The GTi Clubsport has been created to celebrate the hot Golf's 40th anniversaryVolkswagen to unveil 261bhp Golf GTI at the annual Wörthersee tuning festival in Austria, and it's coming to the UK
Volkswagen has provided an early preview of what is set to become its most powerful production Golf GTI yet with the unveiling of this new three-door Clubsport concept at the annual Wörthesee fan meet in Austria.
Set to go on sale in the UK in 2016 at a price of around £27,500, the celebratory Golf GTI has been created to mark the 40th anniversary of the introduction of Wolfburg’s iconic front-wheel-drive hot hatch, which hit showrooms back in 1976.
As with each of the previous four anniversary models produced by Volkswagen, the Clubsport receives a more powerful engine than standard existing versions of the Golf GTI as well as retuned suspension, a series of exterior styling changes and various interior upgrades.
Differentiating the new Clubsport concept from existing versions of the Golf GTI is an aggressive new bodykit that is described as being virtually identical to that set to grace next year’s 40th anniversary model.
Included is a uniquely styled front bumper featuring a large central air duct with a honeycomb insert, additional trapezoidal ducts used to cool the front brakes, prominent high gloss black blades low down on the outer edges and a subtle splitter.
These exterior upgrades are accompanied by high gloss black door mirror housings and a black graphic along the lower edge of the doors in homage to the look of the original Golf GTI. At the rear, Volkswagen’s design team has provided the new car with a new spoiler mounted atop the tailgate together with a heavily restyled bumper with an integrated diffuser and twin chromed tailpipes.
Also new are the Golf GTI Clubsport’s 19in wheels, although Volkswagen says they will be replaced by standard 18in rims on the production version, while the model will make its debut in a two-tone paint scheme with Oryx White for the body and black for the roof panel.
The Golf GTI Clubsport is powered by version of the Volkswagen Group’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder EA888 petrol engine, as used by existing versions of Wolfsburg’s iconic hot hatchback.
But while the standard Golf GTI comes with 217bhp as standard or 227bhp in combination with an optional performance package, the Clubsport will offer 261bhp, making it the most powerful production Golf GTI yet made. A function that temporarily increases turbocharger boost pressure adds a further 10% to the overall output for short bursts of full-throttle action, raising overall reserves to 287bhp.
Volkswagen is yet to reveal a torque figure, although insiders at the company’s Braunschweig research and development centre in Germany suggest it remains at the same level as that of existing Golf GTIs, with 258lb ft developed across a band of revs between 1500 and 4400rpm.
Channelling drive to the front wheels is a six-speed dual-clutch automatic DSG gearbox and electronically controlled XDS differential. Volkswagen hints that buyers will also be able to specify a traditional six-speed manual gearbox on the production version due out next year.
No performance claims for the Golf GTI Clubsport have been announced, although Volkswagen hints that the added 34bhp will see it eclipse the 0-62mph time of 6.4sec established by the existing Golf GTI, as well as increasing top speed to a limited 155mph.
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