Home » The Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Fire + Ice Concept Literally Has Upholstery On Its Upholstery

The Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Fire + Ice Concept Literally Has Upholstery On Its Upholstery

Id3 Gtx Ts
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With many concept cars these days being finished in demure neutral tones, it feels like it’s been a while since a manufacturer’s gone full-on “Pimp My Ride” by starting with an over-the-top idea and executing it beautifully. Well, the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Fire + Ice does just that, by pairing the fundamentals of a classic special edition with modern concept car attention to detail.

First, a history lesson: Back at the turn of the 1990s, Volkswagen collaborated with a clothing company named Bogner to leverage the branding of an outerwear line with a special Golf featuring deep purple paint and a blue and magenta interior that’s just as wild as it sounds. At first, Volkswagen only planned on making 10,000 Fire and Ice Golfs, but it ended up building 16,700 to satisfy customer demand. That’s right, there was a time when 16,700 people voted with their wallets in favor of blue and magenta upholstery.

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Seeking to revive some of this whimsy, Volkswagen has collaborated once again with fashion brand Bogner, this time on a one-off ID.3 GTX concept for the brand’s annual ID. show in Switzerland, and man, does it ever take things to an entirely new level with an absolutely bonkers paint job.

Volkswagen Id.3 Gtx Fire + ice

It all starts with a dark blue base coat, onto which a repeating pattern and a color-shifting layer are sprayed. The resulting three-stage paint job shifts from blue to violet to black, all while showing off repeating motifs. Add in a matching set of dark blue wheels with silver accents, and that’s ice just about taken care of on the outside. So, what about fire?

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Volkswagen Id.3 Gtx Fire + ice

Well, the ID.3 GTX is already pretty spicy, and this one’s the Performance trim that cranks out 322 horsepower and dashes from zero-to-62 mph in a claimed 5.6 seconds. To contrast the cool colors of the paintwork, Volkswagen painted this model’s badges and anodized the roof trims in a loud red. On just about any other car, this treatment would be as subtle as a sledgehammer to your lower back, but given the megawatt-loud paint on this concept, it actually works.

Volkswagen Id.3 Gtx Fire + ice

On the inside of the ID.3 GTX Fire + Ice, things seem to calm down a bit — but do they? Sure, the orange and blue accents on the front seats are subtle compared to the exterior, and the pedals have symbols for flames and snow stamped into them, but look closely and you’ll notice that the front seats have zippers. Pull each zipper and you’ll reveal original ’90s-spec Fire + Ice magenta and blue colors, like Clark Kent going Superman mode. It’s a novel touch, and one perfectly suited to a one-off like this.

Volkswagen Id.3 Gtx Fire + ice And Golf Mk2 Special Model Fire And

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Unfortunately, the ID.3 GTX Fire + Ice isn’t headed to production, but hopefully Volkswagen will have fun like this in the future on a more accessible scale. Bringing back some of the louder special editions from the past could keep things fresh in showrooms for a substantially lower cost than a full-on facelift, and that’s a tantalizing prospect for automakers and consumers alike.

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(Photo credits: Volkswagen)

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christoffSF
christoffSF
1 month ago

I love the dark blue / silver accent wheels on this and overall I am really happy to see VW doing this edition even if it’s a one-off. I really wish we got the ID3 in the US.

Mr E
Mr E
1 month ago

Bogner? My first thought was high end guitar amps.

Make a really fast GTX and call it the Uberschall.

ESO
ESO
1 month ago
Reply to  Mr E

Me too, especially Steve Lukather!

Mr E
Mr E
1 month ago
Reply to  ESO

Hey, ESO…beat it! 🙂

ESO
ESO
1 month ago
Reply to  Mr E

🙂

Bassracerx
Bassracerx
1 month ago

i wish the id3 would come to the usa.

FndrStrat06
FndrStrat06
1 month ago
Reply to  Bassracerx

It’s seriously a crime that it’s not. VW has an opportunity to make an electric hot hatch that would carry on the GTI’s legacy, while also providing a semi-affordable performance EV for the tons of people that want one.

And so they decide the American market isn’t worth the investment. Unbelievable.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
1 month ago

“Seeking to revive some of this whimsy, Volkswagen has collaborated once again with fashion brand Bogner”

If historical whimsy is goal why not just release a Harlequin edition again?

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
1 month ago

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car seat with a jacket before. Pullovers sure but never a jacket.

Lardo
Lardo
1 month ago

sounds like a lawsuit. Bogner Fire+Ice. https://www.bogner.com/en-us/c/unisex/fire-ice/477834/

Joshua Christian
Joshua Christian
1 month ago
Reply to  Lardo

That’s quite literally what VW was going for. Bogner is a collaborator on the concept!

Tangent
Tangent
1 month ago
Reply to  Lardo

Straight from this article:

Seeking to revive some of this whimsy, Volkswagen has collaborated once again with fashion brand Bogner, 

Lardo
Lardo
1 month ago
Reply to  Tangent

opps. I need to proof read my proof readings

Andy Individual
Andy Individual
1 month ago

They should have Bogner redesign the UI. How much worse could it be?

Urban Runabout
Urban Runabout
1 month ago

Where can I get the one on the left?

Data
Data
1 month ago
Reply to  Urban Runabout

Wolfsburg museum?

Stryker_T
Stryker_T
1 month ago

That paint job is amazing.

Cars? I've owned a few
Cars? I've owned a few
1 month ago
Reply to  Stryker_T

The whole car looks incredible. Can you imagine how hard it would be to get the paint right after a collision or angry partner key job?

Bearddevil
Bearddevil
1 month ago

If this were the new GTI, I’d be a fan of it. Not with the dumb interior, but I like the size and shape. Alas. Kind of like how I want an Ioniq 6N, I am destined to be disappointed.

Musicman27
Musicman27
1 month ago

Ngl, I kinda like it. Also, the faded person’s face in the cover photo is a nice (and humorous) touch.

Mechjaz
Mechjaz
1 month ago

Love the purple
Despise the idea of a damn zipper poking me in the back at all times. What the hell?

Stryker_T
Stryker_T
1 month ago
Reply to  Mechjaz

it’s a one off anyway, so nobody was ever expected to actually deal with it. lol

Arch Duke Maxyenko
Arch Duke Maxyenko
1 month ago

I like the purple…and that’s it.

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