comes with a custom body kit and large 20-inch alloys.

Inside, the rear seats have been sacrificed -- not for weight reasons, but to help fit a powerful 1360-Watt sound-system. There’s also plenty of 40th anniversary decals including large ’40’ emblems embroidered on the head restraints and door cards.

The Golf GTI Heartbeat marks the ninth GTI project created since 2008 by apprentices studying on the Volkswagen Vocational Training course at the German car-maker’s HQ.

As well as the GTI Heartbeat, this year another powerful Golf concept has also been revealed, this time created by students at VW’s Zwickau plant in eastern Germany.

The Golf R Variant Performance 35 also marks an anniversary but not for the Golf, but for the 35 years the Worthersee festival has been held.

That’s why the Golf R wagon comes armed with a 350hp (257kW) version of the Golf R’s 2.0-litre turbo four -- another 10hp per year the event has been held.

Unlike the Golf GTI Heartbeat, it’s been rumoured that the new more, powerful version of the Golf R could spin off a production version that could be unveiled at this year’s Paris motor show as soon as late September.

If so, the Golf R Performance (if that’s its name) could give the Volkswagen hot hatch the firepower to rival both the Civic Type-R and Ford Focus RS.