This year marks five decades of the iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI, and the German brand is planning big things for the nameplate’s big birthday.
Starting with the Mk1 Golf GTI in 1976, “the world’s most successful compact sports car” has sold more than 2.5 million units across no fewer than eight generations so far.
50 years on, VW says the GTI’s core DNA remains the same – “[an] agile engine, lightweight front-wheel drive, balanced chassis, perfectly fitting sports seats and crisp, no-frills design”.
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VW has confirmed two major product launches to commemorate this milestone anniversary, the first being the VW Golf GTI Edition 50 – the most powerful production GTI ever built.
Based on the latest Mk8.5 Golf, the Edition 50 boasts a 239kW/420Nm tune of the venerable ‘EA888’ 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, driving the front wheels via a seven-speed ‘DSG’ dual-clutch automatic.
Zero to 100km/h takes a claimed 5.5 seconds – or 0.4s quicker than the standard 195kW GTI currently on sale in Australia – while a sharpened chassis sees the Edition 50 sit 15mm lower than the standard GTI, with revised spring rates, steering and Dynamic Chassis Control systems.
The Edition 50 is also the quickest production Volkswagen to ever lap the famed Nürburgring – in June last year, company race driver Benny Leuchter piloted a pre-production Edition 50to a 7 minute 46.13 second laparound the Nordschleife, beating the 2022 Golf R 20 Years by over a second, despite the R’s extra 6kW and all-paw traction.
Orders for the GTI Edition 50 are open in “some European markets” ahead of first deliveries later in the year, though the anniversary model is only “under study” for the Australian market.
“The Golf GTI Edition 50 is currently under study by Volkswagen Australia for a local introduction, pending technical milestones and a business case for the vehicle,” a VW Group Australia spokesperson told CarExpert last year.
Should it make it Down Under, the Edition 50 will be the latest in a long line of powered-up special-edition Golfs, which include the Mk6 GTI Edition 35, Mk7 GTI 40 Years, as well as the Mk7.5 GTI TCR.
You can read our previous retrospective feature on special-edition Golf GTI models here.
The GTI badge’s 50th anniversary will also mark its first foray into the electrified space, with the all-electric ID. Polo GTI to be launched later this year.
Based on the MEB+ platform – intended for smaller, more efficient and more affordable vehicles, and feature a single-motor front-wheel drive configuration – the ID. Polo GTI will sit atop the new ID. Polo lineup, powered by a 166kW electric motor fed by a 52kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion battery pack.
The Polo nameplate, like the GTI, has just turned 50, having debuted in 1975. Amidst changing market and regulatory conditions both in Europe and around the world, VW intends to sell the new-generation ID. Polo alongside an updated version of the existing combustion-powered sixth-generation Polo for some time.
“There will be an update to the combustion Polo. We can continue to build combustion-powered cars for as long as we need to, there is no limit. The existing [MQB-A0] platform is more than capable of that,” Volkswagen’s board member for sales, marketing and aftersales, Martin Sander, toldAuto Express last month.
Neither the ID. Polo GTI nor standard ID. Polo have been confirmed for the Australian market yet, so we’ll have to wait for the global reveal in the hope Volkswagen’s local division has more to say about its local prospects.
The German auto giant has historically struggled to get its electrified products to our market in a timely fashion in the past, citing various factors like (lack of) emissions regulations, supply shortages, exchange rates, and the like.
Volkswagen’s initial range of ID. products was delayed by a number of years before the ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs eventually arrived following mid-life updates, along with the ID. Buzz electric people mover and commercial van.
The Golf-sized ID.3 hatchback never made it Down Under either, despite being the first ID. model to make production and after being earmarked for our market a number of times. That said, Spanish subsidiary Cupra managed to bring the related Born EV Down Under, but it has since been put on hiatus.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest!