Volkswagen may be going through some challenging times, but they’re showing they haven’t forgotten how to make a properly fast hot hatch.

The German automaker has reclaimed the throne of having the fastest front-wheel-drive production car on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit with the Golf GTI Edition 50, setting a record lap time of 7:44.523.

The Golf GTI Edition 50 was driven by Volkswagen test and development driver Benjamin Leuchter, lapping some 0.358 seconds faster than the previous record holder, the Honda Civic Type R FL5. The Edition 50 also beat the lap time of the all-wheel-drive Golf R 20 by more than 3 seconds, making it the fastest factory-spec Golf to lap the Green Hell.

As the name implies, the Golf GTI Edition 50 is a special model commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Golf GTI. Overall, the Edition 50 sits 15 mm lower than a standard Golf, and is equipped as standard with DCC adaptive chassis control.

The 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder puts out 325 PS, making the Edition 50 sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds, with a top speed of 270 km/h.

For the record run, the Edition 50 was equipped with the GTI Performance package, which includes a specially tuned chassis lowered by another 5 mm, a lightweight R-Performance exhaust system with rear silencers in titanium, as well as 19‑inch forged alloy wheels and Bridgestone Potenza Race semi-slick tires.

That said, the special edition Golf GTI Edition 50 only beat a standard Civic Type R FL5 with a slim margin. Let’s see if Honda or third-placed Renault will retaliate in the next few months. This will be interesting.