The Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years edition made its official debut in May this year but the hardcore hot hatch is making headlines again with a new record. The model is now officially the fastest Volkswagen R-branded vehicle to ever lap the Nurburgring with a record time of 7:47.31 minutes beating the time of a standard Golf R by around four seconds.
Launched to mark two decades since the launch of the Golf R32, the first and original VW to wear the R logo, the Golf R 20 Years was put to its limits around the legendary German track with touring car race driver and Volkswagen R development driver Benjamin Leuchter behind the wheel. Thanks to its hardware upgrades, the car was able to achieve a top speed of almost 165 miles per hour (265 kilometers per hour) in certain sections of the circuit.
Gallery: Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years Edition Nurburgring record
“With this car, I can drive here on the Nurburgring and the next stop is then the baker’s or the DIY store. The vehicle is really an all-rounder that can do everything,” Leuchter summarizes his experience behind the wheel. His statement highlights the nature of the special edition Golf R, which can be used both on track and as an everyday vehicle.
While it doesn’t have a V6 engine like its original predecessor, the Golf R 20 Years edition relies on a heavily modified version of Volkswagen’s 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The four-cylinder TSI unit delivers 328 horsepower (245 kilowatts) in this application, versus 315 hp (235 kW) for the regular Golf R. These numbers effectively make the hot hatch the most powerful production Golf in history.
The 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) acceleration takes just 4.6 seconds, while the top speed is electronically governed at 168 mph (270 kph), which means the car was very close to its limits on the Nurburgring. Other upgrades helping with the performance around the track come in the form of a standard R-Performance package with new Special and Drift driving profiles that are exclusive to the model.
Volkswagen will have the Golf R 20 Years edition on sale until the spring of 2023, which means it is labeled as a limited production hot hatch.
