All eyes were on Germany’s historic Nürburgring circuit this week as Volkswagen’s iconic Golf GTI took a 50th birthday lap in a record breaking 7:46:13 minutes. What piques our automotive sensibilities is that the car in question—the limited-edition Golf GTI 50—features a major anniversary glow-up. This includes GTI 50 decals, a titanium exhaust, and a black roof and mirrors. For context, the launch edition of the torquey, Golf GTI was planned in 1974 and premiered in 1975, as a sporty version of the already popular Golf. The initial plan was to sell 5,000 units of this small but speedy car, but ended up with over 460,000 units sold, making it one of the most popular compact sports cars in the world.
As we tip our hats to a racetrack icon that turns 50 this week, we get in on the track excitement, here in India.
It’s not everyday that one gets to drive a car—a hatchback, actually—on a high-speed testing ground, to push it to the limit, all the way to 267kmph. But that’s what we are doing today behind the wheels of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, a limited release in India, for pure automotive enthusiasts.
The performance iteration “GTI” of the popular hatchback, with its cult following over the world dropped about 250 pieces in India. We get exclusive access to Indore’s Natrax, a high-speed automotive testing track, to push the car to the limits.
While the 2.0 litre turbo petrol engine does promise a power of 261bhp and a torque of 370 Nm, today we set out to maxing out the car at 267 kmph on the circuit. Slow down on the curves— definitely not—as you would expect, the tarmac banks steeply along the two semi-circular curves enabling you to keep a consistent speed. The tartan seats and leather stitched steering wheel notwithstanding, it feels good to be behind the controls of this pocket rocket. One tap on the accelerator sends it surging forward instantly—thanks to the power-to-weight ratio - and quite effortlessly crossing the 100-150 mark within a couple of seconds. As I keep my foot sustained on the pedal, I cross 200, 230, 260 and finally 267 kmph, without so much as a huff or a shudder from the car—that’s how beautifully performative it is. The best part of the experience, was the surreal feeling of a high-speed bank, where the car tilts to almost 40 degrees and seamlessly pushes a 267 kmph lap.
A while later, the track authorities cordon off a certain section of the track for my exclusive use where I did try out a bunch of speed and braking manoeuvres to enjoy the best of the Golf GTI, as I would never be able to on regular city streets outside. From the inside, the car is stylised, utilitarian and features a certain understated sporty luxury.
While the first lot of 250 units of the GTI sold out within days, there is a limited number of units coming to India in the second batch.
For now, here’s wishing the Golf GTI a Happy 50th birthday—thank you for the thrills.
