VW

Golf GTI Clubsport

The race started with a world premiere. Germany's biggest motorsport event has already provided its first memorable moment: last Friday, as part of the legendary 24 Hours of Nürburgring, the new Golf GTI Clubsport was presented to numerous fans. The sporty and optimized version of the classic model features a more elegant exterior design, an improved interior, impressive performance data and a high-level sports suspension.

An ideal way to debut...The new Golf GTI Clubsport was presented on the Ring Boulevard of the Eifel region's legendary racing circuit to an enthusiastic crowd of motorsport fans. They were the first to take a look at the new and improved model which, with its completely redesigned front end, now has an even more powerful and distinctive look.

Designed to deliver performance both indoors and out...19-inch Queenstown alloy wheels are also new. With their striking design of five oval semicircles, they evoke the classic Detroit wheel, which was introduced on the fifth generation Golf GTI. As an additional option, the Golf GTI Clubsport can now be configured with new 19-inch Warmenau forged wheels. Weighing just eight kilograms per wheel, forged wheels reduce unsprung masses and thus optimize performance. The Golf GTI Clubsport's diverse functions and systems are coordinated by a newly developed multifunctional leather sports steering wheel and a new infotainment system. It is intuitive and allows the driver to concentrate even better on the road. The new top of the line GTI also has the new IDA voice assistant with ChatGPT integration.

Impressive performance...The new Golf GTI Clubsport is as impressive inside as it is out: the turbocharged GTI engine (EA888 LK3 evo4) delivers 400 Nm of torque and 300 horsepower, which are transmitted to the road via a differential lock electronically controlled front. DCC adaptive chassis control is available as optional equipment. Another highlight of the Golf GTI Clubsport is the exclusive Special driving mode. To compensate for the typical undulations of the Nordschleife, maximum performance is achieved by a specific vertical configuration of the DCC adaptive chassis control and a modified lateral dynamic configuration of the standard Dynamic Drive Manager. 

The Golf GTI Clubsport accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and the top speed of the most powerful GTI is electronically limited to 250 km/h. However, this limit can be exceeded with the Race package, which increases the maximum speed to 267 km/h.

A weekend of racing with Golf as the protagonist...The world premiere of the Golf GTI Clubsport marked the start of the 24-hour race, in which the 50th anniversary of the Golf was the center of attention for Volkswagen: the Max Kruse Racing team, with their drivers Benny Leuchter, Johan Kristoffersson, Nico Otto and Heiko Hammel took part in this beloved event with a 348 hp Golf GTI Clubsport 24h.

Fans were also able to see three classic first-generation Golf GTIs at the Classic 24h, which took place before the main race. The three vehicles - a 1981 Golf GTI 16S Oettinger, a 78-series Golf GTI Kamei and an 80-series Golf GTI in GTI camouflage design with the '50 Years of Golf' logo - were used by the KWL Motorsport team.

Autonews