In spirit, anyway.
I'm out in Nice with Volkswagen at the moment, and I've been chatting to the PR guys and engineers over dinner. Figures you guys may be interested to hear that there's a car coming along that's even closer to the G40 spirit than the new Polo GTI.
Next week, VW UK is flying a group of journalists out to Wolfsburg to drive the up! GT in pre-production form.
Now I'm told this will be coming into production - schedule unknown - and coming to the UK. It'll look similar to the concept car from last year's Frankfurt Motor Show:
Engine will be a 1.0-litre unit with three cylinders and a turbo. Power is 109bhp, with a six speed MANUAL gearbox. Kerb weight under one tonne.
As an idea, the fully loaded High up! (top of the range) is 930kg. Possibility of aluminium panels and a slightly lighter selection of luxuries on the up! GT to make it weigh less.
Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, who is on the board of management at Volkswagen in Germany, is using one at the moment. This guy has the choice of any of the Volkswagen range. That bodes well.
Won't float everyone's boat on here, but I think it sounds a lot of fun. Not driven an up! yet but I've tried the mechanically identical SEAT Mii and even with the N/A three pot it's a giggle. Add in a turbocharger and it'll be easy to tweak for more power.
I can't wait to get my hands on one!
