Volkswagen Sells Memories, Not Just Cars: ID.3 GTX Fire+Ice Rekindles a 1990 Classic

Volkswagen has decided to repackage a piece of its history and put it back on sale. This time as an electric special edition of the ID.3. The ID.3 GTX Fire+Ice aims to quite literally ignite memories of the 1990 Golf II Fire and Ice variant. Production will be limited to exactly 1990 units, a nod to the year the original debuted.

First revealed at the 2024 ID. Treffen in Locarno, the model has now graduated from concept to production. Not so much because of public demand as due to the brand’s deft exploitation of nostalgia. Once again, Volkswagen has teamed up with Munich-based luxury sportswear brand Bogner FIRE+ICE, the same partner that helped style the original Golf II special edition in the early 1990s.

The car comes with two powertrain options: 210 kW (286 hp) and 240 kW (326 hp). The latter accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 200 km/h. A 79 kWh battery supports fast charging at up to 185 kW, going from 10 to 80 percent in just 26 minutes. WLTP range is quoted at up to 591 km—respectable, though unremarkable in today’s EV landscape.

Visually, the car makes no attempt to blend in. Ultra Violet Metallic paint, red accents and 20-inch high-gloss “Locarno” wheels are designed to turn heads. Door-side light projections of “fire and ice” and logo-stitched seat covers sound more like runway flourishes than feats of automotive engineering.

Inside, the thematic split continues: “On Fire Red” on the driver’s side and “Keep Cool Blue” on the passenger’s, with quilted upholstery inspired by down jackets and Bogner logos throughout. It is clear this car isn’t just a mobility solution but a wearable statement for those who see their vehicle as an extension of personal style.

Features are generous—heated seats, massage function, Harman Kardon audio, dual-zone climate control, head-up display and a suite of driver assistance packages. But don’t expect it to come cheap. While pricing hasn’t been officially disclosed, phrases like “limited edition” and “luxury brand collaboration” leave little doubt about where it will land.

The original Golf II Fire and Ice sold an impressive 16,700 units. Can its electric descendant do the same? Probably not. But designed nostalgia, even when housed in a battery pack, still seems to find its audience.