Volkswagen has presented its new ID.3 GTX Fire+Ice, a special edition of the electric hot hatchback.
I thought electric cars didn’t do well with fire. Or ice.
Very droll. This special ID.3, based on the high-performance GTX model, is a tribute to a limited edition of the VW Golf MkII Fire and Ice from the 1990s, which was designed in collaboration with Bogner, the famous skiing and sportswear brand.
Why is it called Fire+Ice?
Essentially because it mixes red and blue colours both on the body and in the cabin. The original Golf Fire and Ice had a basic red and blue mix but for this special ID.3 GTX Volkswagen has really gone to town. The paint is a three-layer finish with a glass bead effect, which creates “a special colour effect and extraordinary character.” Depending on which angle you’re viewing the paint from, it can change colour from blue to violet and even to black.
For the red bit, the frame of the roof is given a special anodised red hue, while down the sides are Fire+Ice foil elements and ID.3 GTX Fire+Ice badges, while there are 1990s-style logos on the roof pillars. There are also unique 21-inch alloy wheels with a glossy blue anodised finish.
What about the interior?
The cabin of the VW ID.3 GTX Fire+Ice gets ‘Flaming Red’ (yes, that’s the actual colour name) accents on the seats and trim on the driver’s side, while the passenger side gets the same highlights but in ‘Ice Blue’. The stainless-steel pedals, which normally have ‘Play’ and ‘Pause’ icons on them, have been altered so that the brake pedal now has an icy snow logo, while the accelerator has an image of a burning fire.
The upper part of the instrument panel and the floor mats have also been customised with a laser-engraved ‘Fire+Ice’ pattern. Inspired by the Bogner Fire+Ice collections, numerous colours, fabrics and elements were used. The seats are quilted and reflect the design of the current Fire+Ice down jackets, including the iconic B-zippers. If you open these on the seats, the original Fire+Ice fabric from the 1990s appears underneath. Webbing from bags from the Fire+Ice collection was also used behind the front seats.
If it’s a GTX, it must be quick, right?
Yup - as with the standard GTX, the Fire+Ice version of the VW ID.3 gets a 326hp/545Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels which gives it a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. The 79kWh battery has an official range of 601km and can be recharged from a high-speed DC-charging point at up to 185kW.
How many of the original model from the 1990s were made?
Only 10,000 as it happens, so don’t expect VW to build too many of these, although an official production run has not yet been announced. That Golf MkII of the 1990s was designed along with the great Willy Bogner - total skiing legend - himself and included dark violet pearl effect paint finish, alloy wheels, front spoiler and body extensions and was even available with the ultimate Golf MkII engine, the 160hp G60 supercharged unit.
Anything else?
Andreas Mindt, Head of Design at Volkswagen said: “With the ID.3 GTX Fire+Ice, we are emphasising how highly emotional our sporty top model is. Our design team had incredible fun reinterpreting the iconic 90s design and thus developing it further.”
Tom Becker, Director of Bogner Fire+Ice: “The combination of our performance brand Fire+Ice with the sporty ID.3 GTX is Bogner’s modern interpretation of the iconic Golf Fire and Ice. The special thing is that we were able to integrate many of our original materials and accessories into the interior of the vehicle.”