The History of the GTI episode is sponsored by MANSCAPED! Get 20% OFF + Free International Shipping with my promo code “RBR” at https://mnscpd.com/RemoveBeforeRace.

So guys, the performance version of the most famous hatchback in the world is here: the Mark 8 #Golf #GTI Clubsport! It’s the true halo car of #Volkswagen ever since it’s debut in 1975. The MK1 Golf had the difficult job of filling the shoes of one of the most popular cars of it’s era in the Beetle. But boy did it exceed expectations with it’s unique and now timeless looks, practicality and fun drive. But some at VW had an idea of an even sportier one. One that this small 8 person team started calling the Sport Golf: originally envisioned by head of press Anton Konrad, and engineer Alfons Lowenberg, both men spent their spare time racing and wanted to create something to keep up with Porsches on the autobahn!

So with a small team of 8 people they got the "Grand Tourer Injection" GTI signed off by the bosses in early 1975, for reveal later that year. The car had to look different to a normal Golf, it needed a different front end so people would know it’s fast enough to pass them on the autobahn. It had extra flared black arches, a unique tartan interior and famous golf ball gear stick. The car sat lower, made 108BHP could hit 180+ kph, 0-60 in 9. They estimated 5000 units when conceptualising the car: they were slightly off, with almost half a million sales in the end! So began the worlds most famous front wheel drive hatchback.

After this, almost every gen of Golf had the GTI as a halo car, and I get to show a bunch of them to you today leading from MK1, MK2, MK5, MK7 and more in-between!

The MK7 was the first get to bring in the Clubsport name too and finally — the Clubsport S bonkers car with no rear seats, manual only, over 300 BHP, and the ring record holder for front wheel driven cars: it’s one of the coolest cars I’ve driven!

Now our MK8. This brings in some changes under the skin: we have a lighter aluminium subframe as shared with the ring record breaker, stiffer bushings, and higher spring rates all round. The brakes also feature an electronic booster so they react based on driving.

Using a 4th gen version of the same EA888 engine, it produces 245PS, hits 60 in 5.9 seconds. Available as manual or with DSG, the car brings in a new vehicle dynamics manager as the brain of the car: able to control steering, diff, and the adaptive dampers which are optional, but a must have. Simply put, the new brain increases the breadth of ability of the car on both sides of comfort and sport.

The Clubsport seems to be a car that’s more GTI than the GTI. It comes early in this generation rather than an anniversary send off. Increase in positive camber, a 15mm drop in running gear, bigger brakes from the R, new springs and dampers on the rear, fruitier exhaust too. It has a huge power bump up to almost 300BHP, and cutting the 0-60 to 5.6. VW also relies heavily on that Dynamics Manager brain to make the Clubsport more focused than the standard car. Including a profile fit for the Nurburgring as we saw with Golf R. Styling wise, it looks meaner than any Golf too, R included.

But have they done enough to make it worthwhile over the closely priced and brilliant Golf R? Today we explore:

- The History of the Golf GTI
- Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 3, Mark 4, Mark 5, Mark 6, Mark 7
- Clubsport S
- Mark 8 GTI Clubsport
- Technical Changes to Clubsport
- Performance figures
- Exterior Design
- Interior review
- Full drive review

Up next on on RBR is the new EQS 53 AMG, our first Polestar review and MUCH MUCH More!! Subscribe to support us and see them first. :)

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