Very impressive! I honestly thought VW were far too boring to bring out a car like that. The ring is a little faster this year after some resurfacing work, so I'd like to see what the rivals would have posted (just to have a proper benchmark). I have no doubt that the Golf would still be the fastest though.
Good read on the autocar website. Fair play to VW for not just tweaking the ecu and adding some silly graphics. There's some serious engineering that's gone on there. The hot hatch market is brimming with talent now to suit everyone's needs.
Don't confuse the Clubsport with the Clubsport S which was the VW that set the lap time. The Clubsport S has bigger exhaust, 19" wheels for the Pilot Sport 2's, no rear seats, no rear sound deadening to save 30kg, has no air-con (although apparently you can spec it as a non-cost extra) and you can only have the entry level information displays. Then it also has an aluminium subframe and brake carriers to save on unsprung weight, the suspension has been revised with the axles, caster and camber. Also has bigger front discs and different pads and although they stated it's not remapped the tuning on the Clubsport S is different to that of the Clubsport. So aside from... 45bhp (17%) more as standard (or 20bhp if going against overboost setting) Being a 2 seater with no rear seats Bigger wheels and different tyres No aircon No sound deadning Different exhaust Different brakes Different mapping Aluminium subframe and brake carriers Change of set up for the suspension Its indeed virtually the same. Clubsport also starts are £30,480 and the Clubsport S only mentioned at moment of £35,000+ so it's at least £4,520 more.
I will be 'AMAZED' if by end of June if not sooner Honda haven't taken the record back. I think it'll be within few weeks.
Not surprising at all considering how quick the leon Cupra is and pretty sure the guys at vw won't stand for being done by there Spanish partners
VW made the statement that the purpose of the Clubsport S was because Nurburgring is in there backyard and certainly in the case of Hatchbacks on tourist days it's littered with for them 'competitors' so the the Clubsport S was built in mind of wanting to see more 'home' cars on the track at Nurburgring. But a 2 seater Hatchback I don't think is perhaps the way to go? You see so many Meganes because it's in my BIAS opinion for £10,000 a Megane RS250 is the most capable and fun FWD hatch available to track there. I'm not sure a Clubsport S at over 3 and 1/2 times more the price would have the same appeal to me.
Worth noting they didn't trick up the 4WD Golf R for the record. All the extra 4WD mass is going to be a limiting factor. This is why the new over-hyped Focus RS's best time there will also be revealing. I like the way VW say it's an everyday car, unlike the Trophy R with its roll cage, but it still has no rear seats, runs Cup 2 tyres and is a stripped out special etc.
And they set the time in a car with a rollcage and harness, neither of which will be available for sale. Bit like the Honda here I think - how much is going on that we don't know about? It's something like 37 seconds faster than GTi FFS.
See the comments, started timer late ended it early - surely they run off GPS so it's accurate? looks and sounds like it goes well, shittest video though!
I love all this oneupmanship over ring times from manufacturers. So many hidden tricks as well. Do you really think that none of the ecu's are boosted to the max....who verifies them afterwards. VW dont have the best track record (no pun intended) when it comes to clandestine programming lol. The VW does look good, but still boring. The CTR looks like you have to be 18 with a backwards skipcap, Leon sub-8 looks bonkers wrong and the meg-r mega over priced for the benefit over a std trophy-r.....but what a good time when manufacturers are actually all getting involved at being real rivals. Like the Evo and Scooby golden years. Wonder who will be next to join the front engined record race?
My thoughts exactly, the cars really won't represent the ones that can be bought, people will still cream over it though.
Seems the basic rule for lap times and performance figures is if it applies to a car you have an allegiance to and the numbers are good - it gets quoted. If its bad - they are dissed as not relevant. Selective use.
Selective alright, just like the use of lap times from cars people don't own, to use against cars that they get upset about. Laughable really.
