VW’s new Golf R is the fastest Golf to ever race around the Nurburgring.

The new special edition Golf R has recorded a 7:47.31 Nurburgring lap time which beats the standard Golf R by four seconds.

The special edition model has more power, however, and a more aggressive drivetrain configuration than the standard setup.

Ahead of its Australian launch, the 245kW Golf R 20 Years hit 264km/h on the main straight during the lap, which was four seconds quicker than the regular Golf R.

Driving the hot hatch around the German track was touring car driver Benjamin Leuchter, using a special “Special” driving mode.

The Golf R 20 Years is also equipped with the R-Performance pack as standard, which includes a torque vectoring rear differential and additional ‘Special’ and ‘Drift’ driving modes. A roof spoiler and a set of 19-inch alloy wheels also feature, along with a unique ‘20’ badge on the B-pillar and a ‘20 R’ puddle light when unlocking the car.

The mechanicals of the 20 Years edition are fundamentally the same as the R-Performance pack-equipped Golf R, with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the bonnet driving all-four wheels through a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox. However, Volkswagen has squeezed an extra 10kW out of the motor, which features a new Emotion Start system that flares the revs to 2500rpm on startup.

The engine and transmission have also been recalibrated, with the later offering more aggressive manual shifts in the sportier driving modes. The turbocharger is preloaded under part throttle, too, in order to provide more instantaneous thrust when it’s time to get back on the power. Volkswagen hasn’t released performance figures for the new model, but a marginal improvement over the standard car’s 4.7-second 0-100km/h time could be expected.

Inside, the Golf R 20 Years gets carbon fibre dashboard and door panel inserts, along with blue R branding on the steering wheel, sports seats and key fob. Volkswagen hasn’t released pricing details for the new special edition, but the car will be available until the middle of 2023 after it goes on sale this year