Concept R: VW's new direction?

Could Volkswagen be shaking off its conservative 'People's car' image?

If the new Concept R is anything to go by, which will make its debut at the 2003 International Motor Show in Frankfurt, then yes, most definitely.

While Volkswagen's image - one of reliability and utilitarianism - has served the company well (it is one of Germany's best-selling automotive brands), there is evidence that the creator of the humble Beetle is slowly heading down another path...

While VW is trying hard to push it's luxury models both in Australia and on a global level, with models like the new Touareg off-roader and BMW 7-series competitor the Phaeton, it would be natural to assume the marque is forging ahead in the prestige segment, in a bid to improve badge value among other things.

But flagging sales of all but the hard-to-pronounce Touareg, which by default is in one of the world's booming sectors, suggests that many traditional luxury car buyers are loathe to adopt VW as a serious option.

Which is where the Concept R comes in.

Volkswagen is well aware that at present, performance cars, coupes, convertibles and even supercars are selling in record numbers on a world-wide scale, and had decided to dip its toe into the lucrative waters, so to speak.

The R32 Golf was one of the first signs that VW was getting serious about adding some muscle to its name, sporting AWD, a cleverly-tuned 3.2-litre V6 and a visual presence that made the fan-boys quiver with excitement.

The Concept R confirms this push toward performance, with strong rumours indicating it is already destined for production in the year 2006.

With its official unveiling to take place at the Frankfurt Motor Show - arguably the place to be if you're a German automaker - the Concept R is essentially in the same league as the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z4.

It's a two seater rag-top with a six-cylinder engine mounted behind the driver, look-at-me styling and lots of road presence thanks to its low ride height and large five-spoke alloy wheels.

The impressive new VW roadster isn't big: Think 350Z or Audi TT proportions, and it's also very low with a 1.25 metre high roofline.

Visually, it is quite an arresting design. The front end is much less busy than other VW's and the swoopy headlights confirm the company's new design direction (see 2005 Passat here).

The lower front air-dam and flanking brake-coolers give the car a good degree of aggression, hinting at its oxygen-rich diet, while the headlights incorporate HID xenon globes and LEDs to great effect.

Extremely short front and rear overhangs suggest impressive turn-in and balance, while stylishly flared wheel arches add an athletic, perhaps even muscular appearance.

From behind, the Concept R has a very Porsche Boxster-inspired look, but more in terms of the shapeliness, rather than any particular styling cue such as the tail lights, for instance. The exhaust outlets look very modern and symmetrical, conforming to the car's rear end nicely.

In addition to the Concept R's pleasing new look, likely to filter down into Volkswagen's other 'R' sports models, the prototype pictured makes use of a 3.2-litre V6 engine, which is likely to be an offshoot of the Golf R32's V6 mill. This will be the top-of-the-range model, with other engine's planned. Likely capacities include 2.0-litre L4s, 2.3-litre V5s and perhaps another V6 and a turbo diesel for European territories.

Anyway, back to the warmed-over 3.2-litre V6, and it's got four-valves per cylinder (2 intake, 2 exhaust), variable valve timing and may even include a few other goodies not yet hinted at.

Peak power is quoted as 195kW, and 350Nm of torque should provide more than enough go, what with a rear-wheel drive transmission, six gears to play with and no torque converter to ruin all the fun.

While the VW people are being tight-lipped about the car's kerb weight -- understandable because this will undoubtedly change with the arrival of a production version -- you can expect it be pretty light (roughly 1300kg) judging by the 0-100km/h dash taking just 5.3 seconds.

As is the norm with German car makers these days, top speed will be electronically limited to 250km/h, and part of the press ramblings talk about a switch that can change the note of the engine. Perhaps purely cosmetic butterfly valves open in the exhaust system somewhere to create a beefier burble, who knows? Sounds good in theory though, as trying to please everyone is terrifically difficult in today's ultra-competitive automotive climate.

The interior is also going to leave a few people slack-jawed, with features such as a new-age display medium with pulsating VW logo and totally non-adjustable racing bucket seats.

But before you slap your PC in disgust, get this: Rather than adjusting your seat, you can reconfigure the polished metal instrument panels, steering wheel and brake/accelerator pedals. Passengers also get to adjust specific areas of the cockpit.

The moral of the story? If prestige doesn't work for your massive car making conglomerate, go for performance, and add some Knight Rider-ish techno toys just for good measure.

In all seriousness though, this new concept is extremely intriguing, and if all the features of the Concept R reach production - powerful engine, classy styling, unique interior - there's a good chance that it will become one of the most desirable German-made two-seater roadsters on the market.

We'll have more details on the Concept R when the Frankfurt Motor Show commences: Stay tuned to the News Page (updated daily) for the latest from Frankfurt.