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Gol GTi converted to electric combines classic look, WEG motor, FuelTech control, and locked manual transmission, delivering stronger acceleration than the original version in a real test conducted by Quatro Rodas.
A Volkswagen Gol GTi left behind the well-known AP 2000 engine and started running with a national WEG electric motor, FuelTech management, and preserved manual transmission, although fixed in third gear during operation.
In practice, the classic Brazilian car maintained the appearance of an old sports car but gained the functionality of an electric car and superior performance to the original GTi in acceleration measured by Quatro Rodas.
Presented by the magazine as an electric Gol GTi made with national technology, the project was named Gol FTe and placed one of Brazil’s most remembered hatchbacks in a completely different configuration.
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During the test published by Quatro Rodas, the car accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, while the original GTi used for comparison recorded 10.9 seconds in the same measurement.
This result took the electric conversion to a performance level above the original model, even without altering the body, front-wheel drive, and visual identity associated with Volkswagen’s sporty hatchback.
Electric Gol GTi swaps AP engine for WEG and FuelTech set
The most symbolic change occurred precisely in the front compartment, where the AP 2000 engine was replaced by a set consisting of an electric motor and inverter from WEG, installed one on top of the other.
According to Quatro Rodas, the set can deliver up to 180 hp and 37.6 kgfm, but, in the stage evaluated by the magazine, it was with total torque and power limited to 145 hp at the wheel.
Among the most curious solutions of the project, the transmission appears as one of the main ones, since the five-speed manual gearbox was maintained but remained fixed in the third gear.
This configuration makes the Gol FTe operate like an automatic, without gear changes by the driver, while the electric motor assumes both forward movement and reverse by reversing the direction of rotation.
Visually, the car preserves much of the memory of the Gol GTi, although it does not attempt to pass as a faithful restoration or a completely original version of the sports car.
The design modifications, according to Quatro Rodas, were signed by Luiz Alberto Veiga, a designer who worked for decades at Volkswagen and participated in the history of the “square” Gol.
The project’s proposal was to create a functional showcar, capable of demonstrating how FuelTech technology could be applied in electric conversions without completely erasing the identity of the original car.
Classic look of the Gol GTi coexists with modern electronics
On the body, full-LED headlights with elliptical projectors, LED taillights with sequential indicators, and handcrafted adjustments now coexist with original fixtures utilized during the adaptation.
The paint maintained the Monaco Blue tone, a direct reference to the GTi, while modern details were incorporated into striking elements of the sports car, such as straight lines, spoiler, and visual set linked to the years of greatest popularity.
Inside the cabin, nostalgia and electronics appear side by side in a combination that preserves classic GTi items but includes commands and features quite different from those used in the original hatch.
The “four-ball” steering wheel and Recaro seats with hollow headrests, two elements closely associated with the GTi and valued by enthusiasts of the model, were retained.
At the same time, the ODG instrument cluster received digital displays, the radio became Bluetooth, the cigarette lighter was replaced by USB sockets, and the FuelTech FT550 ECU was installed in the console.
In this set, the electronic central plays a decisive role because the FT550 stops acting only as a programmable injection and starts managing the electrical system via CAN network, according to Quatro Rodas.
Through this management, the module controls the battery, inverter, charger, motor, sensor parameters, cooling, brake, and even features like traction control, enhancing the integration between old mechanics and modern electronics.
22 kWh battery and third gear change the driving experience
Installed in the trunk floor, the 22 kWh battery weighs about 120 kg and occupies a different region from that originally used for the Gol’s propulsion set.
The Type 2 charging socket was hidden behind the rear plate, while the onboard charger has a power of 3.3 kW and allows full recharge in a 20 A household socket in about seven hours.
Even with the removal of the AP engine, some traditional components remained in the project, including solutions related to cooling and the brake system, adapted to work with the new electric set.
The liquid cooling of the motor and inverter uses the relocated radiator and the original expansion tank, with circulation done by an electric pump, while the brake booster received support from an electric vacuum pump.
At the wheel, the behavior described in the test draws attention for the contrast between the immediate torque delivery and the structure of an old front-wheel-drive hatch, without the filtering of modern electric cars.
Quatro Rodas reported that the Gol FTe loses traction during strong accelerations and can also lose grip during recoveries, even when the car is already at a higher speed.
Gol FTe’s performance surpasses the original GTi in acceleration
With the gearbox locked in third, the driving experience changes significantly, as the driver doesn’t need to change gears but still perceives part of the mechanical interaction inherited from the original car.
During accelerations, the noise of the electric motor combined with the old gearbox appears distinctively, to the point where the noise level at 80 km/h is almost tied with the gasoline GTi.
According to Quatro Rodas, the measurement recorded 73.8 dB in the Gol FTe and 74 dB in the original model, showing that the electric conversion did not completely eliminate the mechanical set’s sound presence.
The performance in recovery also highlights the difference between the two cars, mainly due to the immediate torque delivery of the electric motor and the electronic management applied to the conversion set.
In the measurement from 40 to 80 km/h, the magazine recorded 3.1 seconds for the Gol FTe, while the original GTi did the same interval in 6.3 seconds using third gear.
The technical sheet published by Quatro Rodas identifies the Gol FTe with a WEG 130 electric motor, VCU FuelTech FT550, 400 V and 22 kWh NMC battery, front-wheel drive, and a forged gearbox fixed in third gear.
The external dimensions follow those of the Gol GTi, with 384.9 cm in length, 160.1 cm in width, 135.5 cm in height, and 235.8 cm in wheelbase.
Electric conversion showcases national technology in a Brazilian classic
Besides performance, the project relies on FuelTech’s trajectory in electrification, as the company states in the Quatro Rodas report that it has had a division dedicated to the topic since 2016.
The partnership with WEG, also mentioned by the magazine, has existed since 2019 to develop solutions for converting combustion vehicles into electric ones, with the Gol FTe as a showcase of this application.
At the center of the discussion is the meeting between two symbols: on one side, the Gol GTi, the first national car with electronic injection and one of the most remembered sports cars by Brazilian enthusiasts.
On the other, there is a national electric set capable of completely altering how the car accelerates, regains speed, and responds to the accelerator, without entirely erasing its classic appearance.
The conversion introduced management technology, high-voltage battery, WEG motor, electrically assisted brake, and modern controls into a car that still carries a classic steering wheel, Recaro seats, and the look of a 1990s sports hatch.
Do you think an electric Gol GTi preserves the soul of the Brazilian classic or changes the history of one of the country’s most beloved sports cars too much?
