THE FASTEST VOLKSWAGEN PRODUCTION CAR AT NORDSCHLEIFE IS THE GOLF GTI EDITION 50 - AND IT'S A FWD!
The year may still be 2025, but Volkswagen is already kicking off celebrations for a major milestone – the GTI’s 50th birthday in 2026 – with a bang that echoes across the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Meet the Golf GTI EDITION 50, a hardcore tribute to half a century of hot hatch greatness, and the fastest road-legal Volkswagen ever to tear around the Green Hell. Ahead of its official unveiling at this year’s Nürburgring 24-Hour race on June 20, the near-production GTI EDITION 50 has already made history. Racing driver and longtime VW chassis guru Benny Leuchter took the prototype around the infamous 20.8 km Nordschleife in a blistering 7:46.13 – a new benchmark for any VW with a number plate.
“This car is the ultimate expression of what a GTI should be – brutally fast, razor-sharp, and full of character,” says Leuchter, who’s been instrumental in the GTI’s development.
The EDITION 50 is a purist’s dream: front-wheel drive, precision chassis tuning, and proper grunt. While VW hasn’t confirmed power figures yet, the secret sauce lies in the optional Performance Package, which equips the GTI with a specially developed performance chassis, 19-inch forged wheels, and sticky-as-hell Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slicks. That tyre and wheel combo isn’t just for flex – it cuts down unsprung and rotating mass, making the GTI feel even sharper at the limit.
“The way it handles the bumps, corners, and camber shifts of the Nordschleife is incredible. You can drive the perfect line with total confidence,” adds Leuchter.
The EDITION 50’s record time included the full lap start and finish (unlike some previous laps that excluded the 200m section in front of grandstand T13), but if you clock it the same way as earlier VW lap records, the lap drops to a scorching 7:41.27 – over six seconds quicker than the AWD Golf R 20 Years Edition. That’s significant. Especially considering that just a few years ago, no one thought a front-wheel-drive Golf GTI could outrun the mighty Golf R around the Ring. Leuchter did just that, and in his words, “in quite bad weather” too. That’s how dialled this machine is. The Golf GTI EDITION 50 will go on sale in 2026 as a limited-run anniversary model, and while it’s not yet available to order, it’s already listed under “Pre-Series Models” on the official Nürburgring records. Sadly, we doubt South Africans will see any allocation – but that doesn’t stop us drooling.
Take a look at the YouTube video that shows off the new record set by the latest special edition GTi, the Edition 50, which only has power sent to the front wheels. That's quicker than the Type R: Golf GTI EDITION 50 sets Nordschleife Record in 07:46:13 – Fastest Volkswagen Production Model | Volkswagen News
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