Volkswagen is all about class-leading electric vehicles nowadays but not that long ago, it was creating insane concept cars like the Golf GTI W12-650.

This ultimate variant of the Golf GTI was unveiled in 2007 at the popular Worthersee meeting in Austria and was a true show-stopper.

To create the concept, VW engineers started off with a standard Mk5 Golf GTI but then slotted in the twin-turbocharged W12 of a Bentley Continental GT behind the front seats, making the GTI W12-650 mid-engined.

Fitting a massive W12 into a Golf necessitated a plethora of modifications to the hatch’s body. As such, the car was widened by 6.3 inches, resulting in a set of flared wheel arches and a butch look unlike any other hot hatch. VW also lowered the car by three inches over a standard Mk5 Golf GTI and fitted wheels measuring 9-inches wide at the front and 12-inches wide at the rear.

Read More: When VW Had A Sense Of Humor – The Mighty Golf GTI W12-650

Thanks to the Bentley-sourced engine and a rear-wheel drive system, the Golf GTI W12-650 could hit 60 mph (96km/h) in around 3.5 seconds and continue through to a top speed of 201 mph (323 km/h).

Jeremy Clarkson famously drove the GTI W12-650 on an episode of Top Gear. As you can imagine, he was left staggered by the vehicle’s straight-line performance but also said that it was virtually impossible to drive through a corner at speed.

While the VW Golf GTI has become much more technologically advanced now that it is in its eighth-generation, we will never see a GTI as insane as this one ever again.

The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later
The VW Golf GTI W12-650 Was An Utterly Insane Concept That Still Mesmerizes Us 14 Years Later