435bhp Golf set for ’Ring race

This is the Golf24, a bonkers, balls-to-the-wall racing edition specially prepared to race at this year's Nurburgring 24-hour race.

The venerable hatch gets injected with various doses of the VW family genes: there's a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-pot, a sequential six-speed gearbox and, obviously for something this nutty, permanent four-wheel drive.

Oh, that engine you cry? 435bhp and 400lb ft of torque, since you asked. The last time Volkswagen fielded a Golf at the Green Hell, it packed 300bhp and finished 8th overall.

The Golf24 was partly built to celebrate 35 years of the GTI, and will continue its testing before the race, which is held from 23-26 June.