- App premiere: prototype from Sitech and Electronic Development of Volkswagen Components and allows intuitive settings for the driver's seat
- Anniversary premiere: Wednesday, May 24 in Austria
Wörthersee GTI 2017, preview, part 2: 10th apprentices' GTI is "seaworthy" for Wörthersee premiere
Volkswagen plant Wolfsburg, Quality Assurance, Final Vehicle Inspection. 13 apprentices from Volkswagen and Sitech are really wired up: this is the final quality audit for their Wörthersee GTI 2017. Experts are closely scrutinizing their unique Golf GTI. The budding skilled workers from six training vocations have equipped the car with optical and technical refinements selected in line with their own tastes – for example with an intuitive app control feature for the driver's seat using a tablet PC. The apprentices with project manager Holger Schülke are relieved and rather proud when the quality assurance people raise their thumbs appreciatively. The apprentices' GTI 2017 is "seaworthy" for its premiere on the Wörthersee on Wednesday, May 24.
Team spokesperson Eric Miguel Lehrach (21) presents one of the technical refinements of the unique 2017 GTI: "The app control for the driver's seat is a real innovation. The top sports seat is adjusted electrically using a touch function from a tablet PC or a smartphone," says the apprentice motor vehicle mechatronics technician. GTI drivers can find the ideal seat position easily and intuitively without having to search for switches on the seat or press button on the dashboard. The app controls a total of six functions: longitudinal and height positioning, rake of the seat and backrest, adjustment of the lumbar support and activation of various massage profiles for the lower part of the back. A memory function stores the duration, intensity and sequence of the profiles. The seat control app is a prototype resolving from an innovation project of Sitech and Electronic Development of Volkswagen Component. The prototype is being used for the first time on the Wörthersee GTI 2017.
The Wörthersee GTI 2017 faces extremely high expectations because this is the 10th show car presented at the lakeside meet since apprentices from Wolfsburg created the Golf GTI Performance in 2008.
In the meantime, the five young women and eight men have packed spare parts, care products and tools into crates and covered their GTI up for shipment to Austria. Their anticipation is growing steadily ahead of the presentation of their very special Golf GTI, which is entirely unique.
The 2017 Wörthersee Team members (by training vocations): Motor vehicle mechatronics technicians: team spokesperson Eric Miguel Lehrach (21), Marvin Bömeke (23), Janik Kelm (20), Götz Riechmann (19) and Joshua Schilling (23), vehicle interior fitters: Ronja Schönfisch (18) and Sarah Isabel Schorle (18), vehicle paint technicians: Kevin Hoffmann (22) and Michelle Schmerse (21), media designer: Yasmine Weinhold (20), technical product designer: Nils Lennart Fröhlich (21), process technicians specializing in plastic and rubber engineering: Laura Hein (21) and Alexander von Czacharowski (21). Sarah Isabel Schorle is training with Sitech in Wolfsburg, Laura Hein with Volkswagen at the Brunswick plant, and all the others at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg. Sitech is the Volkswagen Group company specializing in the development and production of vehicle seats.
The Wörthersee GTIs 2008 – 2016 and their highlights (selection):
2008 Golf GTI Performance: gull-wing doors, wide body, three-seater, air suspension
2009 Golf GTI Street: two-tone color scheme with decorative foil
2010 Golf GTI Yellow Pearl: exclusive paintwork with matching interior
2011 Golf GTI Reifnitz: two-seater, seamless multicolor paintwork, alu gear shift knob
2012 Golf GTI Black Dynamic: decorative foil, embossed GTI logos on doors and tailgate
2013 Golf GTI Cabrio Austria: red- white-red paintwork, air outlets with honeycomb pattern
2014 Golf GTI Wolfsburg Edition: Wolfsburg silhouettes on doors, inside and outside
2015 Golf GTI Dark Shine: exhaust system with spectacular sound and valve control
2016 Golf GTI Heartbeat: two color scheme, contrasting foil, heartbeat and honeycomb symbols
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