Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Sell your car for free with Auto Express: bit.ly/AEX-Sell-My-Car
The Volkswagen Golf GTI is the quintessential hot hatchback.
It’s a formula that has been honed over five decades, and to many, represents the ultimate do-it-all family car. To celebrate its big birthday, VW has turned up the wick by launching the Mk8.5 GTI Edition 50, with more power, revised mechanicals and a series of visual tweaks that help it stand out from the crowd.
Is this ‘peak GTI’? Or does the Mk7 Clubsport S still lay claim to that title? Deputy editor Richard Ingram has driven the GTI 50 on road and track to deliver his definitive verdict.
Sell your car for free with Auto Express: bit.ly/AEX-Sell-My-Car
The Volkswagen Golf GTI is the quintessential hot hatchback.
It’s a formula that has been honed over five decades, and to many, represents the ultimate do-it-all family car. To celebrate its big birthday, VW has turned up the wick by launching the Mk8.5 GTI Edition 50, with more power, revised mechanicals and a series of visual tweaks that help it stand out from the crowd.
Is this ‘peak GTI’? Or does the Mk7 Clubsport S still lay claim to that title? Deputy editor Richard Ingram has driven the GTI 50 on road and track to deliver his definitive verdict.
