Volkswagen Concept R
Encyclopedia
The Volkswagen Concept R is a concept car
developed by the German
automaker
Volkswagen
and officially unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show
. It is a study of a sporty two-seat roadster
with mid-engine and rear wheel drive.
The Concept R is powered by a V6 3.2 L FSI petrol engine
developing a maximum output of 265 PS at 6,250 rpm and 320 newton metre of torque at 2,800 rpm. It is strong enough to accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and make it reach the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Without the speed governor, the car would be even able to reach the top speed of 270 km/h (167 mph). The power is transferred to the road via a six-speed direct-shift gearbox
.
The designer team for this concept was led by Murat Günak
and Peter Schreyer
, and broke the ground for the Volkswagen brand in developing the roadster vehicle. At 162 inches (4,114.8 mm) of length, 69 inches (1,752.6 mm) of width and 48 inches (1,219.2 mm) of height, the Concept R roadster has almost the same length and width as the fifth generation Volkswagen Golf
hatchback
, on whose platform it has been built.
The concept has some interesting design features such as the Volkswagen logo which is generated digitally by a display and begins to pulsate in the so-called OLED
screen when the driver turns on the ignition. When the ignition is activated the pulse stops. Also, its seats are not adjustable in any way and the driver must electrically move the polished metal information block of the instrument panel, including the steering wheel and pedal cluster back or forth to find the correct seating position. For the first time in a sports car, the seats are filled with active foam which adapts to the body shape of the driver and passenger.
At a press dinner held during the 2005 North American International Auto Show
, Bernd Pischetsrieder
, the chairman of the Volkswagen Group
, confirmed that Volkswagen intended to build a production vehicle similar to this concept. , no production model has appeared, however another, similar, concept car, the Volkswagen Concept BlueSport
was unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show
.
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
developed by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automaker
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and officially unveiled at the 2003 Frankfurt Auto Show
Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung
The Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung , also known as the Frankfurt Motor Show or Frankfurt Auto Show, is one of the world's largest motor shows. It is held biennially in Frankfurt, Germany. The show occupies 12 buildings.The IAA is organized by the Association of the German Automotive Industry...
. It is a study of a sporty two-seat roadster
Roadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
with mid-engine and rear wheel drive.
The Concept R is powered by a V6 3.2 L FSI petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
developing a maximum output of 265 PS at 6,250 rpm and 320 newton metre of torque at 2,800 rpm. It is strong enough to accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and make it reach the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Without the speed governor, the car would be even able to reach the top speed of 270 km/h (167 mph). The power is transferred to the road via a six-speed direct-shift gearbox
Direct-Shift Gearbox
The Direct-Shift Gearbox , commonly abbreviated to DSG, is an electronically controlled dual clutch multiple-shaft manual gearbox, in a transaxle design - without a conventional clutch pedal, and with full automatic, or semi-manual control...
.
The designer team for this concept was led by Murat Günak
Murat Günak
Murat Günak born 9 August 1957 in Istanbul, is the former head designer of Volkswagen. On basis of a mandate through his consultant company MGMO GmbH he was CEO of Mindset AG between July 2008 and January 2009....
and Peter Schreyer
Peter Schreyer
Peter Schreyer is an automobile designer, widely known for his design contributions to the Audi TT and as the Chief Design Officer at Kia Motors ....
, and broke the ground for the Volkswagen brand in developing the roadster vehicle. At 162 inches (4,114.8 mm) of length, 69 inches (1,752.6 mm) of width and 48 inches (1,219.2 mm) of height, the Concept R roadster has almost the same length and width as the fifth generation Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
, on whose platform it has been built.
The concept has some interesting design features such as the Volkswagen logo which is generated digitally by a display and begins to pulsate in the so-called OLED
Organic light-emitting diode
An OLED is a light-emitting diode in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit light in response to an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor material is situated between two electrodes...
screen when the driver turns on the ignition. When the ignition is activated the pulse stops. Also, its seats are not adjustable in any way and the driver must electrically move the polished metal information block of the instrument panel, including the steering wheel and pedal cluster back or forth to find the correct seating position. For the first time in a sports car, the seats are filled with active foam which adapts to the body shape of the driver and passenger.
At a press dinner held during the 2005 North American International Auto Show
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
, Bernd Pischetsrieder
Bernd Pischetsrieder
Dr. Bernd Peter Pischetsrieder is a German automobile engineer and manager.He was born in Munich, Bavaria, and studied Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich from 1968 to 1972. He earned the degree of "Diplom-Ingenieur", and began his career at BMW in 1973 as a Production...
, the chairman of the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
, confirmed that Volkswagen intended to build a production vehicle similar to this concept. , no production model has appeared, however another, similar, concept car, the Volkswagen Concept BlueSport
Volkswagen Concept BlueSport
The Volkswagen Concept BlueSport is a mid-engined roadster concept car produced by Volkswagen. It was introduced at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Concept BlueSport follows on from a previous roadster concept car, the Volkswagen Concept R, shown at the 2003...
was unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
.
External links and references
- RSportsCars.com - with story and both exterior and interior pictures
- Dr. Pischetsrieder confirms Concept R production - from VWvortex