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Miami Herald
a day ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Golf GTI Edition 50 Becomes VW's Fastest Car At Nurburgring
Volkswagen has proved yet again that it's one of the hot hatch authorities, with its new Golf GTI Edition 50 setting a new record for production VWs around the Nurburgring. Referred to as a "near-production test vehicle" by VW, this special GTI set a time of seven minutes and 46.13 seconds. That surpasses the time of seven minutes and 47.31 seconds set by the Golf R 20th Anniversary edition, a time achieved in 2022. Unlike the all-wheel-drive Golf R, the GTI sends power to the front wheels only, yet it's always remained fun to drive despite its FWD setup. The record-breaking time was set across the 12.9-mile route of the course, and an even quicker time of seven minutes and 41.27 seconds was achieved over the slightly shorter 12.8-mile stretch. The GTI 50 was not quite able to dethrone the Honda Civic Type R, which remains the FWD hot hatch king. The hottest Civic completed the 12.9-mile lap in a time of seven minutes and 44.88 seconds. Although we don't know if this GTI improves upon the normal GTi's 241 horsepower, it's highly unlikely to match the Type R's 315 hp, which is more Golf R territory. Still, the GTI 50 gets close, thanks to an optional Performance package with lightweight 19-inch semi-slick Potenza Race tires from Bridgestone. These are wrapped around lightweight forged wheels, which lower unsprung and rotating masses. A performance-tuned chassis is also part of this package, which was equipped to the GTI that completed this latest effort at the Green Hell. Benny Leuchter was behind the wheel of the GTI Edition 50 for this run, and was left blown away by the car. He was a good choice for the job, having driven the Golf GTI Clubsport S for the brand's first lap record nearly a decade ago. He did the same in the Golf R 20 Years in 2022. "The entire setup of the Golf GTI Edition 50 means you can drive the ideal line of the Nordschleife with high precision," said Leuchter. "If you really want to be fast on the track known as the 'Green Hell', the car also has to compensate for the typical bumps in the ground and reach very high cornering speeds. This is exactly what the Golf GTI Edition 50 achieves in perfection. The aplomb with which it masters the peculiarities of the legendary Nordschleife is cool: the GTI is instantly stable over the entire 20.8 kilometers." Leuchter said he would never have believed he could beat the Golf R's lap time in a FWD GTI. A full reveal of the record-breaking GTI Edition 50 is set for June 20. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Auto Car
a day ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
The Golf GTI is now faster around the 'Ring that a Golf R...
The special iteration of the hot hatch lapped the famous 12.94-mile Nordschleife circuit in 7 minutes 46.13 seconds Open gallery Close The upcoming Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 special has become the fastest ever production-based VW model to lap the Nürburgring - even surpassing the more powerful and track-honed Golf R. The special iteration of the hot hatch, based on the current Golf GTI Mk8.5 (which is widely expected to be the final pure-combustion GTI before the badge moves into the electric era) , lapped the famous 12.94-mile Nordschleife circuit in 7 minutes 46.13 seconds. The record lap comes just over a week before the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours, where the GTI Edition 50 is planned to be officially unveiled on 20 June. While the special Golf won't reach UK showrooms until 2026, it's already made headlines for beating the Golf R 20 Years – and edging closer than ever to the 7 minutes 44.88 seconds front-wheel drive Nürburgring benchmark set by the Honda Civic Type R in 2023 In beating the four-wheel drive Golf R 20 Years – a 328bhp anniversary model that set a time of 7:47.31 in 2022 – the new front-drive GTI has now leapfrogged what was once considered Volkswagen's halo performance Golf model. The GTI Edition 50's lap was conducted by Benny Leuchter, VW's long-standing development and race driver. Speaking to Autocar after the run, Leuchter revealed that conditions were far from ideal: 'We ran in a very small window of opportunity after hours of rain,' he said. 'It was partly wet. The Fuchsröhre was particularly treacherous, and there was standing water on many other parts of the circuit.' While full technical details of the Edition 50 remain under wraps, the record car was fitted with a Performance Package, which included Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slicks on 19-inch forged Warmenau wheels and a revised suspension setup. These components are expected to be optional extras when the car goes on sale in late 2025. Power output hasn't been confirmed, but it's understood the Edition 50 will produce close to 320bhp from its familiar turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder EA888 petrol engine, paired with a seven speed dual clutch gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential. Leuchter emphasised that the record-setting car wasn't a one-off: 'Technically, it was set up exactly as it will be sold to customers,' he said. Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here. Next Prev In partnership with
