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Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 uses the uprated 2.0L turbo petrol engine putting out 325 PS and 420 Nm
As the Golf GTI with a total of 2.5 million units sold globally nears its 50th birthday in 2026, Volkswagen has unveiled the celebratory Golf GTI Edition 50. Unveiled during the 24-hour endurance event at the Nurburgring, the most potent factory-built GTI yet is slated to enter production by the end of this year with customer deliveries lined up for early 2026.
Volkswagen’s engineers have pushed the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit to 325 PS (makes 265 PS in the regular model sold in India and many other markets). Peak torque climbs to 420 Nm, placing it well above the regular GTI’s 370 Nm and the Clubsport’s 400 Nm. The uprated engine sits beneath a body dropped by 15 mm thanks to revised suspension geometry.
The internal tests saw the Edition 50 lap the Nurburgring’s Nordschleife in just over 7 minutes and 46 seconds with factory development driver Benjamin Leuchter behind the wheel – marking the fastest time ever recorded by a Golf production car. Complementing the powertrain are suspension tweaks that include a retuned MacPherson strut setup at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear.
The Golf GTI Edition 50 further distinguishes itself with an optional GTI Performance package which enables a stiffened chassis and drops the ride height by another 5 mm while running on Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slicks wrapped around forged 19-inch Warmenau wheels. The Akrapovic titanium rear exhaust sheds another 11 kg to further boost performance.
As for the visuals, it gets red brake callipers, a roof finished in gloss black, dark mirror caps and a fading black-to-red side graphic drawing a direct line between street use and motorsport, GTI 50 badging on the spoiler, sills and even mirror interiors, black tailpipe surrounds, etc. The interior boasts tartan-patterned sport seats feature red seat belts and Racing Green accents alongside synthetic velour inserts.
A redesigned flat-bottomed leather steering wheel carries the GTI 50 mark and integrates paddle shifters for the seven-speed DSG gearbox. Volkswagen’s focus on weight savings continues inside. Every detail from the steering trim to the choice of materials leans toward reducing clutter and increasing engagement. Even the tyres and rims contribute, shedding around 1.1 kg per tyre and 3 kg per wheel respectively compared to standard GTI fitments.
Customers will have five exterior colour options: Pure White, Moonstone Grey, Grenadilla Black Metallic, and two exclusive hues – Dark Moss Green Metallic and Tornado Red. The latter carries historical weight, having featured on many of VW’s high-performance models since the 1980s such as the Golf II GTI 16V and Golf VII GTI TCR.
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