GOLF STRIKES GOLD

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the very first Golf GTI, it seems Volkswagen has finally unlocked the potential of the Mk8 Golf. We get an early taste of the GTI Edition 50

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IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING. ALMOST A decade since the Mk7 Golf GTI Clubsport S took our breath away — and second place at eCoty 2016 - Volkswagen is building another track-focused GTI to take on the hot hatch big guns. It's called the GTI Edition 50, and it could be the car to unlock the full potential of the Mk8 Golf, which hasn't yet hit the heights of that stunning Clubsport S in any of its GTI or R forms.

This is far from a badge-and-stickers job. The Edition 50 has been comprehensively re-engineered to unlock some of the lost magic and benchmarked against the Clubsport S. From engine, suspension and chassis electronics to tyres, everything has been optimised to produce a Mk8 that can stand toe-to-toe with our favourite modern hatch, the Civic Type R, which will incidentally be killed off next year just as the Edition 50 comes to market.

Visually, there isn't much to suggest that this is a hardened track tool. It looks very much like the current Mk8 GTI Clubsport, save for darkened Volkswagen badges, black trim elements and a black and red decal along the sills. Inside, the rear seats haven't been swapped for a Clubsport S-style cage either — probably because, unlike the Mk7, the Mk8 is only available as a five-door. You do get red seatbelts, new floor mats, some Edition 50 logos and, oddly, red pedal faces.

Volkswagen's EA888 2-litre turbocharged four-pot has been lightly tuned for the Edition 50, with power up from 296bhp in the Mk8 Clubsport to 321bhp. Torque is also increased, by 15lb ft to 310lb ft. Sadly there's no option of a manual gearbox, but the seven-speed DSG makes for faster lap times than a manual, and helps the Edition 50 hit 62mph from rest in 5.5sec - a tenth quicker than the Clubsport. The gap widens significantly in the run from 0 to 124mph, the Edition 50’s time of 16.8sec being 1.6sec quicker.