Golf GTI Edition 50 Flips A FWD Middle Finger At The Civic Type R

They've become quite good at it, too. Note, though, that we said most automakers would never dare, which means Honda isn't alone. Among the few other mad manufacturers willing to push front-drive to the extreme is Volkswagen, and its new Golf GTI Edition 50 has topped the Civic Type R in horsepower.

Volkswagen Finally Reveals The Details

While VW showed the Edition 50 last week, it only shared the car's lap time at the Nürburgring Nordschleife (which we'll come back to shortly). Now, the automaker has released details on what makes the car tick. Under the hood is the familiar turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, but it's been tuned up to make 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. That's five more ponies than in the Honda, and the same amount of torque. It's also just six horsepower shy of the Golf R and tied on torque, at least for the European version.

Volkswagen has, of course, upgraded other parts of the car to handle the herd of horses. The limited-slip differential and adaptive shocks are retuned. The car sits 0.6-inch lower than a standard GTI due to different springs, and it features upgraded brakes with drilled front rotors. There's also a GTI Performance Package that goes even further with upgrades. It has 20% stiffer springs than even the regular Edition 50, dropping it another 0.2-inch. The package also includes forged wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza semi-slick tires, as well as a titanium exhaust from Akrapovic. On top of being extremely grippy, the Bridgestone tires and all those other parts contribute to weight savings. The tires are 2.4 pounds lighter per corner, and the wheels save 6.6 pounds each. The exhaust is 24.3 pounds lighter than standard. 

You'll also be able to spot the Edition 50 relatively easily thanks to a number of unique styling features. The red-accented wheels are especially distinctive, and they're paired with black stripes along each side of the car. The roof, mirror caps, and exhaust tips are all painted black, and Edition 50 logos appear on the spoiler. Inside, the car has seats featuring classic GTI plaid on the bolsters, and stripes echoing the plaid on the inserts. More Edition 50 logos show up on the side sills and the steering wheel. VW is offering the car in only a few colors, consisting of white, gray, black, red, and green.

It's Still Not The Fastest Front-Drive Car At The 'Ring

Volkswagen previously revealed the Nurburgring lap time of the Edition 50, and at 7:46.13, it has become the fastest production VW to lap the track. That means it's even faster than its all-wheel-drive sibling, the Golf R. The company didn't specifically say which version of the Edition 50 it used, but it's safe to assume it was the one with the GTI Performance Package.

But it's still not enough to claim the title of fastest front-wheel-drive car at the infamous track. That honor stays with the Honda Civic Type R. Despite being slightly down on power, the Type R is a little less than 2 seconds faster around the German course with a time of 7:44.88. Even so, the Edition 50 remains the most powerful GTI yet, and the fastest of its line at the 'Ring. That's something fans can be excited about when deliveries begin in the first quarter of next year. Unfortunately for those in the States, you won't get to enjoy the car firsthand. VW isn't sending its hottest GTI across the Atlantic.