VW Beats FWD Nürburgring Record With 305-HP GTI Clubsport S
Move over, Honda Civic Type R. Your 7:50 run around the Nürburging Nordschleife earned you the front-wheel-drive record around that track, but now Volkswagen's gone out and beat you by 1.4 seconds. VW announced today that its new 305-horsepower GTI Clubsport S ran a 7:49.21 around the 'ring, beating Honda's record.
Volkswagen first announced this ultra-hot Golf last week, cryptically saying it was set up for the Nürburgring. The car is making its full reveal Thursday at the annual Worthersee festival in Austria, where Volkswagen always brings a special version of the Golf. Just 400 GTI Clubsport Ss will be produced, and sadly, none will make it to the U.S.
To build a Civic Type R-fighter, Volkswagen started with a standard 261-horsepower GTI Clubsport, cranked the engine up to produce 305 horses and reduced weight to 2883 lbs. VW took the weight savings very seriously, opting to remove the back seats and sticking with a manual gearbox, rather than a heavier, but quicker shifting dual clutch.
That's right, this car comes only with a stick and three pedals. Brakes and ultra-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires complete the track-ready package.
It sounds as if this car was designed solely with beating the Nürburgring record in mind. Of course, Honda's got a new Civic Type R on its way, so VW might have to cook something else up to keep its crown.
