Let it be known that 2026 is a special year for Volkswagen. It marks 50 years since the German brand essentially created the hot hatch segment with the now-iconic Golf GTI. And what a ride it's been since then.Volkswagen is rightfully celebrating the occasion with record-setters like the Golf GTI Edition 50, but there will be one brand-new model as well. VW has confirmed that it will reveal the newest GTI at the 24h Nürburgring set for next weekend. Not only that, it's the first electric car to get a GTI badge. Save the date for May 15, when all will be revealed. Here's what you can expect. First Electric GTI Has Big Shoes To Fill Volkswagen The latest GTI won't be the first of its model to wear the badge, but it will be one like nothing else before. Of course, we're talking about the ID. Polo GTI, the electric hot hatch we've been following for a while now. It will make its debut in the Ring-Boulevard paddock in front of a big crowd of VW (and endurance racing) fans.Volkswagen has dropped plenty of hints about what we can expect from the new ID. Polo GTI, but it is holding back the full details for another week. We can tell you that it will be the most powerful Polo ever built, with the EV offering up 223 horsepower from a front-mounted motor. That's well up on the last gas Polo GTI, which managed just 197. In a car this small and light, that's a big deal.The new GTI will also get an electronic differential like you'd find on the Golf GTI. That lets the car's computers send power to the tire that can handle it for acceleration, and shift power around in turns for maximum agility and confident handling. Volkswagen has also promised to tune it to feel like a real GTI. It has gone for the throttle response, sound experience, and steering of the first Golf GTI of 1976. It even plans to make the fake shifts feel the same.A 52 kWh battery should give the car around 275 miles of range on a charge. That's a small pack, shared with versions of thestandard ID. Polo, but it is a decent range even on the WLTP cycle. It's certainly plenty for the Euro market where this car will be sold, where public fast charging is common and distances traveled are generally shorter than those in the States. As such, it's extremely unlikely this car will reach US shores. The gas Polo is forbidden fruit; there's no reason to expect the electric version will go to a country where EV sales are tanking. 40 Historic GTIs Plus Four Race Cars For Reveal Volkswagen Along with the ID. Polo GTI, Volkswagen plans to show off 40 historic GTI models from all eight generations. Those cars, along with the new one, will all take a parade lap around the 'Ring ahead of the race.Volkswagen is also bringing the Golf R 24H show car, which is the vehicle VW plans to enter in the 24h race next year. That car will replace the Golf GTI Clubsport 24h models that VW entered this year. The automaker is going for its third class win in a row, and will have a third car entered in a slightly slower class.Those 390-hp Golfs have been tweaked this year with active transmission cooling to help make sure they're up to the long race sessions. The hatch is now carbon fiber to match the doors, and the engine tuning has been fettled with for some more small improvements. All three cars will run on fuel made of 60% renewable raw materials.Volkswagen isn't going to win over every enthusiast with the electric Polo GTI, but it looks like the German automaker will try its hardest. So far, the first ID. GTI looks the part, and the spec sheet we've seen impresses. It's up to VW's engineers to take care of the rest, and capture the feeling of a classic GTI in this modern car. Stay tuned – there's obviously more to come.