Volkswagen goes mad in Las Vegas

R GTi: the lowdown

VW has cooked up two hotter Golf GTis for the SEMA tuning show: the 225hp Thunder Bunny and 375hp R GTi. This mean hatch is the R GTi, which gets a big helping of carbonfibre to shave off weight and a huge power upgrade. The 197bhp 2.0-litre’s stock turbo makes way for a bigger blower, yielding 375hp. The Garrett turbo has twice the normal flow capacity and delivers 21 pounds per square inch of boost. Other upgrades include a new clutch to handle the extra torque and a Quaife limited slip diff to put the power down. The R GTi rides on red-rimmed 19 inch lightweight aluminium wheels.
R GTi: the makeover

The R GTi is the work of VW’s Santa Monica design studio in California. Multiple body parts have been switched for carbonfibre, from the wings and bonnet to the spoilers and mirror housings. The interior is swathed in black leather, with red R GTi logos adorning the mats, door panels and even steering wheel to tie in with the red-rimmed wheels.