Volkswagen celebrates 50 years of the Golf GTi

It’s one of the three best-selling models in the entire history of the automobile and has been collecting accolades for five decades now. When the Golf replaced the Beetle in 1974, it’s unlikely even Volkswagen could have imagined how successful it would be.

The Volkswagen Golf story has been both a 3-door and 5-door hatchback, an estate, a saloon, and an ever-popular choice of trendy convertible. None of which is important right now, because 2026 witnesses the celebration of the 50th birthday of the most desirable model of all, the legendary VW Golf GTi.

And what better way to mark the occasion than by introducing the new Volkswagen Golf GTi Edition 50, the most powerful production version to date.

The Golf GTI Edition 50 boasts exclusive anniversary touches inside and out.

Exterior features include special trim on the door sills, a black roof, black exterior mirror housings, black exhaust tailpipe trims, with a “GTI 50” logo appearing on the roof spoiler and the insides of the exterior mirrors. A uniquely striking side stripe that flows from black to Tornado red also underlines its sporty character. It will be available in five exterior colours:

• Pure whire,
• Moonstone grey,
• Grenadilla black metallic
• and – exclusively for the anniversary model – Dark Moss green metallic, and the Tornado red synonymous with high-performance Volkswagen vehicles.

The interior has been tweaked too, combining red seat belts with check-patterned sports seats that will be vaguely familiar to anyone who recalls 1970’s upholstery. The newly designed multifunction leather sports steering wheel features trim with the “GTI 50” logo and integrated shift paddles for the seven-speed DSG transmission.

To make it go like a GTi, Volkswagen is fitting the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine found in the Golf GTi Clubsport – except it too has been tweaked to increase the power output to around 325bhp. The chassis of the Golf GTI Edition 50 hasn't escaped refinement either. To handle the extra power, it features redesigned axles and suspension and has been lowered by 15mm compared to the standard model.

And if you’re one of those people who is never satisfied, Volkswagen will also be offering the optional GTI Performance package with Performance chassis exclusively for the Golf GTI Edition 50.

New suspension springs deliver a more direct response, and the overall ride height is lowered by a further 5mm. The package also comes with semi-slick Bridgestone tyres on 19-inch Warmenau forged wheels and a lightweight R-Performance exhaust system with rear silencer in titanium.

Oh yes, and it’s a record-breaker too.

To prove the point, VW threw the anniversary model at the infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack. It made a mockery of the ‘Green Hell’, completing the 13-mile lap in a time of 7 minutes and 46 seconds, faster than any previous Golf model has ever achieved.

And if you want to lease one, production of this exclusive anniversary model is scheduled to start in Wolfsburg at the end of 2025 so the Golf GTI Edition 50 can be delivered to lucky customers in time for the start of its anniversary year.