The end result is a Jetta that truly looks more like a "stealth fighter's sibling" as Horn puts it, than the stereotypical surfer girl's floral-sticker-clad Jetta we see in Southern California so often. The front was designed not only to look tough, but also provide the dual intercoolers with maximum airflow. Fenders are flared by one inch, giving a muscular stance. The side rockers and rear fascia complement the car's aggressive nose and wider body. Tying everything together is several coats of Smoke Grey paint with ghosted silver graphics. Asked to describe the vision for the exterior, Horn says: "We were trying to go the anti-bling approach." (notably before VW's popular Unpimp Your Ride campaign). "I wanted to return to 'authentic' tuning. I didn't want to do anything gaudy like diamond-studded spinners. I wanted to make [the RGT] look like a battleship-something bold with an aggressive look that everyone could relate to."
The visual feast doesn't end before the door handles. The interior showcases several top-of-the-line modifications. Black leather and Alcantara adorn the cabin, alongside genuine carbon fiber trim in a tasteful matte finish. All four occupants are treated to Euro-spec R32 Recaro race buckets and are held in place by Schroth Profi II five-point harnesses. HPA's final touch is an F1-style ST8600 digital display system, making those aforementioned fantasy pit stops all the more rewarding.
The most impressive thing about Project Jetta RGT is that it's hard to say what the most impressive thing is. Very Zen. But if we had to single one aspect out, it would have to be not the speed it attains, but the speed at which this complete transformation took place.
Marcel, his HPA staff and their family members brought the RGT to life in only 45 days. And prior to that, we were informed that designers and engineers from Moonraker gave up weekends and personal time to complete their end of the deal. Looks like the passion at HPA and VW for Project RGT has paid off.
One year later, the car is making the show rounds in Europe and winning fans at every stop. While VW has no plans to produce the RGT, Horn asserts that "VW's SEMA experience will impact future models... trends come and go but we know that VW has fully engaged the arena of sport compact car tuning."
We'll see. By the time you read this, VW's second SEMA campaign will have already made its debut and this time the stakes are higher. HPA is joined by several more tuners, starting with a base car of much higher potential-the GTI.