Record-breaking world premiere of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S

The world premiere of the new Golf GTI Clubsport S at Lake Worthersee saw the most powerful Golf GTI ever smash the Nurburgring lap record for a front-wheel drive production car. 

With German racing driver Benny Leuchter at the wheel, the Golf GTI Clubsport S smashed the existing lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife with a time of 07:49.21. This exclusive new sports car, based on the Golf GTI Clubsport, has been developed to celebrate the GTI's 40^th anniversary.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, derived from the new Golf GTI TCR racer, produces 306bhp and 380Nm of torque. Other specifications of the most exclusive Golf GTI include Michelin Sport Cup 2 semi-slick tyres mounted on 19-inch alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, 'Clubsport S' type plates, the black painted roof as well as Xenon head lights with cornering lights and LED daytime running lights. The 17-inch brake system, with special brake pads, was also modified to be particularly stable on racing circuits. 

Each of the 400 Golf GTI Clubsport S cars made will have its production number on the centre console in the front. The driver and the front seat passenger sit in racing bucket seats that provide the necessary lateral support while flying over the Nordschleife, while the rear seats have been removed to further save weight. 

As a world exclusive, the Golf GTI Clubsport S comes with a special Nurburgring setting, which can be accessed using the driving profile selector. It fine-tunes the Dynamic Chassis Control, engine, steering and sound to suit the Nordschleife. The chassis of the Golf GTI Clubsport S has also been fine-tuned in extensive racetrack tests and completely reconfigured in order to achieve higher lateral accelerations. 

Aerodynamic performance has also been improved with completely new bumpers. The new design offers improvements in air supply to the engine, aerodynamics and downforce at the front. At the rear, the roof-edge spoiler, aerodynamically perfected in the wind tunnel, results in significantly optimised aerodynamics. Fine-tuned for extra stability, the aerodynamic measures generate more downforce on the rear axle than on the front axle. This boost in driving stability, especially on the rear axle, is used to fine-tune the chassis to make for a smoother ride, such that the understeer typical of front-wheel drive cars is practically eliminated.

The production run of the Golf GTI Clubsport S is limited to just 400 cars worldwide, available in the colours of the original GTI - 'Tornado Red', 'Pure White' and 'Deep Black Pearl Effect'.