The Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR paid a visit to the plastic surgeon, where it received a new front end that resembles that of the facelifted road-legal model.
Presented at the 2017 Essen Motor Show in Germany, where it will be on display until December 10, the racer is ready for the 2018 season., with improved downforce and cooling, and less drag.
Mechanically, the 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR remains unchanged. This means that beneath that 40cm (16in) wider body than the production model lies the Group's MQB platform, and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that's shared with the Golf R.
The unit makes 350PS (345hp) and 420Nm (310lb-ft) of torque, and allows this track-only Golf GTI to sprint from rest to 100km/h (62mph) in 5.2 seconds.
Expected to carry a price tag of €90,000, which equals to $106,852 at today's exchange rates, the updated racer wants to continue the success of its predecessor, which won the TCR Class in the VLN Endurance Championship on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and proved itself several times in the TCR International Series.
"The new look for the Golf GTI TCR resulted from close cooperation with Volkswagen Design. This helps us to underline just what a close relationship exists between the production model and the racing version", said VW's Motorsport Director, Sven Smeets. "For example, the engine comes directly from series production, and only requires minimal adjustment for competitive racing. This is proof that the Golf GTI provides the perfect foundation for our customer racing cars."
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