This week, at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show® in Las Vegas, Nevada, Volkswagen revealed a Jetta GLI Performance performance concept, along with eight other vehicle concepts and models.
Initially launched in 1984, the Jetta GLI has been affectionately termed a “GTI with a trunk” by owners and enthusiasts alike. Taking many of its exterior design cues and performance hardware from its Golf GTI sibling, the Jetta GLI has very much been a “driver’s car” in the nearly four decades of its existence.
Paying tribute to the longevity of the lineup, Volkswagen incorporated features from the GLI’s extended history. It enhanced them by completely reworking the exterior and underpinnings of the Jetta GLI Performance concept.
“The Jetta GLI concept was an opportunity for our team to draw from our passion for motorsports and create a vision that is even more expressive and exciting than the production vehicle already is,” said Reto Brun, Senior Director of Volkswagen Design Center California. “The wide body design gives this GLI concept the stance that every enthusiast dreams of, and the graphic treatment underlines its more aggressive nature while incorporating classic GLI elements.”
Built on a 2022 Jetta GLI Autobahn with a six-speed manual transmission, the GLI Performance concept produces 350 horsepower and 372 pound-feet of torque—a notable increase from the stock 228 hp and 258 lb-ft. Equipped with Volkswagen’s EA88 Gen 3 engine, RacingLine has added its IS38 turbo-based performance package, including an R600 Carbon Fiber Cold-Air Intake and an oil management kit and oil cooler aid with thermal management. RacingLine also provided its TrackSport coil-over suspension kit, which manages the car’s additional forward momentum and braking power to keep it manageable on the track.
On the interior of the GLI Performance concept, both driver and passenger are embraced by a pair of classic Recaro® Pole Position ABE seats, giving this track car a true “cockpit” feeling. Additional features include integrated headrests with high bolsters finished in custom ‘Texagon’ themed upholstery.
The Jetta GLI Performance concept is available for viewing through November 4th, 2022, at the 2022 SEMA Show, Booth #10509.