Volkswagen has quietly dropped a golf ball–shaped microphone ahead of the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours: the Golf GTI Edition 50.

Set to make its public debut on the eve of the N24, the Edition 50 celebrates five decades of GTI heritage and will arrive in showrooms in 2026. And it’s more than just a badge-and-stripes anniversary trim – it’s now the fastest Golf ever.

Behind the wheel was VW development driver and touring car ace Benny Leuchter, who wrung out a pre-production prototype on the Nordschleife in 7:46.13. That lap includes the full circuit, even the extra 200-metre T13 straight usually omitted in internal times. For stopwatch purists, the raw flying lap came in quicker still: 7:41.27. Either way, it puts the all-wheel-drive Golf R 20 Years (7:47.31) and the stripped-out Mk7 GTI Clubsport S (7:49.21) firmly in the rearview. Given the damp conditions seen in the onboard footage, there’s every chance this car could go even faster on a cleaner run.

Herr Leuchter has described the Ed.50 as “The combination of superior drive power and highly precise chassis”. He was also keen to point out that “In technical terms the car is the same version that will be sold in the future”. That is a big claim sir, so what exactly makes the Ed.50 so good?

Helping the cause is the optional Performance pack, which bolts on featherweight 19-inch forged wheels wrapped in bespoke Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slicks – rubber developed specifically for this car. According to Leuchter, the setup plays a huge role in the GTI’s uncanny composure over the Ring’s blind crests, off-camber corners, and high-speed compressions. Power? Expect a Golf R–matching 333bhp from the turbocharged four-pot.

Volkswagen hasn’t released final specs just yet, but the Edition 50 makes one thing clear: an electric GTI may be on the horizon, but the enduring piston-powered version isn’t done proving itself. And with Honda Europe recently confirming the FL5 Civic Type R will bow out in 2026, the GTI might not just be the original hot hatch – but the last of its kind.

We’ll have full details on the production version when it’s revealed on 20 June.