The VW Golf GTI has long been the front-wheel drive hot hatch benchmark, but in its latest generation it is starting to feel outmatched by its much more powerful rivals. That’s where the new Golf GTI Clubsport comes in.
Powering the GTI Clubsport is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, but unlike the engine of the standard model that’s capped at 242 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm), VW has managed to extract 296 hp and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) out of it for the Clubsport variant, putting it right up there with the likes of the Hyundai i30 N and Honda Civic Type R.
Mated to the engine is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels, allowing the Clubsport to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in less than 6.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).
Read More: 2021 VW Golf GTI Clubsport Announced With 296 HP And A Trick New Diff
Henry Catchpole recently had the opportunity to test out the car through some UK streets (and a multi-story parking garage) and was left quite impressed, commenting that this is the GTI variant that you should buy.
Thanks to its engine, transmission, and limited-slip differential, it covers ground at an impressive rate. However, the veteran reviewer says that the LSD doesn’t provide quite the same feedback as older models, while the Mk8 Golf GTI Clubsport doesn’t really feel like an improvement over the Mk7.5 Golf GTI TCR.