News

Volkswagen Dominates the Nürburgring

VW Golf GTI Clubsport S
All photos
Photo: Volkswagen

The competition to determine who’s the fastest on the Nürburgring rages on: Volkswagen just announced they reclaimed the title of the "who’s-the-fastest-FWD-sports-car-automaker" feud from rival Honda. Previously, the Japanese manufacturer accomplished a track lap of 7 minutes, 50 seconds and 63 hundredths with the last generation of the Civic Type R.

To reclaim the title, Volkswagen increased the power of their hot hatch. They took a regular, 220-hp GTI and upped the ante with 306 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, creating the GTI Clubsport S. The added grunt comes from a less restrictive exhaust, tweaks of the engine management system and an increase in turbo pressure.

The transmission of choice is a six-speed manual. Why did Volkswagen choose to use this instead of the DSG? They wished to keep weight to a minimum; this also explains why the three-door variant of the GTI was used.

So, with an overall time of 7 minutes, 49 seconds and 21 hundredths, the VW GTI Clubsport S is the fastest production FWD car on the Green Hell… At least until Renault, Honda or someone else rolls out a faster hot hatchback.

Share on Facebook
GalleryNews, reviews, videosVolkswagen dealersUsed vehiclesVolkswagen

More on the subject

Comparative Tests2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI: How Many Pedals In Your Sports Car?
The arguments in favour of manual transmissions are becoming less and less compelling— robotic gearboxes shift faster than even the most skilful human ever could, conventional automatics are smooth in all situations and they're often more fuel efficient since they tend to keep engine speeds very low. The only remaining …
Test Drives2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI: End-to-End
Compromise as a strength? The 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI makes a compelling case for the celebration of seeking mass appeal over razor-sharp reflexes and neck-snapping power. Completely redesigned for the current model year, and sitting on the same MQB platform that underpins the also-new Golf TSI/TDI hatchbacks as well as …
Los AngelesVolkswagen Golf R Variant: The Ultimate VW Is A Wagon
For the first time in the history of sporty Golfs, the alpha male of the pack won’t be a 3-door hatchback (like the Golf R and R32 of yore). At the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, the manufacturer will unveil the Golf R Variant, which is essentially a station wagon …
First Drives2016 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport: A Golf on Cocaine
Not that I personally know what it’s like to be on cocaine, but I can imagine it thanks to all of the Hollywood blockbuster movies. The immediacy of the Clubsport’s sharp and focused nature does not suffer fools. It’s like a kick in the groin—you feel it immediately. This GTI’s …
NewsA Bomb Discovered in Wolfsburg
During some expansion works at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg factory, workers found something pretty unusual: a few metres away from one of their buildings, they digged up four metal objects. In a lot of countries, this would merely be scrap metal. In Europe however, where two world wars took place, additional precautions …