The VW Golf GTI Clubsport Is A 286bhp Birthday Celebration

We’d just about gotten the hang of the enormously complex range of fast cars from VW Group. Want something with modest power? Get a VW Golf GTI or Skoda Octavia vRS. Want something with almost 300bhp? The 276bhp (now 286bhp) Seat Leon Cupra is the one you want, or the 297bhp VW Golf R if you fancy four-wheel drive.

Now, though, there’s another option - if you want something more powerful than the standard Golf GTI and in the region of the Seat (and fancy some angry aero bits). And that new option is this: the VW Golf GTI Clubsport.

It’s been created to celebrate the famous hot hatch’s 40th anniversary, and ups the aggression considerably. The power has been boosted from the 217bhp in the standard version (227bhp if you spec the Performance Pack) to 261bhp, with 286bhp available for 10 seconds via an ‘overboost’ function. With the extra poke, it’ll crack 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds with the twin-clutch DSG gearbox, or six seconds dead with a manual.

The angry aero package is the result of extensive wind tunnel testing, and consists of a multi-part roof spoiler, a re-designed front bumper, and rear diffuser. Finishing the whole lot off is a new set of 18-inch forged alloy wheels (19s are optional). The inside has received a spruce too, receiving a natty pair of bucket seats with tartan finishings. Well, it wouldn’t be a GTi without tartan, would it?

Like the sound of all that? There’s no word on a price just yet, but expect it to sit in between the £27,500 VW charges for the boggo Golf GTI, and the £30,820 charged for the R. It’ll make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.