Skip advert
Advertisement

Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport pricing confirmed - starts at £30,875

New hot hatch produces 286bhp in overboost mode to match SEAT’s new Leon Cupra 290

Volkswagen has confirmed pricing for the new Golf GTI Clubsport Edition 40. Costing from £30,875, the Clubsport is a lighter and more focussed celebration of the Golf GTI.

It uses a turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder engine which produces 261bhp, with an extra 25bhp available in overboost mode (available in 10sec bursts).

Flat out, a DSG gearboxed Clubsport can accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 5.9sec – the six-speed manual taking a tenth longer – while top speed is limited to 155mph. This is a substantial one second faster than a normal DSG GTI (with 217bhp) and half a second faster than a Performance Pack GTI (with 227bhp).

Advertisement - Article continues below

Unsurprisingly, without the luxury of four-wheel-drive the Clubsport can’t challenge the 297bhp Golf R, which dispatches the same launch in just 4.9sec. And the recently-unveiled SEAT Leon Cupra 290 can manage it in 5.7sec, though its peak 286bhp isn’t limited to 10sec overboost bursts like the Clubsport. 

The Clubsport therefore manages to elbow its way into this tightly contested Volkswagen Group hot hatch pile with unique performance characteristics – and the same can be said about its exterior.

To match its extra grunt the Clubsport gains aerodynamic features like a prominent rear wing and a quartet of guiding vanes on its front bumper, finished in gloss black. Volkswagen claims that these features were shaped in the wind tunnel and therefore do produce downforce. 

The car also sits on new optional Bresica 19-inch alloy wheels – 18-inch wheels are standard fitment – and flaunts black Clubsport stripes along the sides (inspired by the original 1976 GTI’s side stripe), black door mirror covers and a black roof. The launch car’s Oryx White paintjob contrasts these features nicely, and VW says more colours will be available.

Inside, the Clubsport gets a pair of bucket-style seats, finished with honeycomb patterned centres and tartan details, an Alcantara-wrapped wheel, the traditional golf-ball gear knob and red stitching to contrast. Other features include a red line on the seat belts, black headlining and red-edged floor mats, while stainless steel doorsills complete the cabin’s look. 

You might be thinking what’s the point of creating a model to fill such a tight gap between the Performance Pack Golf GTI and Golf R. Volkswagen tells evo that the Clubsport is unique not just because of its exterior and interior styling, but also because it’s lighter than the four-wheel drive R. Therefore its ability on track may appeal more to particular enthusiasts. 

In fact a recent drive on in the Clubsport on track revealed it to be just that.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good
Mini JCW – front
Reviews

Mini JCW 2025 review – too feisty for its own good

The petrol-powered JCW lives on – for now. But in its latest incarnation, has this supermini survivor become too hardcore?
6 Jul 2025
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5 2025 review – a cut-price Honda Civic Type R?
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5
Reviews

Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport Mk8.5 2025 review – a cut-price Honda Civic Type R?

The Golf GTI Clubsport lifts the Mk8.5 GTI to a higher level, but it’s still not quite a match for the best in class
4 Jul 2025
VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport deal
News

VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport in Mk8.5 guise makes for a tempting prospect at the right price
3 Jul 2025
Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch
Honda Civic Type R deal
News

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch

The Civic Type R is not long for this world and there are deals to be had on Honda’s pricey but near-perfect hot hatch
26 Jun 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
News

£15k off Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio super SUV

If you have to have an SUV, a Stelvio QV is acceptable. Now it's being heavily discounted.
8 Jul 2025
New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused
Aston Martin Vantage S front
News

New Aston Martin Vantage S revealed – Ferrari Amalfi rival is more powerful and focused

With a bump in power output among myriad detail changes, the Vantage S could be the ultimate driver’s Aston
8 Jul 2025
MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation
MST Ford Escort front
News

MST Mk1 Sports is a more affordable less extreme Ford Escort recreation

Costing a tenth of most made-new classics, the MST Mk1 Sports is comparatively accessible
8 Jul 2025