Vilner’s Bespoke VW Up! GTI Stands Out Thanks To Its Lively Livery

With its punchy engine, meaty sound, stiff suspension, bespoke body kit and tartan upholstery, the Volkswagen Up! GTI is perhaps one of the cutest hot city cars out there, but the owner of this example wanted something a bit flashier.

It all started when they saw Milltek’s take on the tiny GTI, so they turned to Vilner Garage for something similar.

In return, the Bulgarian tuner analyzed the original work and reinterpreted it, thus creating a lively pattern for the exterior combining the black, grey and red graphics on the white body, and adorning it with the number ‘21’, which is of significant importance to the owner.

Watch Also: VW Up! GTI Tested – Does It Really Deserve The Iconic Badge?

“It is not uncommon for us to have customers who like a project on the internet to come to us with the idea of making their car one-on-one with the one seen”, said Atanas Vilner. “Of course, this is technically impossible, because the artist could not help but leave a personal imprint on his creation, and yet it is not right to copy. Milltek is a great tuning company, and [the] VW Up! GTI project has done them very well.”

For once, Vilner didn’t go wild on the interior, something that they’re famously known for, so the tartan upholstery is still there, alongside the red stitching, GTI badges and other model-specific stuff that sets the Up GTI! apart from the standard variants.

The engine carries over unchanged too, with the 1.0-liter TSI pumping out 113 HP (115 PS / 85 kW) and 148 lb-ft (200 Nm) of torque. The turbocharged three-cylinder drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, allowing the Up! GTI to hit 62 mph (100 km) in 8.8 seconds and reach a 122 mph (196 km/h) top speed.