Volkswagen’s ID3 Pro and Pro S vehicles are some of their latest car models, and, while they look like a typical car the iconic vehicle manufacturer would deliver, there’s a secret under the hood.
For both of these models, the maximum horsepower is listed at 228bhp (brake horsepower). However, driving the vehicle normally, you can only push it to 201bhp. In order to get that extra power out of it, you’ll have to pay extra.
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At around $20 a month, $200 a year, or a lump sum payment of roughly $760 dollars, you can get that full horsepower.
And, while it’s difficult to imagine why the ID3 models are limiting themselves and forcing a paywall for users who want to put the pedal to the metal, Volkswagen explained their reasoning behind the change.
Volkswagen explains horsepower subscription service
The way that the sub works for their ID3 vehicles is incredibly bizarre. Rather than it being tied to any one driver, the sub is tied to the vehicle. So, for instance, if someone were to pay the full price of buying that power boost for life and they were to sell their ID3 secondhand, whoever got the car next wouldn’t have to pay for it.
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Volkswagen views the service as a way to offer people more power under the hood without having to sell them a new car.
“Offering more power to customers is nothing new – historically many petrol and diesel vehicles have been offered with engines of the same size, but with the possibility of choosing one with more potency. These traditionally are higher up in the product range, with more specification and a higher list price,” reads a statement sourced from Autoexpress UK.
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Volkswagen has released a vehicle that gates its full horsepower behind a paid subscription
Users have to pay a monthly fee of around $20 to drive the car at top speed pic.twitter.com/TMCh3748pb
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) August 17, 2025
“If customers wish to have an even sportier driving experience, they now have an option to do so, within the life of the vehicle, rather than committing from the outset with a higher initial purchase price. The car is presented on the configurator with [201bhp], with the option made very clear to customers.”
And, in all fairness to Volkswagen, it’s pretty rare that the average driver will have to push their car to the limit. However, there’s a great deal of backlash from potential buyers who would have to purchase the vehicle and then have to pay even more to unlock its full potential.
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However, Volkswagen’s business ventures aren’t all this contentious. They’ve started selling sausages and managed to sell more sausages than cars in 2024.
