Porsche is not the only marque in the Volkswagen group that loves making records at the Nürburgring. Clearly, that is the way to show a particular car is fast, not just on paper, but also fast when lapping around one of the most challenging tracks in the world.
And the car in question is none other than the new Volkswagen Golf GTI. But not just any old GTI. It’s the new Golf GTI EDITION 50. This car with the EDITION 50 performance package is now officially the fastest front-wheel drive production car around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, clocking a blistering 7:44.523 lap time.
That’s right. A Golf.
Piloted by racing driver and Volkswagen test and development driver Benjamin Leuchter, the anniversary model conquered the legendary 20.832-kilometer (12.94-mile) Green Hell in what is now the quickest recorded lap ever by a front-wheel drive production vehicle. It also makes this 50th anniversary special the fastest production Volkswagen to lap the Nürburgring. Ever.
Not bad for a car whose ancestors were once the sensible hatchbacks your neighbor used for grocery runs, and a car that gramps still loves to tinker with.
Powering this milestone machine is a 239 kW (325 PS) 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that launches the GTI EDITION 50 from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.3 seconds before topping out at 270 km/h (168 mph). Volkswagen says this is the most powerful and dynamically precise production Golf GTI to date.
The Nürburgring record car was also equipped with the optional GTI Performance package EDITION 50. This adds an even more aggressive chassis setup lowered by an extra 5 mm, 19-inch forged alloy wheels, Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tires, and a lightweight titanium R-Performance exhaust system.
Underneath, the car rides on a MacPherson front axle and four-link rear axle setup, while standard DCC adaptive chassis control keeps the hot hatch planted through the Nordschleife’s endless corners, bumps, and jumps.
The Volkswagen Golf GTI EDITION 50 is a limited-run hot hatch celebrating 50 years of the GTI, which starts at €54,540 [DE] in Germany. I don’t believe it is available in the U.S.
Images: Volkswagen.