The annual Wörthersee GTI meeting is not just a place for car makers to show off their new concepts. It is also a good venue for tuners to introduce their latest creations and hopefully sell a few of them. The Oettinger VW Golf R500 is the most prominent tuner car unveiled at the event, packing 520 horsepower.

The idea of a 520-hp hatchback is highly enticing. But your mood might change a little when you realize that Oettinger VW Golf R500 costs a whopping 150,000 Euros. That kind of dough can buy you all sorts of Ferraris, Aston Martin and Porsches. Who in their right mind would say no to all of those and spend the 150 grand on what’s, at the end of the day, a Golf?

That is why we think of Oettinger VW Golf R500 as a show car and not a production tuner car like the say. In that sense, it is an impressive achievement. The R500 has undergone an engine transplant in which the 2.0 liter GTI engine was yanked out and a 2.5 liter TFSI Audi engine was put in its place, but not before it was thoroughly tuned.

The 520 PS and 680 Nm output of the Oettinger VW Golf R500 is backed by sport suspension, 20-inch wheels, and a wide body kit that looks rather good on the Golf. The tuner is working on more powerful package for the Golf, but frankly all you need is that body kit.