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Volkswagen Just Made an Unsuspecting Driving Enthusiast’s Car out of an Overlanding Icon

It might be the last segment you’d expect to find an inspiring driver’s car, but it’s an unexpected winner. Of course, we can’t get it.

Front view of a red Volkswagen Transporter van with illuminated LED headlights and black grille.Volkswagen
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A black and white portrait of a smiling man with short, dark hair. He is wearing a light-colored blazer over a collared shirt. The background is plain and unobtrusive.

By Chris Chin

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America might not get Volkswagen’s most famous van, the Transporter. But that doesn’t stop us from wanting it. Now, VW just gave us another reason to want it even more.

The Wolfsburg automaker just pulled the digital wraps off its new Transporter Sportline for the British market. It’s about as odd as it sounds and looks, but we love it already.

Giving new meaning to courier express

Red Volkswagen Transporter van with black grille and alloy wheels against a dark background with red and white light streaks.
If the VW GTI became a multi-purpose vehicle, the latest T7 Transporter Sportline would be it.
Volkswagen

Volkswagen essentially takes its latest workhorse, the T7 Transporter van, and gives it a GTI-like treatment, without the GTI badges. Instead of the usual anonymous, humdrum bodywork, VW’s Commercial division dresses up the Sportline with the sort of kit you’d expect on a more performance-oriented machine.

Close-up of a black and silver alloy wheel with "Sportline" branding on a red car.
Those are some snazzy 19-inch multi-spoke wheels, for a van.
Volkswagen

Peek closer at the spec sheet and the upgrades really pop with wow factor. Including distinctive front and rear bumpers with gloss black trim surrounds, sport-tuned Eibach lowering springs — which reduce ride height by over an inch — fancier exterior lighting, a rear spoiler, lots of Sportline badges, and peppy-looking and stylish 19-inch multi-spoke wheels.

Rear window of a red vehicle with a black spoiler and red and white light streaks reflected on the glass.
VW decks out its panel van with some unconventional upgrades, and we’re all for it.
Volkswagen

It’s all so European and Asian courier drivers can deliver their Amazon Prime packages in a snazzy and snappy fashion. Which we admit, has much more curb appeal versus a suspect white van.

If you’re anything like us, you’re probably reading this with raised eyebrows and wondering, “Why?”

Front left corner of a red Volkswagen Transporter with black grille and sporty alloy wheel on a dark floor with red light streaks.
Gloss-black-lined sport bumpers front and rear definitely make the T7 Transporter much more appealing to the eyes.
Volkswagen

Vans aren’t the sort of thing that you’d associate with the “sport” descriptor. After all, a vehicle that’s shaped and has the aerodynamics and handling characteristics of a brick isn’t exactly what comes to mind when one thinks of “sporty.”

But apparently, there’s a new and trending demand for stylish and racy-looking chest freezers on wheels across the pond and even in Asia. And the Transporter Sportline now exists to meet the demand.

Close-up of a red car's front left side showing a modern LED headlight and part of the wheel.
The Sportline standardizes VW’s latest Dynamic Light Assist tech.
Volkswagen

The Sportline trim also isn’t new to the Transporter. It was previously used on the preceding T6 and T5 Transporter models to designate similarly-equipped versions. But glance back at some of those older models, and you’ll see that the T7 Transporter Sportline is much more flamboyant.

Not the Volkswagen van you last remember

Red Volkswagen Transporter van with black-tinted windows and sporty alloy wheels against a dark background with red and white light streaks.
Need to make quick deliveries but don’t need to worry about being inconspicuous? The Transporter Sportline is the van to get.
Volkswagen

We might get the ID Buzz. But we’re still longing for the van that carries the same lineage as the previous Transporter models.

As charming and cool as the ID Buzz is, it’s not the same as the OG Transporter. The last time VW sold a Transporter in the States was over three generations ago, or the T4 Transporter, and it was called the Eurovan.

Black and silver Volkswagen van with sliding side doors parked on a road with trees in the background.
It’s been over two decades since America last got a genuine Transporter, which was marketed as the Eurovan.
Volkswagen

The Transporter and its predecessors are also the same vans on which the iconic California models are based off. Yes, the ones with the pop-up rooftop tents and the mini-kitchens.

Blue and white Volkswagen camper van with pop-up roof and awning, parked at dusk with outdoor table and chairs.
The Transporter California is the real variant Americans truly lust over.
Volkswagen

Ironically, despite being named after the Golden State and inheriting the glamping van experience once founded on its beaches, Volkswagen discontinued the model for Americans after the T4. According to the brand’s Stateside branch, it simply became too expensive to import.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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