- Held due to the fact 1982, the annual Wörthersee GTI Treffen saw crowds as big as 200,000 at its peak.
- The nearby Wörth municipality in Austria, the place the party experienced been held, announced the long-lasting conclusion of the gathering before this calendar year.
- VW has formally sponsored the Treffen because 2000 and has now promised to continue on the custom at its headquarters in Wolfsburg.
If you are a supporter of the Volkswagen GTI in any of its generations, then heaven is a location in Germany. Exclusively, the bucket-record journey of any VW warm hatch aficionado is a pay a visit to to the near-legendary GTI Treffen, held on the shores of Lake Wörth because 1982. At its peak, hundreds of 1000’s of GTI and Golfing R admirers thronged below, snapping photographs of wildly custom-made Golfs and ingesting far too a great deal Volkswagen currywurst (VW portion quantity 199398500A). However, as may be envisioned, the locals have developed fairly weary of the spectacle.
In a assertion that nodded to the economic prosperity introduced to the area by past Treffens, the area govt nonetheless firmly yanked the plug wires on the world’s most important GTI competition. Citing the consequences of local climate improve and a need to consider sustainability, an formal statement concluded, “The municipality of Maria Wörth will no for a longer time host any common major automotive events in the future number of many years.”
Naturally, this was a blow for lots of a VeeDub fanatic, and for Volkswagen alone. The Treffen begun as a grassroots festival, but VW had very long supported its admirers. It debuted
Wörthersee-precise concept automobiles like the GTI Roadster Eyesight Gran Turismo, a modern roofless two-seater constructed to rejoice 15 many years of the Gran Turismo racing games. And who could fail to remember the insanity of the GTI W12-650, with its 12-cylinder engine mounted amidships, and a top speed of 201 mph?
But no extra. Wörthersee will return to its former allure as a picturesque vacation resort in Bavaria’s lake district.
Happily, Volkswagen nearly quickly announced that the Treffen would continue to be held, just relocated to Wolfsburg. The party will be held next calendar year, and VW designs to get in touch with the topic “Coming Residence.” There will be distinctive highlights, and Volkswagen has promised a number of surprises for faithful GTI lovers.
Definitely, it’s the very best probable outcome for the Treffen. With such huge crowds, it experienced effectively outgrown its former site. Bringing the pageant specifically to Wolfsburg feels more fitting, and the year’s split will allow Volkswagen far more time to program.
The Golf R and GTI nevertheless both equally garner around-perfect scores for their blend of practicality and overall performance, and their enthusiast base stays huge. If you’ve been putting off your individual trek to the Treffen, 2024’s the yr.
Contributing Editor
Brendan McAleer is a freelance author and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British vehicles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact functionality, and began crafting about cars and trucks and folks in 2008. His individual desire is the intersection in between humanity and machinery, regardless of whether it is the racing vocation of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught equally of his youthful daughters how to shift a handbook transmission and is grateful for the justification they give to be perpetually getting Scorching Wheels.