Meet the VW Atlas Cross Sport GT, a show car with a Golf R turbo underneath

Volkswagen North America has decided to warm up public interest towards the Mk.8 Golf GTI and R models by putting a turbo four-pot under the hood of an Atlas.

The Cross Sport GT is a concept car intended for participating in shows and ads in the USA; as such, it will never go into full-scale production.

From the technical point of view, it is a mixture between a seventh-gen Golf R and the base-spec Atlas. Jamie Orr carried out the swap, outfitting the standard Atlas Cross Sport (see video) with a 2.0-liter TSI mated to a seven-speed DCT for 300 PS (296 hp / 221 kW). The stock Atlas engine is considerably less powerful at 238 PS (235 hp / 175 kW) and works in tandem with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 4Motion AWD with the coupling on the rear axle remained stock.

Elsewhere, the display car has no chrome across the body, but makes up for it with 22-inch, made-in-Germany ABT wheels, Tarox eight-piston calipers at the front end, low suspension, and an exterior finish straight from the VW EU catalog. Peek inside the cabin to discover a quartet of individual Recaro seats and a custom gear lever.