More than some blue wingmirror covers and some special wheels, the hopped up “20 Years” Volkswagen Golf R has proven its performance at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, becoming the fastest production R to ever lap the legendary German circuit.

It set a ballistic time of 7:47.31 minutes, which is within 0.02 of a second of the incredible and extremely hardcore Golf Clubsport S. A bump in power to 333PS (245kW) thanks in part to the new pre-loaded turbocharger helped it on its way. The new R’s trick Vehicle Dynamics Manager is a bit of kit too, with its ‘Special’ setting that optimises the diff, suspension, steering, powertrain and more for work at the ‘Ring.

The car was pilotted by Volkswagen R development driver and touring car ace Benjamin Leuchter, who paid perhaps the best complement you can of a hot Golf. “With this car, I can drive here on the Nürburgring and the next stop is then the baker’s or the DIY store,” he said. “The vehicle is really an all-rounder that can do everything.”

Given the importance of the R brand over the past two decades since its inception, any car celebrating its tenure is special. The Golf R “20 Years” is exactly that, a celebration of Volkswagen’s ultimate performance brand that has arguably engaged buyers more than the long-standing GTI badge in recent years.

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