5 Times Volkswagen Owned the Nürburgring Nordschleife
June 2025
Including the recent official unveiling of the new Golf GTI Edition 50 to coincide with the 2025 24 Hours of Nürburgring motor race, Volkswagen has enjoyed several notable headline-stealing moments at this legendary track.
Volkswagen ID.R – 2019
Developed to showcase the potential of Volkswagen’s all-electric ID. programme, the ID.R made its competitive debut at the 2018 running of the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event in Colorado. Driven by Le Mans winner Romain Dumas, on its way to claiming the overall win, the built-for-purpose Volkswagen became the first car to complete the challenging 20 km course in under 8 minutes.
Twelve months later, Dumas was again behind the wheel when the ID.R set the record for the fastest all-electric vehicle to circulate the Nürburgring Nordschleife, recording a time of 6:05.336.
Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years – 2022
Introduced to celebrate two decades of Volkswagen’s high-performance R badge, the all-wheel drive Golf R 20 Years shipped with a standard R-Performance package, Driving Dynamics Manager and R-Performance Torque Vectoring. True to form, a Performance package increased the output of this car’s turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine to 245 kW.
Using a bespoke “Special” driving mode, VW works driver Benjamin Leuchter set about negotiating the Nordschleife’s complex layout, including its undulations, unforgiving curbs and sections of foot-flat performance. The Golf R 20 Years recorded a best time of 7:47.31, some 4 seconds faster than the standard Golf Mk8 R.
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S – 2016
Just 400 examples of the Golf Mk7 GTI Clubsport S were created by Volkswagen in a celebration of what is possible when the brand throws out the rule book – and the rear seats – on the legendary Golf GTI package. While part of the continued global success of the GTI badge lies in the comfort and versatility built into this performance hatchback, in the case of the Clubsport S, the brand made a statement.
Driven by works driver Benjamin Leuchter, the 228 kW GTI Clubsport S fitted with 19-inch semi-slick Michelin tyres, a manual transmission, and only two front seats established the fastest time for a front-wheel drive vehicle around the Nordschleife, recorded at 7:49.21.
Volkswagen Transporter – 2018
One somewhat unlikely, and, indeed, unofficial, Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record belonging to Volkswagen is that of the fastest commercial van.
In 2018, former British Touring Cars racer Rob Austin convinced one of the UK’s largest van rental companies, Northgate Vehicle Hire, to allow him to drive a standard Volkswagen Transporter turbodiesel around the Nordschleife to try and beat the record established by the late Sabine Schmidt driving a Ford Transit during filming for a Top Gear television segment. Austin’s time of 9:58 established the new record by just 0.5 seconds.
Volkswagen Golf GTI Edition 50 – 2025
Volkswagen celebrated the momentous occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Golf GTI by unveiling a new limited-edition anniversary car ahead of the 2025 24 Hours of Nürburgring race.
The fastest and most powerful Golf GTI ever created, the 239 kW Edition 50 introduces a specially tuned DCC sports chassis, a finely adjusted front differential lock and high-precision progressive steering. Available with Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tyres and an Akrapovič titanium exhaust system, Volkswagen claims the car will sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds, with a top speed of 270 km/h.
Before competing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with his Max Kruse Racing Golf GTI Clubsport 24h racing team, Benjamin Leuchter drove the GTI Edition 50 to a new Nordschleife lap record for a front-wheel drive car of 7:46.13.