Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TSI 325 GTI Edition 50 5dr DSG

Ten Second Review

As anyone who's experienced it will tell you, turning 50 isn't easy. But Volkswagen's Golf GTI reaches its half-century in some style with this Edition 50 variant. It's everything this hot hatch model line represents - dialled up to the max.

Background

What exactly might the ultimate Volkswagen Golf GTI be like? Some would picture a Golf R. Others a Golf GTI Clubsport. But this is how Volkswagen itself pictures it - the Golf GTI Edition 50. Whereas the Golf R is for people who want more power and AWD. And the GTI Clubsport for the customer wanting a Golf GTI with a more motorsport feel, the GTI Edition 50 is simply a Golf GTI for people who want, well, more Golf GTI. It's not trying to be anything else but a model encapsulating half a century of history of arguably the most iconic hot hatch model line on the planet. Anniversary Golf GTI models are nothing new. Volkswagen has been offering them ever since this model line's 20th Anniversary with the MK3 version back in 1996. That fast variant was very much badge-engineered but as the years went on, the Wolfsburg engineers made a bit more effort as the anniversaries rolled by, adding things like bigger turbos, overboost features, bespoke suspension set-ups, titanium exhaust systems and significant aerodynamic enhancements. For the GTI's 50th Anniversary, you'd expect more effort still and indeed that's what's been delivered by this Edition 50, which claims to be nothing less than the fastest front-driven production car the brand has ever made.

Driving Experience

Since it isn't really in Golf GTI DNA to have 4WD, this GTI Edition 50 is defiantly front-driven. Yet it puts out 325PS, 60PS more than an ordinary GTI, 25PS more than a GTI Clubsport and just 8PS less than the 4MOTION-equipped Golf R. So here's been a bit of an engineering re-think here because Volkswagen's R&D team have previously been unwilling to direct anything more than 300PS through the front wheels of anything they make. Doing just that here makes this Edition 50 feel more exciting and frisky than any Golf yet made - maybe even more than the stripped-out GTI Clubsport S of 2016, a MK7 model also lauded by enthusiasts as the ultimate GTI in this Volkswagen's long lineage. With a power-to-weight ratio of 225PS-per-tonne (not that much different to something like a Porsche 911 Carrera S), you'd think it would be. The engine is the usual EA888 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo TSI unit of course - designated 'Evo4 LK3' in VW circles - and develops 420Nm of torque, enough to dispatch 62mph in just 5.3s. And also to gain for this car the coveted Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record from its old nemesis the Honda Civic Type R (7 mins 46.13s if you're interested). So it's appropriate that, as with the GTI Clubsport, the drive modes include a bespoke 'Nurburgring' setting specially developed at that iconic circuit. There is also an S+ mode for the seven-speed DSG paddleshift auto gearbox, for optimum downshifts going into track corners; and a manual M+ mode that limits automatic gear upshifting even at high revs. Plus as you'd hope, the Edition 50 gets as standard the usually optional minutely-adjustable Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive damping system with its 15 settings. Other Edition 50 changes include a ride height that's 15mm lower than a standard GTI and 5mm lower than the Clubsport model. And there are special suspension and chassis components which have lowered kerb weight to 1,930kg. Other mechanical features recognisable to GTI loyalists include the XDS+ brake-based torque vectoring system. And the clutch-based VAQ set-up that creates the effect of a mechanical limited-slip differential by locking one driveshaft to the differential gear carrier. If you want to go further, as most Edition 50 owners will, you can add an optional 'Performance Package', which gives the car a throaty twin-exit titanium Akrapovic exhaust, a further reduced ride height, 20% stiffer springs, an extra 2-degrees of negative camber on the front axle and smarter 19-inch 'Warmenau' alloy wheels shod with track-style semi-slick Bridgestone Potenza tyres. The combination of all these extras further lowers the kerb weight by 25kg. You can bet this was the spec test driver Benny Leuchter used in that Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record attempt, his eventual time three seconds faster than the stripped-out GTI Clubsport S model managed back in 2016. But you don't necessarily need track access to really enjoy yourself in this Edition 50. On your favourite back road, this Golf will feel eager and agile in the kind of way hot hatches used to be before they were handicapped with excess weight and emission regulations. The steering is accurate and body roll perfectly checked. But this car is just as at home collecting your dry cleaning. As a Golf GTI should be.

