Volkswagen will in the first quarter of 2021 introduce its eighth instalment of the Golf in Mzansi with the 180 kW Golf 8 GTI, however, the company has wasted no time in revealing an even more potent variant of the model. Meet the new Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI Clubsport.
Speaking of its numbers first, the Golf 8 GTI Clubsport employs the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that lurks in the normal Golf GTI but massaged to push out 221 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque.
Here we see a power bump of 41 kW and 30 Nm when compared to the standard Golf 8 GTI.
Transmission is provided by an exclusive seven-speed DSG gearbox that strictly sends power to the front axle. Volkswagen claims the Golf 8 GTI Clubsport dashes from a standstill to 100 km/h in under six seconds before hitting the limiter at 250 km/h.
In a bid to make it fun, Volkswagen says it has bettered its engine, brakes, suspension as well as steering.
In the cosmetics department, it boasts a tweaked front-end, standard 18-inch wheels, however, buyers can opt for the 19-inches at an extra cost. The rear comes fitted with a high-gloss roof spoiler as well as the oval twin exhaust tips, which replace the previous model’s round items.
Compared to the standard Golf 8 GTI, the Clubsport sits 10mm lower and comes fitted with increased positive camber at the front axle for even sharper turn-in into corners at speed.
It also comes with an upgraded Vehicles Dynamics Manager that integrates and eliminates understeer you’d find in a traditional front-wheel-drive vehicle.
We here at TopGear South Africa are astute fans of the outgoing Golf GTI Clubsport and the reveal of this latest model has surely got us salivating at the prospect of how this new one will perform. Alas, the Golf GTI Clubsport will not be coming to Mzansi. Volkswagen South Africa says,”we will not get the Golf 8 GTI Clubsport in South Africa as it is only available for the European fuel emission levels.”
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