VW GOLF GTI EDITION 50

With more power and added precision, is this the sharpest GTI yet?

- GREG KABLE

It's only a short drive; a quick evaluation run in a prototype. But it's long enough to confirm something important. The new Golf GTI Edition 50 isn't merely a decal-and-badge special - it's the most powerful and, arguably, the most dynamically accomplished front-wheel-drive Volkswagen yet.

This drive followed a deep dive into the hot hatch's engineering and Volkswagen's evolving development process, which now includes digital simulator tuning in partnership with German firm EDAG, backed by test track validation using a robot capable of analysing fine-grain steering response. These are relatively new tools layered on top of traditional development methods - and it shows. This isn't quite the final production model, but it's close. And based on what I've sampled, Volkswagen has every reason to be confident.

The numbers are strong but not outrageous: a revised version of the 'EA888' 2.0-litre turbo four produces 321bhp and 310lb ft - 25bhp more but the same torque as the existing Golf GTI Clubsport.