VW's design team gave the Design Vision GTI an aggressive stance while using classic styling cues.

Volkswagen keeps finding ways to keep its die-hard GTI fans always wanting more, and it didn’t let them down with the debut of its Design Vision GTI today at the L.A. Auto Show.

“The design team’s brief was to give a spectacular glance into the future of the GTI,” said Klaus Bischoff, head of Design of Volkswagen Brand.

Fans got an earlier look at the 503-horsepower, 186-mph concept car at the Wörthersee festival, the brand’s premier enthusiast gathering, held in Germany earlier this year.

GTIs are known for having plenty of power in their production form, but the VW’s design team was encouraged to push the car to its limit aesthetically. They pulled the C-pillars and sills outward. This created space for wider-than-normal 20-inch wheels complementing a modern, yet aggressive look: a hallmark for the GTI.

The Design Vision GTI does zero to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph.

Additionally, the concept has plenty of “go” for all of the “show” as the aforementioned 503-hp engine launches the GTI concept from zero to 62 mph in just 3.9 seconds.

Just like the engine in the regular GTI, the concept car has a turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® engine – except that this is a 3.0-liter V6 using twin turbochargers instead of a 2.0-liter four cylinder with a single turbo. Two three-way catalytic converters are arranged close to the engine to optimize emissions behavior. The V6 TSI engine develops 369 pound-feet of torque from as low as 2000 rpm, with a maximum figure of 413 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm.

All this power and torque is distributed to the wheels via a DSG® dual-clutch automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system.

Going that fast also means it needs to stop quickly. To accomplish that feat, Volkswagen fitted it with large carbon-ceramic brake discs (15 inches up front and 14 inches at the back) while its specially designed wheels help to vent brake heat away from the pads, helping to improve stopping distance.

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Perhaps most importantly, the concept car looks like it came from the GTI family tree.

“Our claim to be a global player is enhanced with our universal design language,” Bischoff said. “A design that immediately communicates the brand’s identity is central for all models that carry the VW logo, with elements that allow each model to be recognized as a true Volkswagen by its distinctive design.”

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The color scheme for the “Design Vision GTI” is nothing if not classic. It follows the traditional GTI triad of “black–white–red.” The body is painted White Club and contrasts with piano paint black pieces such as the side skirts and the front spoiler. The GTI insignia as well as the strip integrated in the front are red.