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Behold, the MK8 Golf GTI Clubsport

Those of you who are regular readers of Tarmac Life will know that I love the Golf GTI. For those of you who didn’t know, now you do! I adore the iconic hatch so much that I actually bought one. Essentially, the Dacia Sandero is to James May what the Golf GTI is to me.

You can imagine my excitement then when I discovered that Volkswagen have created a Clubsport version of the new MK 8.

A rear three quarter shot of the MK8 GTI Clubsport
A more aggressive rear spoiler plus diffuser are notable changes here

The Golf GTI is famous for being a user friendly hot hatch but if you want something a little bit spicier that you could tackle the track with then look no further than the Clubsport. The most notable changes are the decals on the sides along with the more striking front and rear bumpers. You also get that unique Clubsport rear spoiler along with that rear diffuser.

Power comes from the same 2 litre turbo unit that features in the standard GTI except the Clubsport has more power. Quite a bit more in fact with 221kW and 400 Nm on tap compared to the meagre 180kW and 370Nm that the normal GTI has. All this means that this Clubsport should be able to do the 0-100 sprint in 6 seconds or less and it will keep going until it reaches that 155mph (250kph) electronic limiter.

An interior shot of the Mk8 GTI Clubsport
No major changes in here really

All that power is sent to the front wheels through a DSG gearbox and then managed by VW’s new VAQ locking electromechanical differential. Recent GTIs have had some extremely intelligent differentials and this Clubsport is no different. The differential will adjust according to the selected driving mode, of which there are 15. There’s even a Nurburgring mode which probably just turns the suspension rock hard!

With all this new power, the brakes have also been upgraded to contain this fierce hatch. The ABS and traction control systems have been fettled with to make it a more enjoyable drive, sounds like a very exciting hot hatch.

Thanks for reading! Any other Golf GTI fans out there?

Words by Matthew Dsouza, pictures sourced from VW Press.

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