Volkswagen Marks 50 Years of GTI with Debut of the Electric ID. Polo GTI at Nürburgring

The Golf GTI Clubsport 24h in the “50 Years of GTI” anniversary design for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.
Copyright: Volkswagen AG

(IN BRIEF) Volkswagen will celebrate 50 years of the GTI brand at the 2026 Nürburgring 24-hour race with the world premiere of the all-electric ID. Polo GTI, the first electric vehicle to carry the GTI badge. The unveiling marks a major step in Volkswagen’s transition of its iconic performance line into the electric era. The company will also field three Golf GTI Clubsport 24h race cars in the endurance event while showcasing additional high-performance and concept vehicles during the race weekend. Historic GTI models from all eight generations are also expected to participate in a special parade at the Nürburgring as part of the anniversary celebrations.

(PRESS RELEASE) WOLFSBURG, 8-May-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — Volkswagen is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the GTI brand at the 2026 Nürburgring 24-hour race with the world premiere of the all-electric ID. Polo GTI, marking the first time a fully electric vehicle will carry the iconic GTI designation. The debut will take place during the 24h Nürburgring race weekend from 14 to 17 May 2026, one of the largest motorsport events in Germany and a key gathering point for performance car enthusiasts.

The unveiling of the ID. Polo GTI represents a significant milestone in Volkswagen’s performance vehicle strategy as the company transitions the GTI legacy into the electric mobility era. Fifty years after the launch of the original GTI, Volkswagen is using the Nürburgring setting to connect its motorsport heritage with its future electric performance ambitions.

The world premiere is scheduled to take place at the Ring-Boulevard area of the Nürburgring in front of an expected crowd of hundreds of thousands of spectators attending the endurance racing event. Volkswagen said the anniversary weekend will focus heavily on GTI tradition, performance, and motorsport culture while showcasing both historic and future-oriented models.

Alongside the debut of the electric ID. Polo GTI, Volkswagen will field three Golf GTI Clubsport 24h race cars in the Nürburgring endurance competition. Two vehicles competing in the SP4T class will feature special GTI anniversary liveries and will aim to secure a third consecutive class victory for Volkswagen.

The number 50 Golf GTI Clubsport 24h will be driven by Benjamin Leuchter, Johan Kristoffersson, Heiko Hammel, and Nico Otto, while the second SP4T-class car, number 76, will be piloted by Fabian Vettel, Timo Hochwind, Jonathan Mogotsi, and Nico Otto. A third Golf GTI Clubsport 24h competing in the SP3T class will include former German national football player Max Kruse among its driver lineup. All three race cars are being prepared and entered by Max Kruse Racing.

Volkswagen has further upgraded the Golf GTI Clubsport 24h for the 2026 endurance race. The vehicle produces 397 PS (291 kW) and includes new technical developments aimed at improving reliability and performance over the demanding 24-hour competition. Updates include active gearbox cooling, revised engine calibration, lightweight carbon fibre composite body components, and suspension modifications specifically adapted for the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit.

The race cars also continue Volkswagen’s use of E20 fuel, which is produced using 60 percent renewable raw materials. According to the company, the fuel delivers high performance while contributing to lower CO₂ emissions during competition.

In addition to the race programme, Volkswagen will showcase several high-performance production and concept vehicles throughout the event weekend. Among them will be the Golf R 24H show car, offering an early preview of Volkswagen’s planned race car programme for the Nürburgring 24-hour race in 2027.

Historic GTI models will also play a central role in the celebrations. Approximately 40 GTI vehicles representing all eight generations of the model family are expected to participate in a parade lap around the Nordschleife shortly before the start of the endurance race. The new ID. Polo GTI is also scheduled to join the anniversary parade, symbolically linking the GTI’s combustion-engine past with its electric future.

Volkswagen said the Nürburgring anniversary event reflects the continued importance of the GTI brand within the company’s performance portfolio, even as the automotive industry undergoes rapid electrification and technological transformation.

Media Contacts:

Andre Dietzel
Communications Motorsport
Tel. +49 (0) 175 7234689
andre.dietzel1@volkswagen.de

Martin Hube
Spokesperson ID. Polo | ID. Cross | Passat | Touareg
Tel. +49 (0) 152 22995699
martin.hube@volkswagen.de

Greta Höhne
Spokesperson ID. EVERY1 | ID. Polo | Dr. Erwin Gabardi
Tel. +49 (0) 152 58870744
greta.hoehne@volkswagen.de

SOURCE: Volkswagen AG