We all love hot hatches, especially the ones that have been built with such intense attention for high performance like the new Golf GTI Clubsport S.
VW wanted the title of the fastest front-drive production vehicle around the Nurburgring and took it by slicing 1.4 seconds off the Civic Type R’s lap time with the lightweight Clubsport S version of the Golf GTI.
In order to do it, the company shaved 30kg (66 pounds) off the weight figure of the regular Clubsport model, optimizing at the same time the chassis for maximum performance around the most famous of tracks.
Unlike the Clubsport, the engine here is tuned to deliver 306hp and 380Nm (280lb ft) of torque on a permanent basis while the scales show just 1,285kg / 2,833 lbs (1360kg / 3,000 lbs with an average driver onboard).
VW will make 400 of these special GTIs, adding to the special character of the most track-focused Golf in the long history of the model but the final asking price make them more expensive than a 4WD Golf R which leads to our first question: Is the Golf GTI Clubsport S as special as the numbers suggest?
Autocar delivers their first impressions after driving it on its natural habitat, the Green Hell.