Test of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50: The Fastest Golf GTI in History!

The Volkswagen Golf GTI has celebrated its 50th anniversary! And the manufacturer from Wolfsburg could not settle for just putting stickers on a Golf GTI for such an important anniversary. So the engineers went all out and made the Golf GTI Edition 50 the fastest in history, even quicker than a Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport on the Nürburgring. We had the chance to get behind the wheel of an endangered sports car.

Before I start talking about the Golf GTI Edition 50, I must tell you why I chose this vehicle during a road trip with the entire Volkswagen range. We are living in a pivotal time in automotive history: the energy transition to electric. Unfortunately, this transition seems to leave no room for thermal sports cars. Sports cars will survive by transitioning to electric, as we have seen with the Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI, for example, but we will have to say goodbye to thermal engines.

So when I saw that it was possible to drive the fastest Golf GTI on the winding roads of southern Spain, I didn’t hesitate for a moment, if only to please the child within me who dreamed of becoming an automotive journalist to regularly discover sports cars.

A Super Golf GTI

This Edition 50 version is to the Golf GTI what the Porsche 911 GT3 is to the Porsche 911. A sharper version, not necessarily overpowered, but therefore faster on the track. And this is evident from the outside.

While it generally adopts the style of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport with its less discreet rear wing, front bumper, side skirts, and diffuser, it features specific elements like the Edition 50 badges on the wing and mirror caps.

The test version was equipped with the GTI Edition Performance Pack, which includes lightweight forged 19-inch alloy wheels and an Akrapovič exhaust system with specific titanium tips. This setup saves the car about 25 kg. The discerning eye will immediately notice that this is more than just a simple Golf, especially in this red hue. The average person will simply see a Golf GTI. Sporty without being truly ostentatious, this Golf GTI Edition 50 is a good compromise.

In the cabin, we also find some sporty touches specific to this version. The steering wheel has a rim covered in Alcantara, the upholstery is specific and inspired by the iconic fabrics of the Golf GTI. These are sports seats, and we also find Edition 50 badges.

A Much More Sporty Golf GTI

The Volkswagen Golf GTI has always been a daily sports car. This implies a compromise between driving pleasure and ease of use. This Golf GTI Edition 50 no longer wants to make that compromise.

It uses the 2.0 TSI engine with 325 horsepower and 420 Nm of torque, connected to the 7-speed DSG transmission, a Volkswagen specialty. The performance is impressive for a front-wheel drive with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h. It must be said that the Golf GTI Edition 50 remains relatively light with a claimed weight of 1,470 kg.

It is equipped with the DCC sport suspension. These dampers offer a significant range of adjustment between comfort (rather soft for a sports car) and sport +++ (think: wooden plank). The response of the dampers changes according to the driving mode: Comfort, Normal, Sport, or Special. The latter was developed on the northern loop of the Nürburgring, a particularly demanding circuit with uneven surfaces. Paradoxically, this Special mode is less stiff in suspension than the Sport mode.

Since the Golf GTI Edition 50 is based on the Clubsport, it features an electronic locking differential that transfers power from the inner wheel to the outer wheel to help turn this powerful front-wheel drive.

Finally, our test version was equipped with the GTI Edition 50 Performance Pack. It includes a Volkswagen R exhaust system with lighter titanium exhaust tips, 19-inch forged wheels of the “Warmenau” type (less than 20% unsprung mass), modified knuckles on the front axle with revised camber, an additional 5 mm lowering thanks to stiffer springs, and adapted suspension components. Overall, this pack lowers the body by 20 mm. It also includes semi-slick tires 235/35 from Bridgestone Potenza Race. With this pack, the weight of the Golf GTI Edition 50 drops to 1,445 kg. If you can’t lose weight, the Golf GTI Edition 50 can do it for you.

Volkswagen did not joke around with this GTI Edition 50 and takes the GTI badge into a performance realm usually reserved for much more exclusive cars.

An Ultra-Sporty Daily Driver

Although the technical specifications indicate that this is the most sporty Golf GTI ever offered, the driving experience is surprising. Indeed, the Comfort mode is genuinely comfortable and makes the car fully usable for daily driving, provided you pay attention to the wheels since the tires have low profiles and to the ride height. The Golf GTI Edition 50 remains above all a Golf: practical, welcoming, quite fuel-efficient, and well-equipped. It has everything one can expect from a modern car.

But when you decide to switch to the Special mode, the car wakes up. The engine idle increases slightly. The engine becomes more audible through a sound generator. The DSG transmission aims to be even quicker and pushes the engine up in the revs. By changing modes, you clearly awaken another car, much more sporty and much more emotional.

And it is from this moment that you realize the car really performs well. The 420 Nm of torque is available from 2,000 to 5,400 rpm for a peak power of 325 horsepower reached at 5,200 rpm. This is the whole advantage of the turbo: the acceleration is explosive, the corner exits are swift, and the next turn can jump at you. 325 horsepower may not seem huge when sedans develop over 600, or reach 1,000 in electric. But with a relatively light car, it is more than enough to deliver a thrilling sensation of speed, especially on winding and bumpy roads as during my test.

Once the thrill of the initial accelerations has passed, it’s time to tackle the corners. And since you approach them quickly, you need to grab the brakes. Fortunately, the bite of the front 2-piston calipers on 357 mm perforated discs is reassuring and allows for strong deceleration. The car then aims for the apex with surprising ease for a front-wheel drive, and the rear end follows without issue. On the road, I had absolutely no problems with grip or braking. I simply noticed a slightly mobile rear end during heavy braking on very bumpy asphalt. This is normal: the Golf GTI Edition 50 remains a front-wheel drive with a mass distribution biased towards the front.

A Very Expensive Endangered Species

The most surprising thing is that despite this level of performance, the fuel consumption claimed by Volkswagen is below 8 l/100 km. I couldn’t measure it during my test on a terrain particularly suited to dynamic driving, but I had a longer test with a GTI Clubsport that managed to stay below 8 l/100 km on average.

The Golf GTI Edition 50 belongs to an endangered species. The Renault Megane R.S., Honda Civic Type R, and Hyundai i30 N have unfortunately abandoned the segment of sporty compacts in Europe due to stringent regulations. But Volkswagen does not back down and offers this Golf GTI Edition 50 in France starting at €57,100. A rather high price, but it is a special edition limited to 50 units in France. It’s ultimately not a bad deal as its price should remain high.

Except that we tend to forget the completely absurd ecological penalty applied to these thermal sports cars. With CO2 emissions between 173 and 180 g/km, the penalty ranges from €28,413 to €45,990, bringing the price to almost €100,000 for a Golf GTI… Ouch!

But we cannot blame Volkswagen. On the contrary, the manufacturer still offers the Edition 50 in France for the most passionate fans of the model.

For €100,000, you have the choice between buying a Golf GTI Edition 50, which should retain a good portion of its value for a few years, or a more powerful electric car, without penalty, but whose value may plummet like stock prices in 2008.