Volkswagen has used GTD, GTE, and GTI to denote the diesel, plug-in hybrid, and performance variants of its models, respectively, for some time. But since GTE is already taken, it had to come up with something else for its new electric cars. And that’s how VW took the name of the Plymouth GTX.
The Plymouth Belvedere GTX was introduced in 1967—a two-door sibling to the iconic Dodge Charger of the same time. In 1968, the car became known just as the Plymouth GTX, and in 1972, GTX became only a designation of the Plymouth Road Runner model.
But today, in this new decade, the GTX name will live on. Not as a Plymouth, nor as any other Chrysler product. Instead, it will be now forever synonymous with electric performance Volkswagens, of all things.
VW confirmed to Autocar that the more powerful variants of its upcoming lineup of ID-named electric cars will be labeled GTX, falling in line with the GTD, GTE, and GTI trim lineup of its combustion cars.
Since “E” for electric was taken, the “X” will reportedly symbolize the dual-motor, all-wheel drive capability of these performance EVs. The first model expected to get the GTX name will be based on the ID Crozz electric crossover concept, so sorry to anyone hopeful we’d get a hot electric hatch over stateside anytime soon.
It’s still unclear what kind of performance a VW ID GTX could have. So far, we’ve only seen a production version of the hatchback, the ID 3, which only currently has a single electric motor capable of 200 horsepower and 228 lb-ft of torque. Maybe roughly double that for the GTX, then.