2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport is a Reality, Bound for Frankfurt

We saw it, we wished it were true, and now it is. With next year being the Golf GTI’s 40^th anniversary, Volkswagen will be marking the occasion with the 2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport, the production version of the Wörthersee concept we saw earlier this year, which will be making an early public preview at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show next week. 

As seen on the concept, the Golf GTI Clubsport comes with a  2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine whose power outputs has been bumped up by another 35PS over a “Performance” specified GTI to 265PS. But that’s not all, kick down the accelerator pedal and the engine will summon up another 10 per cent of power, bringing up the serving to a wholesome 290PS for 10 seconds at a time. To give you an idea, at full chat the GTI Clubsport is just 10PS off the European-spec Golf R’s output, cementing its position as the most powerful production Golf GTI ever.

If fitted with a six-speed manual the GTI Clubsport can shuffle its way to 100km/h in 6 seconds, 0.4 seconds faster than the GTI Performance. And if you specify it with the six-speed dual-clutch transmission, that time drops down a notch to 5.9 seconds, though it takes 1km/h off the manual’s top speed of 250km/h.

In retaining much of the concept's original looks, the Golf GTI Clubsport sports those striking front air deflector elements on the front bumper. In fact it isn't just the front bumper that is new and unique to the GTI Clubsport. Volkswagen has gone to great lengths to make it stand out with the addition of new side sills, a new rear diffuser, a new multi-part roof spoiler, and new forged alloy wheels that are exclusive to the car. 

The black stripe with the “Clubsport” lettering along the GTI Clubsport’s sides are a homage to the black trim stripe that ran between the front and rear wheel arches on the original 1976 Golf GTI. The GTI Clubsport can be specified with wheel arch filling 19-inch “Bresica” alloys that were designed specifically for it. The only styling element that the GTI Clubsport has over the concept are its sinister tinted taillights. Nice.  

To match that power bump the GTI Clubsport has some neat aerodynamic tweaks, such as a larger redesigned roof edge spoiler that has been perfected in the wind tunnel. Below the rear bumper the GTI Clubsport has been fitted with a larger rear diffuser that is integrated with larger twin-pipe exhaust ports.

In keeping with the motorsport inspired theme, the cabin comes with folding racing bucket seats partially trimmed in Alcantara and incorporated with a honeycomb pattern and GTI lettering. With red topstitching being a prominent GTI design theme, there is no shortage of red highlights in the cabin to give it a racy appearance, with red highlights added to the seatbelts, the Alcantara sports steering wheel that is topped off with a red seam on the 12 o'clock, and customised floor mats. New trim strips in the “Honeycomb 40” are also added to the instrument strip, centre console, and doors.