<< Prev Page 2 of 2 The idea for the Golf GTI Clubsport S originated when the team responsible for the "normal" GTI at Volkswagen tested the final version of the current Golf GTI Performance on the racetrack. "It was obvious to all of us that this GTI had immense potential", recalls Karsten Schebsdat, Head of Chassis Tuning, "so we decided to get the most performance possible out of this car. A small team went through the entire process, from bottom to top, pretty much like it was back when the first Golf GTI came into being." In addition to the weight reduction and the improvement in performance already described above, two factors are of fundamental importance when it comes to designing a really fast car: optimal aerodynamics and an outstanding chassis, both of which are characteristics of the new Golf GTI Clubsport S.
When it comes to aerodynamics and the associated downforce values, Volkswagen was able to draw on the modifications already implemented in the Golf GTI Clubsport. Both versions - the "Clubsport" and the "Clubsport S" - are characterised by completely new front bumpers. The new design offers improvements in air supply to the engine, aerodynamics and downforce at the front. At the rear, the roof-edge spoiler that was aerodynamically perfected in the wind tunnel, and is significantly larger on the Clubsport versions than its counterpart on the Golf GTI and Golf GTI Performance, results in significantly optimised aerodynamics. There is a narrow air gap between the roof area, that is completely black, and the wing-like spoiler placed above it. The two-part roof edge spoiler extends upward above the roof line. At the sides, the spoiler merges into the black flaps on the boot lid. Multi-part spoilers of this type are complex components that perfectly fulfil the aerodynamic tasks assigned to them: to significantly increase downforce on the rear axle. A black rear diffuser is also included in this design and aerodynamics concept. To fine-tune the Clubsport versions to give them extra stability, the aerodynamics measures generate more downforce on the rear axle than on the front axle. This boost in driving stability, especially on the rear axle, is used to fine-tune the chassis to make for a smoother ride. In the case of the Golf GTI Clubsport S this means that the understeer so typical of front-wheel-drive cars is practically eliminated.
The new Golf GTI Clubsport S has a special sport chassis. The chassis experts also reconfigured both of the axles of the Golf GTI Clubsport S. Take, for example, the rear axle: the modular performance axle has been given extra potential for directional control in order to achieve higher lateral accelerations. But without altering the McPherson front axle this would result in greater understeer. As Karsten Schebsdat, the chassis expert, explains: "To neutralise the understeer and at the same time boost grip levels, we counteracted understeer on the front axle and specially designed the hub carriers", resulting in higher camber angles. The negative camber increases the potential for directional control, thus optimising the grip on the front axle. The Clubsport S is characterised by similarly good balance to the "normal" Clubsport, even at higher levels of lateral acceleration, allowing even higher cornering speeds. Braking performance was also perfected, in particular to prevent the rear-end from breaking away, especially when braking into very fast corners. Combined with the aerodynamics measures, this results in the driver being able to brake into bends with the Golf GTI Clubsport S in a controlled way, without losing driving stability, resulting in extremely good driveability up to the limits and a lap time around the Nordschleife of just 07:49:21.
Even at full acceleration the car has yet better traction due to the modified chassis tuning and the semi-slicks. Volkswagen was also able to fine-tune the ESC software on this basis: Even though the traction control intervenes later in the Golf GTI Clubsport S and the torque is reduced less, when it does intervene, the "wheel hop" of the front wheels, typical of powerful front-wheel drive cars at maximum acceleration, is practically eliminated. This noticeable effect is similar to that of Launch Control in automatic cars. The acceleration boost is perfected by harder engine mounts, a new pendulum support (a coupling rod between the transmission and front axle) as well as a reinforced transmission. Other important elements include the XDS+ vehicle dynamics function and the front differential lock, which also comes as standard.
Front differential lock. Compared to purely mechanical locks, the front differential lock integrated in the Golf GTI Clubsport and the Golf GTI Clubsport S has a variable degree of locking and comprehensively integrates with the functions of ESC, EDS and XDS+. This makes it possible to completely avoid negative effects on steering precision that would otherwise occur with mechanical locks.
ESC Sport. As is the case for the other GTI versions, Volkswagen also offers the 'ESC Sport' function for very experienced drivers. In the Golf GTI Clubsport S. The system is activated by a two-stage switch on the centre console. When the driver presses this switch briefly, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) switches to the 'ESC Sport' mode. In very fast driving with lots of bends - such as on the Nordschleife - ESC responds later and thereby enables even more agile handling characteristics. If the driver pushes the switch for more than three seconds, the ESC system is completely deactivated. Now the GTI can be driven to the limit at the driver's own discretion, without any regulating interventions. As an alternative to operation via the push-button switch on the centre console, the ESC can also be activated or deactivated in the settings on the car menu.
Most racetracks in the world have hardly any major bumps or height differences. Not so on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, where there are plenty of both, and innumerable curves on top of that. The result of this is a unique combination of sections with lateral dynamics and vertical dynamics. So a car tuned to drive on the Nürburgring needs, on the one hand, to be able to take bends at high speed, while at the same time being able to cope with extreme bumps and height differences. In other words: if a car is fine-tuned for driving on normal racetracks, then the chassis is normally made pretty hard, but this isn't helpful on the Nordschleife. Rather, the suspension needs to absorb the bumps so that the wheels are guided perfectly ahead on the track, meaning that the car needs to be fairly soft vertically, but at the same time stiff when it comes to lateral dynamics. This is exactly what the Volkswagen engineers managed to take into account when fine tuning the spring/damper tuning - in particular when it came to the damper tuning of the dynamic chassis control DCC. The system makes it possible to regulate the damping optimally in response to driving conditions, and it is this regulation that has been specifically fine-tuned for the Nordschleife in the Golf GTI Clubsport S Individual driving profile. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Golf GTI Clubsport S
The idea for the Golf GTI Clubsport S originated when the team responsible for the "normal" GTI at Volkswagen tested the final version of the current Golf GTI Performance on the racetrack. "It was obvious to all of us that this GTI had immense potential", recalls Karsten Schebsdat, Head of Chassis Tuning, "so we decided to get the most performance possible out of this car. A small team went through the entire process, from bottom to top, pretty much like it was back when the first Golf GTI came into being." In addition to the weight reduction and the improvement in performance already described above, two factors are of fundamental importance when it comes to designing a really fast car: optimal aerodynamics and an outstanding chassis, both of which are characteristics of the new Golf GTI Clubsport S.