Volkswagen is about to unveil what should be the most powerful, most focused version of the long-serving Golf GTI hot hatch in its history - with the newcomer likely to be the last combustion-propelled GTI we'll see.
Called the Edition 50, the new Golf will be unveiled at the Nürburgring 24-hour race on June 20, but it has already set a lap record for road-going Volkswagens at that very place.
Is the Edition 50 the first of its type to celebrate a GTI birthday?
Hardly. There have been special anniversary 'Edition' Golf GTIs launched every five years since the 20th model of 1996. But this one could be particularly poignant, given its place in the pantheon.
So just how fast was the Golf GTI Edition 50?
Quicker than even the all-wheel-drive, 333hp Golf R 20 Years - which went round in 7:47.31s in 2022 - or the stripped-out, highly focused, 310hp GTI Clubsport that served as the 'Edition 40' ten years ago, which clocked a searing 7:49.21s.
Interestingly, both those Golf-related records were set by German racing driver Benny Leuchter, who was again at the wheel for the Edition 50's run - a belting 7:46.13s on the official stopwatch.
And further raising eyebrows, this near-production-ready Edition 50's time actually includes 200 metres of track that wasn't timed for the GTI Clubsport or R 20 Years, so on a direct comparison with that 200m deducted, the new Edition 50's time would be 7:41.27s - a good six seconds faster than the all-wheel-drive R.
Wow! How much power does the Edition 50 have?
Almost certainly more than the 300hp that the existing GTI Clubsport, currently the most potent GTI you can buy, has, although it could be that the Edition 50 is lighter - that Clubsport of ten years ago had no rear seats, which might be something the 50 mimics. We'll know more when it's fully unveiled at the 24-hour race in a few days.
What did Leuchter have to say about his record-breaking run?
He explained: “It's truly impressive how easily this Volkswagen can be moved so quickly over the Nordschleife track. In technical terms the car was the same as the version that will be sold in the future.”
It was fitted with a Performance Package which will be optionally available on the road-going versions, which further tunes the chassis of the GTI and adds lightweight 19-inch alloys and semi-slick Bridgestone Potenza Race tyres.
Leuchter added: “That was the decisive factor in my opinion. 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. The fact that this has now happened - in quite bad weather, by the way - actually says everything about the successful set-up and extraordinary potential of this GTI.”
Is there any footage of this run round the 'Green Hell'?
There sure is. See below video: