Remembering the greatest Volkswagen hot hatch festival

The end of an era

Last year, Volkswagen fans learned that the famous GTI-Treffen, which took place every summer by Lake Wörthersee in Austria, has been cancelled for good. A statement from the organisers cited a huge increase in visitor numbers and the effects of climate change as reasons behind the decision. Volkswagen will instead stage its own GTI gathering in Wolfsburg, which held its inaugural event in 2024.

Wörthersee was an annual pilgrimage for devotees of modified Volkswagens ­– and VW itself used the show to launch new models, including the Up GTI and Mk7 Golf GTI TCR. We attended the 37th GTI-Treffen back in 2018 and enjoyed the event in its pomp. These were a few of our highlights.

Clean machine

Many cars at Wörthersee were parked with bonnets aloft, showing off super-clean engine bays. This Mk1 Golf Cabriolet boasts gold-plated fittings. Note the wood-effect wrap on the inner wings and scuttle, too.

Supercharge me

In 1990, Volkswagen added a supercharger to the Mk2 GTI 8v. The 160hp Golf G60 was the result – seen here looking stock apart from a set of BBS split-rim alloys. The ‘G-Lader’ engine was also used in the Corrado coupe and limited-edition Golf Rallye.

Hyper hatch

There were plenty of tuner demo cars on display at Wörthersee. This is Oettinger’s 500R – a 550hp Golf that could hit 62mph in 3.4 seconds. Quick enough to worry a Porsche 911 Turbo…

Peak Golf

Mind you, Volkswagen has built some pretty extreme Golfs of its own. This Mk2-based prototype raced up America’s legendary Pikes Peak hillclimb in 1986. It has two turbocharged 1.3-litre Polo engines producing 250hp each.

Mk1 magic

The Mk1 Golf GTI wasn’t the first hot hatch, but it defined the genre. There’s huge affection for ‘Das Original’ among the fans at Wörthersee and, nearly 50 years later, it remains a staple of the GTI scene.

Back from the brink

By contrast, the Mk3 Golf GTI is the least-loved of the breed. Its plight wasn’t helped by poor reviews and the arrival of a new flagship Golf: the 2.8-litre VR6. Today, it’s making a comeback, and there were plenty of tidy examples on show in Austria.

Brown sugar

Proof that it wasn’t all Volkswagens at Wörthersee: this gloriously retro Audi 80 CD was a star of the campsite. In case the brown paint and alloys weren’t enough, it also has a brown velour interior.

Buggin’ out

In 2018, the award for ‘most brilliantly bonkers car at Wörthersee’ probably went to this rat-look VW Beetle roadster. It had bouncing hydraulic suspension, a chimney for an exhaust and a Pirelli P-slot alloy in place of a steering wheel.

Trailer parked

Another off-the-wall creation was this Mk3 GTI-based trailer. Inside, it offered sleeping space for two, a TV and a beer fridge. Cooler than a caravan, if a tad more cramped.

It’s a wrap

‘Dirty wraps’, as seen on this Audi TT RS, were big at Wörthersee in 2018. A car’s paintwork is wrapped in sticky-backed plastic that looks filthy or rusty. Counter-intuitive, perhaps, but it stands out among all the perfect polished paintwork – and we guess that’s the point.

For the chop

Think there’s something a little odd about this second-generation (B2) Passat? Well, you’re right. The roof has been chopped in hot rod-style. With four doors and a hatchback to fit, that’s quite a feat of panelwork.

Yes to BBS

There’s just something about that classic Giugiaro shape. This Mk1 Golf wears an extra-wide side of BBS split-rims – the iconic wheels of the VW scene. It also has smaller steel bumpers, as fitted to early GTIs.

Brits abroad

A Mk1 GTI that was driven all the way to Austria from the UK. Built by JRS DubGarage, it had a 2.0-litre TFSI engine and DSG semi-automatic gearbox, both transplanted from a Mk6 Golf R. Those turbine-style alloys are one-offs, too.

Country life

The Mk2 Country remains one of the strangest special-edition Golfs. It had raised suspension, Syncro four-wheel drive, bull bars and a spare wheel mounted on the tailgate. The original crossover?

Citi life

The Citi Golf was effectively a continuation of the Mk1, manufactured in South Africa until 2009. It was only available with five doors, but a CTI version – launched in 1990 – used the same 1.8-litre engine as the original GTI.

Estate of the art

Are you brave enough to modify your brand new Audi? Some people clearly are, as this ‘slammed’ 2018 RS4 revealed. We’re not sure if the engine has been tweaked, although the stock 450hp and 443lb ft of torque seem ample.

Batteries included

Wörthersee took over the entire Austrian village of Reifnitz and seeing it all demanded a lot of walking. These electric mini-GTIs were ideal for little legs and available to borrow at the show.

Porsche patrol

We also spotted a few air-cooled Porsche 911s among the many, many Volkswagens and Audis. This 964 Turbo nailed the wide-arch look nearly three decades ago. But would you be brave enough to modify one?

GTI Coming Home

Wörthersee might be no more, but Volkswagen has stepped in and announced its own GTI festival in Wolfsburg, close to the main factory. It will use the area surrounding the excellent Autostadt museum, which has pavilions dedicated to all Volkswagen Group brands. Called ‘GTI Coming Home’, the new event takes place in summer 2024 and we hope to be there. Watch this space.