The new Golf GTI and Golf GTI Clubsport

The race gets underway with a world premiere. Germany’s largest motorsport event has already provided its first memorable moment: on Friday, as part of the legendary Nürburgring 24 Hours, the new Golf GTI Clubsport was presented to numerous fans. The sporty, optimised version of the classic model stands out thanks to its sharper exterior design, an enhanced interior, impressive performance data and high-end sports suspension.

The countdown for Germany’s largest motorsport event has started: the legendary ADAC 24-hour race will start at the Nürburgring on 1 June, with more than 200,000 spectators expected. This time, the event will also be a stage for the most successful European car of all time: the Golf. Volkswagen is celebrating the icon’s 50th birthday at the Nürburgring. And this celebration will be quite impressive: Volkswagen is presenting the new Golf GTI Clubsport with powerful drive and high-end sports suspension to visitors as a world premiere. The second highlight is the participation of the Golf GTI Clubsport 24h in the 24-hour race. The one-off GTI with an output of 256 kW / 348 PS will be driven by motorsport stars such as Benny Leuchter (Germany) and Johan Kristoffersson (Sweden). The starting number of the GTI race car powered by alternative fuel: the number 50, of course – a birthday gift from the organiser for half a century of the Golf success story. In addition, as a tribute to the more than 37 million Golf vehicles built to date, three classic Golf GTIs will take part in the ADAC 24h Classic race.

Volkswagen has made significant improvements to the Golf, with new infotainment system, new software, new design and new drives. Pre-sales of the most iconic vehicle in this model series are now starting: get ready for the new edition of the Golf GTI – the original of sporty compact cars. Now boasting an output of 195 kW (265 PS), the new GTI is 20 PS more powerful than its predecessor. From the outside, the car can be recognised thanks to features such as the new LED headlights and an illuminated Volkswagen logo at the front, as well as redesigned LED tail light clusters and the likewise new 19-inch Queenstown alloy wheels. Inside, the everyday athlete is equally impressive: its revamped infotainment systems are intuitively controlled by means of a visually free-standing touchscreen or by IDA, the new voice assistant with ChatGPT integration. Equipped with a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG) as standard, the Golf GTI can now be configured and ordered at prices starting from 44,505 euros.

Volkswagen is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Golf. Series production of the bestseller started in Wolfsburg in March 1974. More than 37 million units have followed that first Golf to date. Purely in mathematical terms, this means that over 2,000 people around the world have opted to buy a new Golf every single day over the last 50 years. This makes the compact icon the most successful European car and the best-selling Volkswagen model of all time. Volkswagen is now presenting the latest stage in the Golf’s evolution with a world premiere, featuring a new infotainment system that has been developed from scratch and a next-generation plug-in hybrid drive. The best Golf of the last 50 years will arrive in dealerships this spring.