Volkswagen’s North American arm has revealed the latest concept from its Enthusiast Line series, which also includes the Arteon Big Sur and Atlas Cross Sport GT. The GTI BBS Concept, as the name suggests, is based on the Mk8 Golf GTI and was built in collaboration with the German wheel company, along with a number of other aftermarket outfits.
The car was inspired by a customised Mk2 GTI that was shown in 2019, owned by Brock Bickford from Evansville, Indiana – he has been working on the project with his daughter since she was seven years old. To pay tribute to the duo, the company again teamed up with VW enthusiast and car collector Jamie Orr to develop the show car you see here.
Just like that Mk2, the BBS Concept rides on the iconic waffle-pattern Super RS wheels, this time upsized to 19×9 inches and wrapped in Delinte D7 235/35-section tyres. For the full tuner look, the car is lowered on coilovers from H&R. “The rear fitment is stock, but I redesigned the fronts a little because I wanted to add camber adjustment, so it’s more of a custom mix of H&R components,” said Orr.
A Borla exhaust system, the first made available for the Mk8, was also fitted, while the BBS livery – which includes a black bonnet decal and red pinstripes running from the front to the rear – is another nod to Bickford’s vehicle. The hexagonal fog lights have also been tinted yellow for the full retro look.
The rest of the car has been left well alone in order to highlight the qualities of the stock Mk8. “We left the interior, body, and powertrain exactly as it came from the factory,” Orr said. “Take those wingback seats, with this striking red design – they are just phenomenal. Changing any of that would have been a shame.”
This means that the mechanicals have been unchanged, continuing with the EA888 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It makes 245 PS and 370 Nm of torque, sent to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox (a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission is also available).
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