Following Xiaomi’s recent record for the fastest production EV at the Nurburgring, Volkswagen has achieved a milestone of its own at the famed German circuit. While not an outright Nurburgring record, the upcoming Golf GTI Edition 50 has earned the title of the fastest Volkswagen-badged vehicle to lap the track, completing the 20.8-kilometre Nordschleife in 07:46.13 minutes.
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Volkswagen mentioned that the vehicle used for this lap was a near-production unit. Notably, it was equipped with an optional Performance package, which includes a specially tuned performance chassis and lightweight 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tyres paired with forged wheels. Volkswagen states that the performance package will be offered as an optional extra.
Volkswagen has yet to confirm any powertrain upgrades for the Edition 50 or whether the Performance package affects output. For reference, the standard Golf GTI is powered by a 2.0-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine producing 265 bhp and 370 Nm of torque, mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission sending power to the front wheels.
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In setting this time, the front-wheel-drive GTI Edition 50 defeated the all-wheel-drive Golf R “20 Years” edition, which previously held the record among VW models with a time of 07:47.31 seconds, achieved in 2022. Benny Leuchter, who piloted the record-setting car, states, “Three years ago, I wouldn’t have thought that I could ever beat the lap time of the outstanding Golf R with a front-wheel drive Golf GTI as clearly as I have now.”
Set to be introduced globally in 2026, the Golf GTI Edition 50 will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the iconic hot hatch. This is akin to what the German automaker did to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Polo hatchback with the introduction of the Polo Edition 50 in its home market.