Volkswagen was never going to leave the GTI with just 242bhp was it now? As part of its latest range of performance Golfs, VW has revealed a new 296bhp Golf 8 GTI Clubsport that, like the Mk7 Clubsport Edition 40 that came before, will sit as a more focused and only slightly less powerful sibling to the range-topping Golf R. Priced from £37,215 in the UK, it’s more expensive than key front-wheel drive rivals like the BMW 128ti and Honda Civic Type R, yet comes with a single high specification trim, but right on target with the updated Renault Megane RS Trophy.
The new GTI Clubsport’s key ingredients remain familiar, with a combination of the EA888 2-litre four-cylinder engine here mated exclusively to the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (boo hiss) and powering the front wheels via an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. Peak power is rated at 296bhp (10bhp up