Volkswagen Golf GTI with more power, less weight on the cards

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Golf GTI, and Volkswagen will be celebrating it with a new special variant. The automaker recently confirmed this, stating that the new hardcore Golf GTI will debut at the ADAC 24 Hours race at the Nurburgring in June.

While Volkswagen hasn’t revealed any details of the 50th-anniversary edition, rumors suggest it could be called the Clubsport S.

We’ve also heard that the upcoming Golf GTI Clubsport S will pack around 330 hp and is expected to be more lightweight compared to the existing Clubsport. The weight reduction would be achieved by deleting the rear seats.

The current Golf GTI Clubsport, based on the updated Mk8 Golf, is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine that delivers 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. That’s 35 hp and 22 lb-ft more than the standard GTI.

The same engine powers the Golf R, which has 328 hp. Both variants of the hatchback have a front-wheel drive layout, and the Clubsport S will be no different.

If the ongoing rumors are true, then the Golf GTI Clubsport S will be the most track-focused version of the popular hatchback.