Living with the Golf GTI Clubsport
Review by Jacob Lerklint.
Ah! The mark 8 Golf GTI, a car that has been a hit & miss in multiple areas. This new Clubsport variant promises a bit more grunt and fun than the normal GTI. This specific car is a Clubsport ‘45’ edition to celebrate (you guessed it) 45 years since the first Golf GTI entered the world.
Let’s start with the basics, the GTI Clubsport comes with the same 2.0 litre turbocharged four cylinder engine and the same seven speed DSG gearbox as in the regular GTI but with a 50hp increase to a total of 300hp. Torque has also been slightly increased to 400nm. Mechanically the GTI Clubsport gets a 15mm drop, suspension wise. A more positive camber on the front axle and bigger brakes. A tweak to the power steering has also been made. With this being the 45 anniversary car you get new 19 inch wheels, a titanium exhaust from Akrapovic, some stickers and ‘45’ badges in and around the car.
Not a whole lot of exciting changes but you do get a higher top speed (270kmh).
The thing that I was most excited about the Clubsport variant was the additional driving modes with the adaptive dampers that you now could get, which includes a “special” Nürburgring mode and a Race mode that apparently would transform the handling of the car. Sadly this specific press car did not for some reason have it. Bummer!
On the road, even without the adaptive dampers the Clubsport should be more capable than the standard GTI. You immediately notice the firmer ride, not in a bad way though, it feels more planted than the non Clubsport car. The turn-in has definitely improved and you do feel that 50hp bump. With the cabin being more or less the same as the regular GTI you do loose some of that uniqueness of being a Clubsport. At least they could have fitted sportier seats as these don’t feel enough bolstered. The DSG box is smooth and sharp when you want it to, be but for some reason you still get the puny little plastic steering wheel paddles, and as this doesn’t have the Performance package with the additional driving modes the gearbox won’t let you stay at the redline without shifting up by itself.
I won’t get into the terrible ergonomics and the awful infotainment system of the mark 8 Golf, you’ll need to read my review of the regular GTI for that disappointment. 0-100kmh is completed in 5.6 seconds, respectable for a front wheel drive car. With 300hp you are on the limit for what a fwd car can handle but the clever differential in the Clubsport handles that with ease. The sound from the expensive Akrapovic exhaust system do bump the excitement level up, but for some reason it is not as loud as the Akrapovic in the Golf R. The Golf GTI Clubsport is a step up from the regular GTI in most areas but it just doesn’t excite me. The chassis is potent but the steering feels dead and numb. Is it really worth 65 000SEK more than the GTI? I don’t think so. We can only hope there will be a Clubsport S coming soon…
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