VW Golf GTI Edition 50 Debuts as the Most Powerful GTI Ever

The 321 HP-rated Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 debuts as the most powerful production GTI ever made.

Following its record-breaking feat around the Nurburgring last week, the all-new Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 has now been officially unveiled. This special edition Golf is not only here to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic nameplate but also to become the most powerful production GTI model to date.

That title stems from the Edition 50’s uprated 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbocharged engine, which now makes 321 HP and 420 Nm, making it the first GTI model to break the 300-HP mark. For comparison, the regular, Europe-spec Mk 8.5 GTI is rated at 262 HP and 370 Nm, while the new Golf R is capped higher at 329 HP and 420 Nm.

Just like any normal GTI, the uprated four-banger mill in the Edition 50 is still mated to a 7-speed DCT automatic gearbox and a front-wheel drive (FWD) drivetrain setup. But thanks to its significant power boost, the Edition 50 is faster from the get-go, capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds, as opposed to the standard GTI’s 5.9-second time.

That being said, the Edition 50 still lags behind the R in a century sprint race, as the all-wheel drive system propels it to a faster 4.6-second finish. But we already knew that the Edition 50 is still faster than the R where it matters the most, as this special GTI is now the fastest production Volkswagen model to lap the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Besides the peppier powertrain, what also helps the Edition 50 clinch its coveted titles are several other mechanical upgrades, with the most significant being the DCC adaptive dampers that also made the car ride 5 mm lower than the standard GTI. Other performance features primed here include a bespoke software tune for the power steering and an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential (LSD).

But VW emphasised earlier that the record-breaking Edition 50 model actually came equipped with the optional Performance Pack. It includes stiffer springs that reduce the ride height further by 5 mm, harder bushes, optional 235-section Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tyres, lighter 19-inch Warmenau forged wheels borrowed from the R, and the Akrapovic titanium exhaust system.

Combined, the Performance Pack sheds the Edition 50’s mass further down by 30 KG, which explains why it can obliterate the more powerful but heavier Golf R’s ‘Ring record.

With special editions come special design bits, and the GTI Edition 50 has tons of them. Besides the multiple Edition 50 badges to differentiate it from the vanilla GTI, it also comes with new 19-inch Queenstown alloy wheels with red accents, the same aggressive GTI bodykit as the standard model, and five exterior colourways, including the exclusive Moss Green and VW’s classic Tornado Red.

More Edition 50 badges can be found inside the car, which have adorned the seats, floor mats, door sill plates, and steering wheel. Other onboard equipment is largely carried over from the standard GTI model, including the 12.9-inch central infotainment screen, a fully-digital metre cluster, USB-C ports, a wireless charger, multi-colour ambient lights, and many more.

As of now, Volkswagen has yet to confirm the prices nor the unit availability for this limited-edition Golf GTI Edition 50, but Autocar UK reports that it will begin somewhere around the £45,000 (RM258,605) region. Order books are due to open toward the end of the year in Europe, followed by their first deliveries afterwards.