Volkswagen confirms a 305bhp Golf GTI Clubsport S is coming to Wörthersee
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Remember the 286bhp Golf GTI Clubsport that debuted last year and celebrates 40 years of the GTI badge? Well, Volkswagen has now confirmed that a more powerful ‘S’ derivative has been built and will make its first appearance at the VW Group’s Wörthersee event next week.
This is not just a funky letter on the rear fender and an obligatory power hike though. While it retains the GTI’s traditional front-wheel drive configuration, power for the ‘S’ comes from a EA888 2-litre turbocharged six-cylinder, which produces 19bhp more than the standard Clubsport, and 9bhp more even than the all-wheel drive Golf R, making the Clubsport S the most powerful production Golf on VW’s books. The company has even stripped the rear seats to reduce the Clubsport’s kerb weight to 1285kg (opting for the six-speed manual over the seven-speed DSG automatic saves 20kg) and improve manoeuvrability, given the driver profile ‘setup for Nürburgring’. We imagine an eye-watering – and Honda Civic Type R-beating – laptime is just around the corner.
So far technical details are being kept on the lowdown, though it’s expected the S – inspiration for which it’s been speculated came from the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport – will receive its own damper and suspension settings. Volkswagen has also kept shtum on pricing, but considering the company is looking to produce ‘only’ 5000 units, we can expect that figure to launch over the Golf R’s near-$41K starting price.
