Volkswagen doesn’t just design cars. It designs an entire way of life. The journey from the Polo to the ID. GTI Concept and the place where it all comes together – the Autostadt in Wolfsburg – say it all.

And, well, because – see the title of this magazine – machines aren’t everything, it’s all about people. In this case, racing and development driver Benjamin Leuchter.

A day at the Autostadt, a Polo from the past, a GTI from the future – and racing driver Benjamin Leuchter. In Wolfsburg, you can see how Volkswagen’s design has evolved over the decades – while always remaining instantly recognizable. At VW, design is never left to chance – it is thought, cast in form, always centered around people.

The Polo was unveiled on March 13, 1975, at the Geneva Motor Show. Production began shortly thereafter, and the first cars hit the road in May. In 2025, the Polo turns 50 – and what a journey it’s been. From the start, it was compact, cleanly designed and focused on the essentials. A car that didn’t need to stand out – it simply needed to fit. Fit the roads, fit our lives, fit  the  times. In 1998, the Polo GTI added a sporty new dimension to the model. Red accents and a sharper design language contributed to its identity, but the character remained the same: a practical vehicle, now with a dose of dynamic flair. The  ID.  GTI ­ Concept  picks  up  right  where  that  idea  left  off – fully electric, but unmistakably GTI. The slim air intake, the red stripe, the continuous light strip featuring the VW logo – these familiar design elements are back, newly ­reimagined. The proportions feel strong without being aggressive. It’s a car that doesn’t need to make a scene to make an impression.

“I think what the Golf says about its driver is that they’re not out to be flashy, that they’re just trying to fit in wherever they go,” says Benjamin Leuchter. And that idea carries across the entire Volkswagen lineup – whether it’s a classic combustion engine car or an electric model.

Wolfsburg itself embodies this mindset. The city feels well-­ordered, functional and open. Its architecture and cityscape reflect the same attitude as the cars made there – clarity, everyday usability, identity.

What has shaped Volkswagen since the first Polo is just as visible in the ID. GTI Concept. The models may change, but the core stays the same: a design that never had to get louder to be convincing.

Text Wiebke Brauer| Photos Marko Knab

ramp #69 More Than Machines

Maybe it all starts with a misunderstanding. The mistaken belief that humans are rational beings. That we make decisions with cool heads and functional thinking, weighing and optimizing as we go. And yes, maybe sometimes we do. But only sometimes. Because in truth, we are not reason, we are resonance.

And so this issue of ramp is a cheerful plea. For beauty that needs no justification. Find out more