Appearances can be deceiving. Arguably, the most impressive Golf to ever rollout of VW’s headquarters in Wolfsburg is the 2007 Golf GTI W12 650 – an outrageous concept with dramatic looks and a 6.0-liter W12 bi-turbo engine from the Bentley Continental GT producing 641hp (650PS) and 720Nm (531 lb·ft) placed behind the driver.

VW never produced the car, but it inspired many aftermarket firms to recreate the wide-body look and offer styling kits for lesser Mk5 Golfs, like the one you see here and which is offered for sale on eBay UK.

For the most part and setting aside some details such as the tail lamps, alloy wheel designs and mirrors, the replica got the concept car’s looks right. The problem is once you enter the interior, turn on the engine and press the pedal… You see, underneath all the exterior drama, this isn’t even a regular Golf GTI Mk5, but a base 2007 Golf hatch with a – wait for it – 1.4-liter engine…

The asking price on eBay is £6,790 (about $11,400 or €8,250).

By John Halas

PHOTO GALLERY

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