Design and Build

You'd need to be quite a Golf GTI enthusiast to spot the changes made which set this Edition 50 version part, but they're there if you look for them. It's arguably the meanest-looking model in the line to date, courtesy of the lower ride height and an open-worked front bumper, behind which you can spot the car's performance intercooler. There are 'GTI 50' badges on the rear wings and the mirror caps. And among the five available paint shades is a unique 'Dark Moss Green'. 'Performance Package' models are set apart by 19-inch 'Warmenau' alloy wheels and, at the back, by the big titanium outlets of the Akrapovic exhaust system. Inside, the Anniversary additions are equally subtle - red seat belts, more 'GTI 50' branding and a new take on the traditional GTI tartan seat upholstery for the thickly-bolstered sports chairs. More controversially, there are red-themed pedals too - and you can add a lovely suede-like microfleece steering wheel as an option. Otherwise, it's as with any other Golf GTI - so there are the usual issues with a lack of physical switches for drive modes and climate controls. The most famous GTI variant of all, the MK7-era Clubsport S version of 2016, didn't have a back seat, but of course you get one here, with all its usual practical space. And there's a normal 374-litre boot.

Market and Model

Unless you come to purchase of this GTI Edition 50 expecting to pay around £50,000, you're going to go away disappointed. Volkswagen launched the standard version of this car at £48,075, which is just over £7,000 more than the ordinary Golf GTI, just under £5,000 more than the GTI Clubsport and around £2,000 more than the AWD Golf R. In theory, you could pay £5 more for a Golf R Black Edition. But in practice, most GTI Edition 50 customers will want to add the £3,675 Performance Package on top of the asking price, so in every way that really matters, this is the most expensive Golf of all time. Most of what you're paying for comes under the category of engineering, which we've covered in our 'Driving' section. Plus the little exterior and cabin details we've mentioned in our 'Design' section. We'd want to find another £830 for this Edition's signature 'Dark Moss Green' metallic paint. And of course the Performance Package, the details of which we've covered elsewhere in this review. The microfleece-covered steering wheel will tempt you too. Standard kit includes 19-inch 'Queenstown' alloy rims with a red glaze and adaptive cruise control, but you'll have to pay extra for things like a panoramic sunroof, an area view camera system and a head-up display. Plus there's an optional 480-watt Harmon Kardon sound system upgrade if you want it.

Cost of Ownership

The efficiency figures aren't much different to those of any other Golf GTI, rated at up to 37.1mpg on the combined cycle and up to 173g/km of CO2. For an ordinary 265PS Golf GTI, the figures are 40.0mpg and 161g/km. For a Golf GTI Clubsport, it's 38.4mpg and 167g/km. And for a Golf R, it's 34.9mpg and 184g/km. And the warranty? Well the standard package is three years and 60,000 miles. We can't see why Volkswagen couldn't extend that mileage limit to 100,000 miles, since that what you get on the company's LCVs. Doing that though, wouldn't give Volkswagen dealers so much of an opportunity to sell extended warranty packages. There's one for four years and 75,000 miles or, if you plan to see a bit more of the world in your Golf GTI Edition 50, there's a five year / 90,000 mile package.

Summary

This Edition 50 Golf GTI will be a collectors' item. But it doesn't redefine the spirit of this long-running model line, nor is it likely to be recognised as the 'best' Golf GTI ever made (most enthusiasts still reckon that title rests with the MK7 GTI Clubsport S). But track-tamed variants of that sort aren't really representative of the kind of everyday-practical performance car the Golf GTI has always tried to be; this Edition 50 is. It's everything the standard car has finally evolved into - with extra reserves of power, traction and tactile involvement. If you've ever wished for a Golf GTI which was able to keep its everyday usability while being just a fraction closer to the wild exuberance of a Honda Civic Type R, well this is it. For us, this is the most immersive kind of driving experience any Golf has ever offered. And that makes it very desirable indeed.