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Don’t get too excited. The new Golf GTI Clubsport is not the continuation of the 2016 Nürburgring FWD record, the Clubsport S. It is not a limited edition and precisely no effort has been made to save weight. While VW claims it’s 13 seconds faster in green hell than the standard Mk8 GTI (7:54 vs 8:07), it’s not what you’d call hardcore.
In fact, VW says the new Clubsport sits between the old Mk7 Clubsport and the Clubsport S, which came out in 2016. It’s actually a replacement for the old Golf GTI TCR, a regular GTI with more focus, but not so much that day. . – current usability is compromised. Classic GTI. And while the TCR came towards the end of the Golf Mk7’s life, the new Clubsport made its debut just weeks after we first experienced the standard Mk8 GTI. VW, it seems, is in a bit of a rush.
What’s new? Power has increased from 242 to 296 bhp and torque has increased from 273 to 295 lb.-ft., giving 0-62 mph in “under six seconds” and a limited top speed of 155 mph. While the regular GTI is available with a six-speed manual gearbox, the Clubsport is only offered with the seven-speed DSG. Boo.
Of course, VW engineers have messed with the suspension – the Clubsport sits 15mm lower than standard and there’s more positive camber on the front axle for better cornering. Larger brakes help handle the extra power, while adjustments to the power steering have reportedly improved the feel. Official VW driver Benjamin Leuchter says that he considers this new Clubsport to have better steering than the Clubsport S. We hope to prove that claim.
Oh, and there is a new driving mode. Clubsport’s ‘Special’ mode is tailored to the ‘very specific’ idiosyncrasies of the Nürburgring, where much of the development work was done. It keeps the suspension smooth, because the ‘Ring is bumpy, but it revs the engine, gearbox, steering and so on to the max. It looks like it could work quite well on an average British backroad …
Like the regular GTI, the Clubsport running gear (adaptive suspension, steering, etc.) is managed by something VW calls the “Vehicle Dynamics Manager.” For Clubsport, it features the intelligent ‘VAQ’ locking front differential. So while there are no hardware changes, you should be able to react faster.
Notice a Clubsport for its slightly different front bumper that dispenses with those, uh, cool daytime running lights, new spoiler, diffuser, side skirts, and double ovular tailpipes.
No information on pricing yet. A normal GTI with the DSG gearbox costs around £ 35,000.
