Most expensive Golf GTI finally on sale in UK
Less than £50k confirmed for the 'ring-ready Edition 50, but you'll be wanting that Performance Package...
Once upon a time, news of a lightly fettled Golf GTI going on sale from VW wouldn’t really have registered as significant news. Interesting, sure, but not earth-shattering. Now, however, with the supply of petrol-powered hot hatches drying up faster than Christmas turkey - no fast Focuses, no Civic Type R, nothing French whatsoever, in case you hadn’t heard - the arrival of the Edition 50 ranks as a pretty big deal. After all, when did you last hear of a 2.0-litre turbo hatchback going on sale, one with 325hp, front-wheel drive, a Nurburgring claim to fame and an asking price of less than £50,000? Exactly.
The exact RRP of the new VW Golf GTI Edition 50 is £47,995, and it goes on sale this Thursday, January 15th. That means it’s £6,000 more than the standard, £41,810 GTI, though the more accurate comparison is probably with the 300hp GTI Clubsport, which is £44,220. An R, for reference, is £46,850; the only Golf more expensive than the Ed 50 is the £48,170 R Black Edition.
A lot of money for a Golf, then, but this latest GTI is more than just new badges, unique seat trim and some dubious red-glazed 19-inch wheels. That power output means 0-62mph in just 5.3 seconds, plus 168mph potential; it rides lower than a standard GTI, gets Dynamic Chassis Control as standard and boasts ‘superior’ handling thanks to its chassis changes. Even in better times for the humble hotted-up family hack, the GTI Edition 50 would be intriguing; in 2026, the fastest ever Volkswagen around the Nordschleife - 7:46.13 in less-than-perfect conditions - looks like being hot hatch of the year already.
However, before we get too carried away, remember that a Performance Package will be required for that 7:46 capability. And VW are yet to put a price on that, which the wary might suggest means it’s gonna be a lot. As a reminder, the PP adds forged wheels, further lowered suspension, and Akrapovic exhaust and ‘semi-slick’ tyres; that sort of hardware is surely going to push the Edition 50 over £50,000. Just the exhaust is £3,480 on an R, for example.
That being said, the Performance Package is likely to be the upgrade that makes the biggest difference over a standard GTI; according to Benny Leuchter, the racer who set the Nordschleife lap, it was the “decisive factor” in being able to go faster than any other Golf R or GTI in history. And you wouldn’t want to go without that, would you?
Presumably the Performance Package price will be on the configurator come Thursday when sales go live. Given this is a car created to celebrate half a century of the Golf GTI, we’d expect deliveries sooner rather than later, to make the most of the anniversary year. And who knows - with VW committing to ID. EV versions of familiar nameplates, plus the lack of comparable cars around, this could be the last anniversary GTI as we know them. Then the Edition 50 really would be something collectable…
I know its inflation but 50k for a golf blows me away!
Those red wheels are terrible, its doesnt look any lower than a 'normal' gti. Also, 19's!!! It wears 19's! Is it just me but fair play to tyre garages that get these tyres on and off without absolutely knackering those wheels! Why do car manufacturers insist on such huge wheels and low profile rubber? Id much rather a 17, max 18, with some sensible side wall. might save the wheels the first time you hit one of the many potholes around.
I know mine isnt.
50k for a Golf is absurd.
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