Following yesterday’s debut of two Volkswagen concept vehicles, the Wolfsburg-based automaker has another show car making its first appearance at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas. The Jetta GLI Performance arrives as a motorsport-inspired version of the sporty sedan paying homage to Jetta’s touring car history. It comes with many visual and hardware upgrades, turning it into a much more potent machine than the stock Jetta GLI is.

Starting with the exterior, the concept that is based on a 2022 Jetta GLI Autobahn now features 0.8 inches wider front and rear fenders, giving the small sedan a more muscular appearance. This nicely matches the larger side skirts and the larger air intakes in the modified front bumper. The body is finished in matte black color with a custom hexagonal-themed vinyl wrap. Completing the design changes is a set of 20-inch Rotiform monoblock wheels with custom covers.

What happens under the hood is surely more interesting, though. There, the stock 2.0-liter engine receives a new performance package from RacingLine, which includes a carbon fiber cold-air intake, a new intercooler, an oil management kit with a new oil cooler, and other hardware upgrades. The result is a peak output of 350 horsepower (261 kilowatts) and 372 pound-feet (504 Newton-meters) of torque, up from the factory 228 hp (170 kW) and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque.

The power reaches the front wheels through the vehicle's stock six-speed manual gearbox mated to an upgraded performance clutch package. Acceleration figures are not available at the moment, but we expect the 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) time to be around the five-second mark.

Stopping power for the Jetta GLI concept is provided by a new six-piston forged caliper brake kit with carbon-ceramic discs. An upgraded coilover suspension kit with lowering springs and fully-adjustable solid top mounts delivers what Volkswagen describes as “a track-worthy suspension that is just as at home on the street.”

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