Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport: the new 300 hp hot hatch

Volkswagen is wasting no time: shortly after unveiling the new Golf GTI, it has introduced the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport. This is the even more performance-focused version of its hot hatch, reviving a familiar nameplate within the brand and replacing the previous GTI TCR.

Telling the GTI Clubsport apart from the standard GTI is straightforward. At the front, it gains a bumper with a new spoiler, a full-width grille featuring a honeycomb pattern and matt-black detailing. The five LED lights on each side that distinguish the regular GTI have also been removed.

Along the sides, the changes include fresh side skirts and new 18-inch or 19-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, the new spoiler takes centre stage, but there is also a redesigned diffuser and oval exhaust outlets, rather than the round items fitted to the GTI.

Inside, the revisions are far more limited. The seats feature a new pattern, while everything else remains unchanged.

More horsepower, naturally

As expected, Volkswagen began creating this more extreme Golf GTI version in the traditional way: by raising its power output.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder EA888 evo4 engine therefore rises from the GTI’s 245 hp and 370 Nm to 300 hp and 400 Nm in the GTI Clubsport. These figures are achieved through revised engine-management software, a larger intercooler and a new Continental turbocharger replacing the Garrett unit used by the GTI.

It should also be noted that these power figures are only available when the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport runs on 98-octane petrol, its preferred “fuel”.

Power is sent to the front wheels solely through a seven-speed DSG gearbox - Volkswagen says the GTI Clubsport is quicker with this transmission - which features shorter gear ratios in this application.

Together, these changes allow the new Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport to complete the 0–100 km/h sprint in under 6 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The chassis has not been overlooked

As well as the additional power, the Golf GTI Clubsport receives a more capable dynamic package, with upgrades to its chassis, suspension and braking system.

Starting with the brakes, the GTI Clubsport gains drilled discs, while the ABS and stability control have been specifically recalibrated to further shorten braking distances and improve stability under braking.

Ride height is lowered by a further 10 mm compared with the Golf GTI. The new Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport also comes with DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control), offering a total of fifteen settings ranging from more comfortable to firmer.

There is even an additional driving mode, called “Special”, developed specifically for Golf GTI Clubsport owners visiting the “Green Hell” - Volkswagen says the GTI Clubsport can take 13 seconds off the regular GTI’s Nürburgring-Nordschleife lap time.

The XDS electronic differential lock has been replaced by a VAQ electro-mechanical differential lock. Control of this system is now integrated into the car’s driving dynamics manager, allowing it to be less “aggressive” in gentler driving modes, and the opposite in the more focused modes.

Finally, front-axle camber has been “increased significantly”, while the rear axle receives a new spring set-up and optimised components within the suspension arrangement.

When will it arrive and how much will it cost?

With order books expected to open in November, it remains to be seen how much the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport will cost in Portugal and when it will arrive there.