VW Announces Production-Bound, 265-hp GTI Clubsport

The annual Wörthersee GTI meet is upon us, and it’s there that the VW Group’s brands tend to go nuts, showing off wild design and performance concepts conceived specifically for the event. This year, we’ve already seen the Škoda Funstar mini-pickup and the insane, 600-hp Audi TT Clubsport Turbo. Now the namesake model for the festival has gotten into the fun: VW has announced the 265-hp Golf GTI Clubsport concept. It’s already far from the most powerful thing to bow near Lake Wörthersee in Carinthia, Austria, but the good news is that it will go into production.

At 35 horsepower over the European-market GTI with Performance pack and 45 horsepower over that car’s U.S.-market equivalent, the front-drive Clubsport is expected to come close to matching the performance of the range-topping, all-wheel-drive Golf R. The Clubsport also packs an overboost function that adds another 25 horsepower for short bursts.

Several visual changes highlight the Clubsport model’s special status. It receives a unique aero kit that offers increased downforce via a new front bumper and rear diffuser element, as well as larger, hatch-mounted rear wing. The interior will receive specific color and trim.

Now for the bad news: The chances of the GTI Clubsport being offered in the U.S. are slim to none.