The Volkswagen Concept R is a concept car developed by the German automaker Volkswagen and introduced in 2003 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It's a study of a sporty two-seat roadster with mid-engine and rear wheel drive powertrain. The Concept R is driven by a 3.2 L FSI petrol engine with 265 bhp at 6,250 rpm and 258 ft·lbf of torque at 2,800 rpm. It's able to accelerate the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 205 km/h (155 mph). It can reach up to 270 km/h (167 mph) without the speed cap. Power is transferred to the roadway through a six-speed direct-shift gearbox.
The team of designers for this concept was led by Murat Günak and Peter Schreyer and greatly influenced the development of the Volkswagen roadster. At 162 inches in length, 69 inches in width and 48 inches in height, the Concept R is approximately the same size as the fifth-generation VW Golf hatchback which has served as its platform.
The concept has some interesting design elements such as the Volkswagen logo generated digitally through an OLED screen that begins to pulse when the engine is turned on. Seats are filled with active foam for the first time in a sports car, conforming to the driver and passenger's body shape. The driver must move the polished metal information block of the instrument panel, the steering wheel and pedal cluster back or forth to find the right seating position.
At a press dinner during the 2005 North American International Auto Show, Bernd Pischetsrieder, chairman of the Volkswagen Group, confirmed that Volkswagen will produce a production vehicle inspired by this concept.
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