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Volkswagen marked the 50th anniversary of the Golf during the ADAC 24‑hour race at the Nürburgring with a packed programme of premieres, heritage displays, and racing action.
The week began with the world premiere of the new Golf GTI Clubsport, presented on Friday afternoon in front of a large crowd on the Ring Boulevard. The most powerful front‑wheel‑drive Golf to date featured a sharper exterior, redesigned LED Plus headlights, illuminated VW logo, large roof spoiler, new Queenstown 19‑inch alloy wheels (with optional Warmenau forged wheels), a multifunction leather sports steering wheel, a new infotainment system, and the first use of Volkswagen’s IDA voice assistant with ChatGPT integration. Its turbocharged EA888 engine delivered 221 kW (300 PS) and 400 Nm, managing 0–100 km/h in 5.6 s with an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (upgradable to 267 km/h with the Race package). The Clubsport also offered a bespoke “Special” driving profile tuned for Nürburgring Nordschleife undulations via DCC adaptive chassis control and Vehicle Dynamics Manager systems Volkswagen NewsroomVolkswagen Newsroom.
On race day, the one‑off Golf GTI Clubsport 24h—powered by E20 high‑bioethanol fuel—took to the grid in the AT3 class (vehicles with alternative fuels). The car, bearing the symbolic racing number 50, was campaigned by Max Kruse Racing and piloted by Benny Leuchter, Johan Kristoffersson, Heiko Hammel, and Nico Otto. The team delivered a strong performance, finishing 43rd overall in a field affected by dense fog and an early race suspension, while capturing the AT3 class victory and being recognised as the best alternative-fuel entrantRacing Sports CarsSPEED SPORTRacing Sports CarsWire Association.
As part of the anniversary festivities, three first‑generation classic Golf GTIs appeared in the support ADAC 24h Classic race, run by KWL Motorsport. These included a 1981 Golf GTI 16S Oettinger (208 PS), a 1978 Kamei GTI (183 PS), and a 1980 GTI wrapped in the “50 years of Golf” camouflage livery (184 PS) . Together they added historical prestige and rousing atmosphere to the event.
| Entry | Drivers | Car | AT3 Class | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 50 Golf GTI Clubsport 24h | Leuchter / Kristoffersson / Hammel / Otto | Alternative-fuel GTI | Class win (AT3) | 43rd overall (out of ~135)24h-rennen.de+15Racing Sports Cars+15Racing Sports Cars+1524h-rennen.de+5SPEED SPORT+5Volkswagen Newsroom+5Wire Association+1Volkswagen Newsroom+1 |
Volkswagen successfully combined a heritage celebration, a high‑profile world premiere, and motorsport innovation in one iconic weekend—honouring 50 years of the most successful European car in style.
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