2023-08-20 21:00:01
In the automotive world, many brands are those who want to hang the medal of the first ‘hot-hatch’ of the world. The segment essentially consists of taking a small utility car and putting a powerful engine in it.
The reduced size and weight make for an exceptional horse-per-kilo ratio and therefore fun to drive too. These types of cars were more expensive than their standard versions, but they didn’t have big differences either, except for the engine and they were a way to access reasonable benefits for customers without much economic muscle.
Therefore, they occupy a place close to the hearts of many people. And one of the first, and most beloved, models was the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which appeared in the second generation of the successful Golf. The executives of the consortium, cautious and conservative, were reluctant to give the Sport Golf project the green light and allowed 5,000 units to be built in 1976.
When they wanted to renew the car for its next generation, they had sold 456,690. Enough to realize that it was something really special and guarantee a sporty model at the top of the range.
However, as Volkswagen cars have evolved, they have incorporated additional equipment, technologies, aids and luxuries that make them more comfortable to live and drive, but move away from the Spartan roots that they once represented.
The original GTI was basically the same car with different upholstery and a more powerful engine. The current ones have a list of standard equipment considerably greater than that of its base version. They have to have it, to justify the price difference between the 32,160 euros for the Golf Life 1.0 and the 53,340 euros for the GTI Clubsport.
The interior of the VW Golf GTI Clubsport Volkswagen
The GTI Clubsport is the “Golf GTI GTI”, a more powerful version of the “basic GTI”. The VW Group launched a GTI for the most recent generation of the Golf, the eighth, which delivered 245 horsepower. All the fans protested, for a cost of 48,490 euros, it did not have driving sensations sporty enough to carry the legendary emblem of the three letters.
For this reason, the consortium released a more powerful version, called Clubsport, with 300 horsepower. Now yes. This certainly has the behavior you would expect from a Golf GTI: dynamic, agile, almost like a pitbull puppy full of energy and always ready to play.
The exhaust pipes. Could sound more and more aggressive Volkswagen
However, the Clubsport sits too close to the Golf that dominates the pack, the R. In the fourth generation of these models, Volkswagen introduced an even more powerful finish, with four-wheel drive and a dual-clutch DSG automatic transmission.
Today, this model delivers 320 CV and part of the 59,215 euros -71,655 if you opt for the 20th anniversary edition. It maintains four-wheel drive but shares the gearbox with the Clubsport.
But this is what makes the GTI Clubsport the best option. The R is too serious, too capable. It’s more powerful, yes, but all-wheel drive makes it feel in control at all times. And that, in a ‘hot-hatch’ where fun prevails, is practically going ‘against nature’.
#Volkswagen #Golf #GTi #Clubsport