Latest news with #GolfGTIEdition50
TimesLIVE
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Everything you need to know about the new VW Golf GTI Edition 50
Volkswagen has unveiled its new Golf GTI Edition 50. Built to celebrate the German hot hatch's golden anniversary, it is the fastest and most powerful production GTI model to date, thanks to a specially tuned 2.0 l four-cylinder turbocharged engine making 239kW and 420Nm of torque. It comes paired to a seven-speed DSG transmission. The Edition 50 rides 15mm lower than the standard GTI and is available with an optional Performance package that drops the chassis an extra 5mm lower to the asphalt for even better cornering characteristics. Ticking this box also gives you higher spring rates, adapted spring mounts, an Akrapovič titanium exhaust system and 19" 'Warmenau' forged wheels shod with newly developed Bridgestone 235 Potenza Race semi-slick tyres. The latter, according to VW, are 1.1kg lighter than a standard tyre. On the outside, the Edition 50 differentiates itself from its lesser GTI sibling with a black roof, black exterior mirror housings and black exhaust tailpipe finishers. Other exclusive garnish includes a GTI 50 logo on the roof spoiler and insides of the exterior mirrors, special trim on the door sills and a side stripe on the side members with a colour gradient from black to Tornado red. Five striking exterior colours are on offer: Pure White, Moonstone Grey, Grenadilla Black Metallic, Dark Moss Green Metallic and Tornado Red. The cabin features a racier ambience with sport seats upholstered in a check pattern that pays homage to the original GTI that broke cover in 1976. Other tasty mods come in the form of red seat belts and a multifunction leather sports steering wheel with a GTI 50 logo. Though VW hasn't dropped any official performance figures, it has confirmed that the Edition 50 set a lap time of 7:46.13 seconds around the Nürburgring Nordschleife with racing driver Benny Leuchter behind the wheel. That's quicker than Leuchter's previous record in the 245kW Golf R '20 Years' edition in 2022 by just over a second, and more than three seconds faster than his 2016 lap in the GTI Clubsport S (228kW). Impressive stuff. Production of the Golf GTI Edition 50 will begin at the end of 2025 with first deliveries expected to commence at the start of its anniversary year from the first quarter of 2026.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 Sets Record At Nurburgring
Volkswagen has introduced a new model in its production lineup with the Golf GTI Edition 50, celebrating the 50th anniversary of its iconic hot hatch badge. The near-production version, driven by Volkswagen test and race driver Benny Leuchter, completed a lap of the full 20.8 km Nurburgring Nordschleife in an impressive 7 minutes and 46.13 seconds. On a slightly shorter 20.6 km layout, excluding the T13 grandstand run-off, the car recorded an even faster time of 7 minutes and 41.27 seconds. The Golf GTI Edition 50 is now the fastest road-legal Volkswagen around the Nurburgring, although it still falls short of the ID.R, a 680-horsepower track-only electric prototype that recorded a lap time of 6 minutes and 5.336 seconds in 2019, which remains the all-time record for the German carmaker at the circuit. Golf GTI Edition 50: Powertrain The Golf GTI Edition 50 is powered by a 2.0-litre EA888 turbo-petrol engine, tuned to deliver 324 hp, which is about 60 hp more than the standard GTI. The engine is mated to a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox and a mechanical limited-slip differential. The test vehicle was equipped with Volkswagen's optional Performance Package, featuring lightweight 19-inch forged wheels, Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tyre, and revised suspension and chassis settings, an upgrade that Leuchter described as "the decisive factor" in the car's Nurburgring performance. Benny Leuchter testing the Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 Golf GTI Edition 50: Comments Benny Leuchter further stated, "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." Golf GTI Edition 50: Availability Volkswagen has announced that the Golf GTI Edition 50 will officially debut on June 20, 2025, just before the Nurburgring 24-hour race. While the full specifications have yet to be released, global deliveries are expected to begin in 2026. As a limited-run, anniversary model, it is unlikely to be available in markets like India.
India Today
5 days ago
- Automotive
- India Today
This is the fastest Volkswagen production model on the Nordschleife track
Volkswagen's upcoming hot hatch, the Golf GTI Edition 50, has made headlines even before its official launch by becoming the fastest road-legal VW to lap Germany's Nrburgring Nordschleife. Professional racing driver Benny Leuchter clocked a lap time of 07:46.13 minutes, making the upcoming special edition GTI the most capable front-wheel-drive Volkswagen on the iconic 20.8-kilometre to debut globally on June 20, 2025, during the 24-hour race weekend at the Nrburgring, the Golf GTI Edition 50 marks the 50th anniversary of the GTI nameplate, with customer deliveries expected to begin in 2026. Volkswagen says the new model represents the 'pure GTI idea' — a combination of powerful front-wheel drive, precise chassis tuning, and track-honed new Nrburgring benchmark The upcoming special edition GTI the most capable front-wheel-drive Volkswagen on the iconic 20.8-kilometre track. According to Volkswagen, the record-setting GTI was equipped with an optional performance package, featuring a specially developed performance chassis, 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tyres, and lightweight forged wheels. This setup, Leuchter said, was key to the car's ability to handle the Nrburgring's demanding corners, undulating surfaces, and high-speed sections. 'It's truly impressive how easily this Volkswagen can be moved so quickly over the Nordschleife,' said Leuchter. 'The entire set-up allows you to drive the ideal line with high precision. Even in difficult weather, the GTI remained stable across the entire track.'Historic leap in GTI performance Benny Leuchter clocked a lap time of 07:46.13 minutes. advertisementThis isn't the first time Leuchter has set records in a GTI. Back in 2016, he lapped the Nrburgring in a Golf GTI Clubsport S (310PS) in 07:49.21 minutes, and in 2022, he set a 07:47.31 record in the all-wheel-drive Golf R 20 Years. However, the Edition 50's lap, which includes the 200 meters between grandstand T13's start and finish lines, is a more holistic measure. Excluding that distance (to match prior laps), the GTI Edition 50's lap is even quicker: 07:41.27 minutes, as seen in the on-board footage.'Three years ago, I wouldn't have thought a front-wheel-drive GTI could beat the Golf R's time so decisively,' said Leuchter. 'That it happened — in less-than-ideal weather — speaks volumes about this car's potential.'A celebration of GTI legacyWhile final specs are yet to be confirmed, the Golf GTI Edition 50 is expected to be the most powerful production GTI to date. It will arrive with exclusive design elements and advanced performance upgrades to celebrate five decades of one of the world's most iconic hot its commercial release in 2026, the Edition 50 will be listed in the "Pre-Series Models" category in the Nrburgring official to Auto Today Magazine
Miami Herald
13-06-2025
- 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
13-06-2025
- 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
