Geneva 2011: Italdesign Tex and Go! concepts

Italdesign Giugiaro has a long history with Volkswagen. It stems right back to the early 1970s and one of the better examples of their work is the original Mk1 Golf. So it is no surprise that the salacious appetite of the Volkswagen Group has gobbled up the famous design studio and made it part of its inhouse design talent.

The first concepts to come out of this new arrangement are the Tex and Go! The Tex represents future sporty models and features a twin-hybrid drivetrain. While the Go! is a mini-MPV, which just happens to be about the same size as the Volkswagen Bulli concept, also revealed at Geneva. The Go!, like the Bulli, is an all electric concept.

Both models are based on the MQB patform, which will house a range of Golf-sized models within the Volkswagen Group. The first production example is likely to be the new Audi A3.

Speaking about the new arrangement with Italdesign, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn Chairman of Volkswagen Group explained, “Italdesign is a figurehead of Italian design and engineering creativity. We have been working together closely in a spirit of partnership for many decades. As a full member of the global Volkswagen Group, Italdesign, now more than ever, is a creative center for fresh ideas and new concepts for our brands.

“The integration of Italdesign is a building block in our effort to take Volkswagen to the top of the automotive industry by 2018. That is why the outstanding know-how and capacity of Italdesign in design and engineering are so important for our Group.”

More detail on these two concepts can be read in this press release (264kb PDF) and you can see more pics after the break.