German automaker, Volkswagen, has launched an iPhone application to promote its 2010 offering – Golf GTI. The free application is called Real Racing GTI and lets the users to experience a racing environment on a virtual platform wherein they can race against each other and establish individual times. A leaderboard screens the top performer as per their times.

Users will be able to upload their racing videos on YouTube and further communication with fellow competitors can take place on Twitter. Through this combination, the company is aiming at reaching out to a large community of users who live on social networking platforms now.

The ever-growing demand from the wired community and technology freaks has prompted many global business outfits to walk the social network road, VW being no different. According to a senior Charlie Taylor, GM for VW’s digital marketing division, there is higher media consumption in the digital world than in broadcast, hence the move to develop an interactive digital application. Volkswagen came together with Apple to design the app in order to ensure a healthy climb in the space of applications being available and enhance its visibility.

To ensure there is a large pool of users coming in to check out the app, Volkswagen has declared that the users who download the app will be eligible for 2010 GTI sweepstakes in which a Limited Edition Golf GTI will be given every week, six weeks in succession, starting November 2nd.

The decision to develop an application based interactive media came in after Volkswagen observed the results of a research that was carried out. According to the research, half of the 20-25 million Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users are male and a chunk of that belong to the age bracket of 30-40 – the target audience of the company.