A few years ago, the Volkswagen Golf GTI and the Honda Civic Type R were regularly trading blows in the battle for front-wheel-drive production car supremacy at the Nürburgring, but the fight cooled three years ago when the Civic Type R set a time of 7:44.881. The Golf GTI Edition 50 returned to the Nordschleife last year to become the fastest VW ever to take on the Green Hell, but its time of 7:46.13 still wasn’t enough to take the outright FWD record, so Volkswagen has had another crack, and this time, it’s regained its pride, albeit only just.
Setting a new time of 7:44.523, the GTI Edition 50 has made the most of its 320-horsepower output to become the new king of the ‘Ring. To put the new lap time in context, a V12-powered Pagani Zonda S supercar set an identical time (though that was in 2002, when tire technology wasn’t what it is now).
VW Golf GTI Edition 50: A Seriously Fast FWD Hot Hatch
The Golf GTI Edition 50 is capable of reaching 62 mph from rest in just 5.3 seconds and tops out at a maximum speed of 167 mph. It’s also 15 millimeters lower than a regular Gold and has VW’s Dynamic Chassis Control system, and the record-setting variant was fitted with the optional GTI Performance package, lowering the car another 5 mm and adding a lightweight R-Performance exhaust system with titanium rear silencers. Reducing unsprung mass, 19-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tires also appear on the record-setting hot hatch, which was piloted by Benjamin Leuchter, and its suspension consists of a MacPherson strut front setup with a four-link rear axle. VW admits that this particular iteration of the GTI is less comfortable than a regular GTI, but the upgrades are clearly worthwhile, though you wouldn’t necessarily tell the Edition 50 apart from a regular GTI at first glance.
Related: Volkswagen Golf R’s Most Extreme Version Yet Is Heading to the Nürburgring
The Volkswagen badges are darker, and along with additional gloss black accents, the car is differentiated by an ombré red decal running along the bottom of the doors. In the cabin, buyers enjoy red seatbelts, a smattering of Edition 50 logos, and pedals with red faces. As a DSG-only vehicle, you only get two pedals. Not that it matters much in America – the special edition is no longer available, and when it was, it could only be ordered overseas, where it started at €54,540, or roughly $64,220 before Germany’s 19 percent value-added tax.
Golf GTI (and Golf R) Will Keep Combustion Power
While we patiently await information on the next, ninth-generation Golf, we know a few things. First, it will bring back simple design cues, taking styling inspiration from the Mk. 4 Golf. Secondly, both the GTI and the R hot hatches will remain combustion-powered well into the next decade, both in Europe and here in America. Whether the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder will avoid electrification is another matter entirely, but time will tell. Hopefully, the next GTI will be powerful and light enough to retain its crown at the ‘Ring.
