The Mk8 Golf GTI has been around for a while (produced since 2020), and it’s safe to assume that it doesn’t have the impact of its predecessor. It’s been 9 years since the Golf 7 GTI came out, and that hot hatch has been celebrated in many ways, including by the rendering world.
If you have a 3-door hatch, you can buy a Pandem widebody kit, which is pretty extreme. However, most of the hardcore photos of the Golf 7 GTI floating around the web are renderings, and I’ve often wondered which is the most extreme.
Two GTI renderings come to mind. One was done by Khyzyl Saleem aka Kyza and was actually fabricated by JP Performance, who fitted it with a Bentley engine as well. The other famous GTI rendering is this, created by Hycade.
Hycade is one of the most popular rendering artists out there. He’s got a unique style, widebody kits with large vents. And this GTI is where it all started. In October 2020. the artist burst onto the scene with a widebody VW Golf that blew our socks off. To this day, it’s his most viewed video with over 2.7 million clicks on YouTube.
The best widebody is anchored in reality
To the beats of Max Brhon’s song “Cyberpunk“, we’re introduced to the bulging fenders of the GTI “Hardcore” widebody kit. The mild-mannered hot hatch takes on the appearance of a race car with a grille that’s as wide and angular as a Lamborghini’s. It’s got tires the size of a World Rallycross racer and a custom hood with massive vents. The Centenario supercar had been released a few years earlier, and Hycade may have been inspired by its diffuser setup in his 3D models.
The Hycade rendering also sports vents over the massively flared-out rear fenders, as well as a big wing. It’s like a reminder of the glorious mid-engined hot hatch conversions, the Group B Lancia Delta, the Renault 5 GT Turbo and the Clio V6. Volkswagen also built something along those lines, a Golf 5 that was presented with a Bentley W12 to the Worthersee fans. It made almost 650 horsepower and topped out at 201 mph.
While we’re on the subject of noteworthy Volkswagens, every fan knows about the Golf R400, a kind of prototype that unfortunately didn’t get approved for production. With high-horsepower special hatchbacks like this, it’s no wonder people are still inspired by the Golf and create such crazy renderings.
