I could have screwed this up myself. It’s party time, because the original Golf GTI was introduced in 1976. This isn’t a car from that year, because the Golf GTI Pirelli was a party model in 1983. After the GTI Edition 20, 25, 30 and 35 we now get the Golf GTI Clubsport. We’ll be driving it in a bit. Now we got them together, something stands out. I’m seeing how much bigger the Golf has become in 40 years time. I think it’s bizarre.It’s a fact. It also has more hp. Basically it’s a Golf R, but without AWD. This is the Golf R engine. It has been detuned so it won’t stand in the Golf R’s way. The number of hp is difficult because of its position. Standard it is 261 hp, but there’s an overboost function which works in gears 3-6, which gives you 286 hp and 280 lb ft torque. With a DSG you get the full 286 hp at launch control.It gets 286 hp for 10 seconds, after which you’ll have to wait 10 seconds. It’s 286 hp, but with a lot of limitations. I think a chip tuner can cancel this. It’s a Golf R engine which delivers 296 hp there. The Leon Cupra has 286 hp as well during the whole rpm range and all gears, so why the Golf GTI Clubsport doesn’t is a mystery. However, the fun doesn’t end here. This is the first Golf GTI with downforce. If you think the spoilers are too much (I think it’s not that bad); they’re there for a reason. The front splitter creates a bit of downforce up front, but especially the rear spoiler…It sticks upwards and creates a lot of downforce. This means higher corner speeds. VW wouldn’t say how much pounds of downforce this is, except that the normal Golf GTI has two times the lift the Golf GTI Clubsport has in downforce. I don’t know how much that is, but it’s a nice car. The rear downforce makes the car more stable. They adjusted the suspension for the extra grip this gives.They made it more hardcore because the downforce gives more reserves. This feels like the Uber GTI. It may be even more fun than the Golf R, because there’s more room for play. You have to keep thinking. AWD is nice, but it means some things aren’t possible. It’s too secure. This is more playful. Of course you’re wondering about the performance. 0-62 mph takes 5.9 seconds, both for the manual transmission and DSG. Even though the DSG has launch control with the full 286 hp at the start. The top speed (it gets boring) is limited to 155 mph.It’s not the numbers I think are fun. It’s the whole
experience. The differential lock… I already praised it in the normal Golf GTI. I almost sang that praise, but I explained it. The differential lock is electronically controlled, so it can do a lot of tricks. It means you can hit the throttle early while exciting a corner, but it also means when you lift in a corner and overdo it, it oversteers. With the differential lock the forces on the front wheels are changed, so you get less oversteer.This means you can play with it. I think this differential lock is a nice addition to the Golf GTI. You can hit the throttle earlier than you can do with a regular FWD car. The other options in the Golf GTI Clubsport… It’s a party model, so you get some nice things. The 18 inch alloy rims, which come standard, are forged. This makes each wheel 6.6 lb lighter. That’s a lot. You notice this. It’s unsprung weight; very important for the roadholding. Inside, a suede steering wheel, an oversteer indicator, pretty bucket seats… I don’t know if these will become standard in the Netherlands. VW hasn’t come up with a Dutch price yet. It depends on what becomes standard. The black roof, for example. They’re still pondering. I hope it won’t cost much extra compared to the normal Golf GTI. Then you’ll be able to choose the Golf GTI Clubsport without even considering it. It’s such a nice package. The aerodynamics… It’s great they choose downforce. I think it’s a lot of fun.Made possible by Subtitles – Maru’s Text Support .
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