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Volkswagen Golf GTI Club Sport S (2017)

idolevi159
Feb 4, 2017
3 min read

All hail the conqueror of the Nurburgring race track, the Volkswagen Golf GTI Club Sport S. This special hatchback smashed the previous lap record for front-wheel production vehicles with a time of 7 minutes and 49.21 seconds. The previous record of 7 minutes and 50.63 seconds was held by the Honda’s Civic Type R. The car is built to commemorate 40 years of the iconic Golf GTI hatch. The car was driven by German race driver Benny Leuchter. The Golf GTI Club Sport S is now the most powerful GTI ever.

This achievement is no mean fete considering the Nurburgring Nordschleife race track is unlike other tracks in the world. While other tracks are relatively smooth, the Nurburgring features many bumps and elevation changes and has many corners which make driving at fast speeds very difficult. As such, the new hatch had to been equipped with excellent driving dynamics to suit such a challenging track.

Exterior and interior improvements:

The new Volkswagen Golf GTI Club Sport S hatch weighs 1,363 kg which is 15 kg less than the standard GTI. This weight loss is courtesy of removal of the rear seats, center armrest, rear doors, sound deadening material, rear parcel shelf, use of a smaller battery, removal of the aluminum front sub-frame as well as removal of the two-piece brake rotors.

However, saying that the engine and reduced curb weight are the only features responsible for its excellent performance would be a misstatement. Volkswagen has hooked up the hatch with an array of performance-oriented features that all work together to improve its performance. They include a retuned chassis with a Nurburgring setting accessible via the driving profile selector.

Others area set of 19-inch Pretoria alloy wheels wrapped in stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and a 65 mm new exhaust outlet rather than the 55 mm regular outlet. The new exhaust system helps reduce backpressure and adds to the soundtrack when brakes are applied.

It also features 17-inch brake system which better copes with rise in temperatures. The brake’s disc bells are made of aluminum and then mated to steel discs using cast location pins which allow them to expand when they heat up. In addition, its axles have been tuned while its WSC software has been re-calibrated to specifically suit the hatch.

The vehicle also features Bi-xenon headlights with LED DRLs and cornering lights. The rear features LED taillights and chromed dual exhaust tips. It also features tinted rear windows which VW says absorb up to 65% of light. In addition to the removal of the rear seats, the vehicle features racing bucket seats with red-lined seat belts. The steering wheel is wrapped in Alcantara as is the gear knob. The steering wheel also has a chrome GTI emblem, red contrast stitching and a 12-o’clock position marked out.

Only 400 units will be built and each will have its production number from (001/400) to (400/400) right on the center console. The vehicle also features the “Honeycomb 40” decals on the doors and the dash.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Club Sport S Engine Specs:

The 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI Club Sport S packs an awesome amount of power under its hood. In fact, it is the most powerful Golf GTI ever made. The hatch is powered by a turbocharged 2.0 L, 4-cylinder mill. This engine is adopted from the Golf GTI TCR racer.

The engine is capable of a whopping 310 horses and 280 lb-ft of torque from only 1700 rpm to 5,300 rpm. With this amount of juice, the hatch hits 60 mph from a standstill in only 5.8 seconds and attains a top speed of 162 mph. This is aided by its reduced weight. The engine is paired to a manual gearbox that powers the front wheels as earlier mentioned.

Price and release date:

VW showcased the hatch to the public during the recent Worthersee tuner festival held on May 4. The automaker revealed that the models would be delivered to showrooms later this fall. Though official prices have not been set, we believe the model will be priced at around £35,000.

Out of the 400 models that will be made, only a hundred will be sold in Germany. The automaker also confirmed that the model won’t be setting foot in North America meaning the market will yet again miss out on a hot hatch.