THE MK8 GOLF GTI TCR BY FCP EURO - THE RACECAR THAT COULD HAVE BEEN
The crew from FCP Euro are at it again. It was just the other day that the well-known parts supplier and its race development division showcased the ultra rare one of one Mk3 Golf that was simply dubbed as the A59, a car created back in 1993 by Volkswagen. The car’s claim to fame is that the first production model of the GTI to make more power was the Mk7 R, giving the A59 over 20 years as being the most powerful factory-built Golf. It featured a turbocharged 4-pot, an electronically controlled 6-speed transmission and an all-wheel drive setup. If that car made it to production we’d be seeing Audi S3 owners aspiring to own a modern GTI over the S3, well we reckon anyway. The FCP Euro techs and mechanics from the motorsport division build and own some amazing cars, and one sort of recent build that ended in their possession for a detailed look as well as driving impressions is the amazing Mk8 TCR. We were meant to see this car in 2020, but after Volkswagen decided to pull out of the SRO TC America series the TCR project was canned.
Not many people knew the car existed, but our mate Jamie Orr of Orchis Euro fame recently visited the secret warehouse used to store a plethora of Volkswagen Motorsport race cars. Some cars in the warehouse aren’t running, some are and this Mk8 TCR is one that just happens to be a fully-functioning race car that’s ready to blitz racetracks. The car represents what could've been for VW and FCP Euro Motorsports, which looking at the tech and spec of the car would in all likelihood have ended up in a few more championship trophies for their sizable trophy cabinet. While talk can be cheap, these guys didn’t just have a close look at the project car, they actually managed to spend a day with it at Lime Rock Park where they were able to drive the car in the manner it was built to be driven - stupidly fast. This is one video that all VW fanatics need to see, and with FCP Euro Motorsports Director and former driver of the #72 FCP Euro Motorsports Golf TCR, Nate Vincent at the wheel, the Mk8 TCR is put through its paces just like it would in race conditions.
Take a look at the comprehensive and detailed video that delves deep into the Mk8 GTI racecar project that could have been but never was, the FCP Euro-developed Mk8 GTI TCR: The Car That Killed VW Motorsports - Driving and Tearing into the Mk8 Golf GTI TCR | FCP Euro
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