Volkswagen Triumphs With New Golf GTI at Nürburgring 24H
Volkswagen thrilled 280,000 fans at Germany’s Nürburgring by unveiling the Tornado Red Golf GTI EDITION 501 before dominating the famous 24-hour race. Benny Leuchter, Johan Kristoffersson, Heiko Hammel, and Nico Otto steered the 397-PS Golf GTI Clubsport 24h2 to another AT3 class win, finishing twenty-fourth overall among 135 starters. The track-focused hot hatch ran faultlessly on fuel blended from sixty per cent renewable sources, underlining Volkswagen’s commitment to alternative fuels and cutting-edge motorsport technology.
On Friday, Martin Sander and Leuchter rolled back the covers on the fastest production GTI ever built, delighting GTI enthusiasts packed onto the Ringboulevard. Leuchter had already proved the car’s pace, guiding a pre-production model round the Nordschleife in seven minutes forty-six point one two five seconds, a record for a Golf GTI.
Leuchter then secured the AT3 pole for Saturday’s start. Scorching temperatures and a power outage halted proceedings for more than two hours. Yet, car 19 retained its advantage after the restart and crossed Sunday’s finish line still leading its class, despite pressure from more powerful rivals.
Thomas Schäfer, Volkswagen brand CEO, celebrated trackside, stating: “The 24-hour race provided a great stage for celebrating the world premiere of the Golf GTI EDITION 50 and then gave the Golf GTI the chance to prove itself in the famous ‘Green Hell’. GTI and the Nürburgring belong together.”
Leuchter added: “Of course, we are proud and happy to have won the class again and finished in twenty-fourth place overall with our Golf GTI. It was a hot and difficult race. Our goal was to be fast without taking too much risk. In the end, it paid off. Our Golf GTI ran like clockwork.”
The sister Golf GTI Clubsport 24h, number 76, fared less well. Jasmin Preisig slid off the circuit, grass clogged the cooling ducts, and the engine overheated after thirty-one laps, forcing retirement for Preisig, Fabian Vettel, Timo Hochwind and Christian Gebhardt. Nonetheless, Volkswagen’s latest Golf GTI celebrated an unforgettable debut, pairing showroom excitement with on-track glory in motorsport’s challenging endurance test.
