Watch The VW Golf GTI Clubsport S Amazing 7:49.29 Nürburgring Lap

With a lap time of 07:49,21 the new Golf GTI Clubsport S smashed the previous FWD record on the Nurburgring, beating the Civic Type R by 1,4 seconds and became the new champion.

VW released all the details of the most hardcore, track-focused Golf GTI in the long history of the series, with the key figures set at 310PS (306hp), 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds, a 265km/h (164mph) top speed, an unladen weight of 1285kg (1360kg with driver) and a total production run of 400 units.

“It was obvious to all of us that this GTI had immense potential”, said Karsten Schebsdat, Head of Chassis Tuning, “so we decided to get the most performance possible out of this car. A small team went through the entire process, from bottom to top, pretty much like it was back when the first Golf GTI came into being.”

The new Golf GTI Clubsport S will be offered only with a six-speed manual gearbox to keep weight down. The rear bench is gone for the same reasons with a rear strut brace taking its place, as is most of the sound deadening material, saving this way 30kg. Notice that the record car had a roll cage fitted.

The chassis has been tuned for optimized track performance, gaining a new Nurburgring setting that can be accessed using the driving profile selector. A set of stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s mounted on 19-inch Pretoria alloy wheels are standard with the new exhaust measuring 65mm in diameter instead of the 55mm of the regular model, reducing this way the backpressure and adding some wonderful backfiring under braking into the soundtrack. The 17-inch brake system was modified to better cope with increased temperatures.

Both axles have been reconfigured for better grip, with the rear upgraded for a more planted feel and the front gaining some negative camber to neutralize understeer. VW’s electronic differential lock is standard and the ESC software, which now can be completely disabled, has been re-calibrated for the specific needs of the Clubsport S.

The 2.0-litre engine produces 306hp and 380Nm (280lb ft) of torque on a permanent basis –unlike the normal Clubsport– thanks to a remap and the free exhaust. The cabin hosts a special numbered plate showing the production number of the model and of course the iconic golf ball gear knob with Alcantara trim with a matching sport steering wheel, a red line in the safety belts and accents in Piano Black.

100 of the 400 Clubsport S models are destined for the German home market. VW will offer the limited edition GTI in its three original colors: Pure White, Tornado Red and Deep Black Pearl. Pricing has not yet been announced but it’s definitely going to be more expensive than the Golf R, that’s for sure.