- Anniversary model Golf GTI EDITION 501 makes its debut in front of a large crowd
- Class win for the Golf GTI2 in the 24h race at the Nürburgring
- 280,000 spectators attend Germany’s largest motorsport event
Wolfsburg – Unique weekend of motorsport for Volkswagen at the Nürburgring: the world premiere of the new Golf GTI EDITION 501 in front of cheering fans was followed by a strong showing at the 24h race. The Golf GTI Clubsport 24h2 driven by Benny Leuchter (Germany), Johan Kristoffersson (Sweden), Heiko Hammel (Germany) and Nico Otto (Germany) repeated last year’s success in the AT3 class for vehicles with alternative fuels, taking position 24 overall out of 135 participating vehicles. The 397 PS (291 kW) Golf GTI for the racetrack is powered by an innovative fuel consisting of 60 percent renewable raw materials. 280,000 spectators set a new attendance record for the classic endurance race, which is held in Germany’s Eifel region.
On Friday, the new Golf GTI EDITION 501 had its world premiere: the anniversary GTI in the colour Tornado red was unveiled in front of enthusiastic fans on the Ringboulevard by Martin Sander, Member of the Board of Management for Sales, Marketing and After Sales at the Volkswagen brand, and Benny Leuchter, Volkswagen racing and development driver. The Golf GTI EDITION 501 is the fastest and most powerful production GTI Volkswagen has ever built. Leuchter recently set a new record on the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a pre-production vehicle3 with a lap time of 07:46.125 minutes.
Benny Leuchter started the 24h Nürburgring on Saturday from pole position in the AT3 class. The initial phase was marked by high summer temperatures and a power outage in the pit lane, which caused a race interruption of more than two hours. The Golf GTI Clubsport 24h with start number 19 driven by Leuchter, Kristoffersson, Hammel and Otto defended its class lead all the way to the finish line on Sunday, leaving behind several significantly more powerful sports cars.
“The 24-hour race provided a great stage for celebrating the world premiere of the Golf GTI EDITION 50 and then gave the Golf GTI the chance to prove itself in the famous “Green Hell”. GTI and the Nürburgring simply belong together,” explained Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, who was at the Nürburgring to watch the race. “Thank you and congratulations to our team from Max Kruse Racing for all the preparation work and the excellent result. The spectators experienced a true festival of motorsport here.”
“Of course, we are proud and happy to have won the class again and finished in 24th place overall with our Golf GTI,” said Benny Leuchter. “It was a really hot and difficult race. Our goal was to be fast without taking too much risk. In the end, it paid off. Our Golf GTI ran like a clockwork,” enthused the 37-year-old German from the Max Kruse Racing team.
Luck was unfortunately not on the side of the second Golf GTI Clubsport 24h with start number 76 driven by Jasmin Preisig (Switzerland), Fabian Vettel (Germany), Timo Hochwind (Germany) and Christian Gebhardt (Germany). After a slip off the track, grass and dirt blocked the cooling air supply, meaning that Preisig had to stop the car after 31 laps with an overheated engine.
1) Golf GTI EDITION 50 – near-production concept car. The vehicle is not yet available for sale. Forecast values: Combined energy consumption: 7.9–7.5 l/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 181–172 g/km; CO₂ class: F
2) Golf GTI Clubsport 24h – race car. The model will not be available for sale.
3) Until the Golf GTI EDITION 50 is available for order, the vehicle will be listed in the “pre-production models” category in the official list of the Nürburgring.
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has a global presence and produces vehicles at 28 locations in 12 countries. In 2024, Volkswagen delivered about 4.8 million cars. These include bestsellers such as the Polo, T- Roc, T-Cross, Golf, Tiguan and Passat as well as the successful all-electric models of the ID. family. About 170,000 people currently work at Volkswagen around the world. With its ACCELERATE strategy, the company is consistently driving forward its development into the most desirable brand for sustainable mobility.