By: Denis Droppa
Cape Town - To celebrate 40 years of the iconic Golf GTI, Volkswagen has unleashed a Clubsport version to make hot-hatch fans (at least the VW ones) go weak at the knees.
It follows exclusive anniversary models that were also launched to mark the 20th, 25th, 30th and 35th anniversaries of the Golf GTI, which have become collectors’ cars.
The latest chapter in a story that began in 1976 and has seen over two million GTIs sold to date (over 62 000 in South Africa), the GTI celebrates reaching its naughty forties with a version that sports extra power, fettled suspension and a mean-looking body kit. It goes on sale in South Africa this week for a price of R540 200, a R58 700 premium over the standard GTI DSG.
Like the regular GTI the Clubsport is front-wheel driven, but is available only with the DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission; there’s no manual option. While the Golf R remains VW’s flagship hatch with its all-wheel drive traction and 206kW/380Nm outputs, the Clubsport is the most powerful GTI to date (except for the upcoming limited-edition Clubsport S – see bottom of story). In fact, for brief periods the Clubsport outguns the Golf R due to an overboost function that hikes power to 213kW for ten seconds at a time, such as when overtaking long trucks or addressing the hot-hatch pecking order at the traffic lights (the latter with the help of a launch control function).
Speed, sound and stability
Even with overboost in sleep mode the Clubsport’s 2-litre turbo petrol engine sends 195kW and 380Nm forwards, a healthy hike over the standard GTI’s 162kW/350Nm. The 5.9 second claimed 0-100km/h time shaves 0.6 seconds off the standard GTI, and the Clubsport will only run out of puff at 249km/h. It’s laid on with a sporty “burp” between gearshifts to add some acoustic charisma.
Helping to harness it all is an XDS+ diff lock at the front wheels which, working together with the stability control, makes this Golf gallop through corners at a lively rate. The electronically controlled diff lock prevents the inside wheel spinning during fast cornering and sends more power to the outside wheel, helping to reduce acceleration-related understeer.
So much thrust going through the front wheels can be a recipe for a torque-steering handful, but the Clubsport is easy to control and shoots off the line with well-behaved steering. Lowering the ride height 15mm and tuning the sport chassis with newly tuned dampers and optimised bump stops gives the Clubsport more hunkered-down cornering, as revealed in my drive through the Western Cape’s twisty badlands on last week’s media launch. This, together with sharp steering that loads up progressively, makes guiding this sporty Golf through sharp curves a real driver’s joy.
Sporty yet civilised
Three-mode Electronic Stability Control (ESC) can be set for minimised intervention or switched off altogether. The suspension’s firm without being spine-rattlingly uncomfortable, and the GTI Clubsport is still a civilised car that can be driven every day.
To look the part, the GTI Clubsport is decked out in more aggressive front bumper, Clubsport-badged side sills, a rear diffuser, a roof spoiler and forged alloy wheels – standard in 18” size or optionally in 19”. It’s not just for posing; the bodacious bodywork also improves downforce. Inside, the visual treatment includes red accents on the seats, floor mats and seatbelts; and a grippy velour-trimmed sport steering wheel with red stitching and 12-o’clock mark. Optionally, you can swop the standard Vienna leather sports seats for racing bucket seats or velour/cloth sport seats.
Golf GTI Prices
2.0 TSI 162kW Manual – R465 500
2.0 TSI 162kW DSG – R481 500
2.0 TSI 169kW Performance Pack DSG – R501 500
2.0 TSI 195kW Clubsport DSG – R540 200
5 year/90 000km Service Plan and 3 year/120 000km warranty included
Clubsport S is more potent – but only 47 for SA owners
An even more potent GTI, the Clubsport S, will be made in a limited run of 400 models worldwide and no less than 47 South African owners will be getting their hands on them from October.
A lightened track-focused car with just two doors and two seats, the front-wheel drive super GTI also gets a power injection to its turbo 2-litre petro engine, raising outputs to 228kW and 380Nm – outgunning even the Golf R.
Ditching body fat and adding extra engine muscle, along with uprated brakes and the fitment of semi-slick 19” tyres, have turned the Clubsport S into a circuit special and it’s lapped the Nurburgring nordschleife in just 7min 49.21 – a record for a front wheel drive car.
Available with a manual gearbox only, the hottest GTI is good for a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.8 seconds and tops out at 265km/h, says Volkswagen.