Friday 13th June

New Edition 50 GTI is fastest production VW ever

Incoming anniversary special records 7:46.13 'ring lap - quicker even than a Mk8 Golf R

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Ahead of its Nurburgring debut in production form next week, VW has confirmed a record-breaking lap for its new Edition 50 Golf GTI. The record is a slightly tenuous one - fastest Volkswagen Series Model on the Nordschleife - but still, a 7:46.13 is pretty good going. We’ve become almost accustomed to sub-eight-minute laps in recent years, what with the really silly stuff going sub-seven, yet nothing should be taken away from just how rapid seven and three-quarter minutes is over the 20.8 kilometres of the current configuration. 

Particularly as this latest layout adds a few metres compared to the old Nurburgring lap. So where it’s easy to look at the Golf R 20 Years lap (7:47.31) and Mk7 GTI Clubsport S (7:49.21, later 7:47.19) and think that the Ed 50 isn’t far ahead, they were on a shorter (by 200m) circuit. The new car’s lap on the previous version was 07:41.27. That’s really motoring, and especially impressive given it was the one and only attempt given iffy weather. So it could go faster still. 

While we don’t know yet exactly what makes the Edition 50 so fast, VW has mentioned in the YouTube video that the car is fitted with semi-slick Bridgestone tyres and an optional ‘Performance package’. Those tyres are surely going to be wrapped around some lighter wheels, the brakes will be larger, and the Performance upgrade likely to take power to the 333hp peak of a Golf R - you know the drill by now. But even if not as extreme as something like the old S - this is definitely still a five-door, automatic Golf - the fact that something like a super GTI still exists is absolutely cause for celebration. By 2026 it’ll be about the only petrol hot hatch left. 

As with previous record runs, VW employed Benny Leuchter to drive. He said of the lap: “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 setup and extraordinary potential of this GTI.” Expect a full onboard lap, plus all the technical details, next Friday. 

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• VW Golf GTI Clubsport S | PH Heroes
• VW Golf R (Mk8.5) vs. Honda Civic Type R (FL5)

[fantheman80]

Seems fitting (and a bit sad) that the car that arguably started the whole hot hatch thing will be the last one standing....

Edition 30 still is my favourite of these birthday specials

[Terminator X]

Clubsport S still my favourite. Those seats

TX.

[LuS1fer]

It's been a very long time since I thought a Golf was good looking.

And now?

And now, what?

[Andy86GT]

Just goes to show how much it's tyres rather than all wheel drive that matters on a circuit like this. Impressive.

[mooseracer]

fantheman80 said:

Seems fitting (and a bit sad) that the car that arguably started the whole hot hatch thing will be the last one standing....

Edition 30 still is my favourite of these birthday specials

Agreed on both counts.
Clubsport S is the daddy though.

[st33ly]

I’ve had two Clubsport S’s. I think they had a real opportunity to sprinkle some magic on this. Looking at the interior photo. It’s a Clubsport with the performance package and different colour seats. Really really sad. Pop the Clubsport S recaps in. Take the back seats out and limited number and boom. Job done. VW just want to say. You are absolutely ste now. Same as your customer service.

[bobj42]

that large black plastic grille is horrible.

[ChrisCh86]

Proper buttons on the steering wheel - hooray!

Shame that R still has capacitive buttons. That and the (excessive) price would put me off.

I know the R is heavier, but when you're paying this much I'd always choose the car with all wheel drive

[silvermog]

Thank god they didn't have him change the temperature or adjust the vents, he'd have been on a 9min lap ...

[Electronicpants]

silvermog said:

Thank god they didn't have him change the temperature or adjust the vents, he'd have been on a 9min lapin a tree ...

EFA

[Baldchap]

It's a Golf so everyone will tell us that it's rubbish (despite having never even seen one IRL, let alone driven one), but that time (7:41 in old money) is impressive for a FWD five door with presumably minor changes from the useable, comfortable, practical Golf that we know and love largely ignore.

[asci.white]

Baldchap said:

It's a Golf so everyone will tell us that it's rubbish (despite having never even seen one IRL, let alone driven one), but that time (7:41 in old money) is impressive for a FWD five door with presumably minor changes from the useable, comfortable, practical Golf that we know and love largely ignore.

Do people really think they're rubbish?

There's always a lot of chatter about them being boring, but rubbish?

It's crazy how a set of semi slicks can cut so much time off a lap.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

Baldchap said:

It's a Golf so everyone will tell us that it's rubbish (despite having never even seen one IRL, let alone driven one), but that time (7:41 in old money) is impressive for a FWD five door with presumably minor changes from the useable, comfortable, practical Golf that we know and love largely ignore.

Not rubbish, just ubiquitous and unfortunately lusted after by a low rate demographic.

[Nurburgsingh]

Having spent a lot of my early car life in Mk2 Gti's I fell away from them until I recently picked up a Mk7 Edition 40.
OMG I love that car soo much its insane, there is nothing that it cant do and thats kinda the point of them for me.

I'm not sure I want to stretch to an Edition50 but.. never say never..

[Baldchap]

asci.white said:

It's crazy how a set of semi slicks can cut so much time off a lap.

Not Golf related, but it would be really interesting to put modern rubber on some older performance cars and see what the difference between them and today's performance heroes actually is. I'm sure it's probably already been done online somewhere by someone.

[fantheman80]

Rich Boy Spanner said:

Not rubbish, just ubiquitous and unfortunately lusted after by a low rate demographic.

I don't think the modern Gti is a chav favourite - that's defo the R, or an Rs3 or a 135i. Sure, some scabby mk5 and 6 out there with vape smoke out the window, but modern ones largely unmoded and driven by lib dem voters

[Clockwork Cupcake]

asci.white said:

It's crazy how a set of semi slicks can cut so much time off a lap.

It really is. Back when I had my Corrado VR6 and was regularly doing track days, I bought a spare set of wheels and put Toyo R888 on them and the extra grip on track was incredible.

[RSstuff]

Around 12 seconds less, than a Leon Cupra 11 years ago.

[neverlifted]

Have a Mk7 GTI PP with DCC and Bridgestone Potenza Race tyres. It is brilliant fun to drive on undulating cratered B roads. No doubt, the ED50 will be awesome, but I'd rather put the additional £40k+ towards upgrading the weekend/special car.

[jorders500]

That looks great in a nicely understated way. It'll probably be an absolute fortune though. I reckon £60,000+