Previously, it was reported that an even hotter Golf R Clubsport could be in the works, but new comments suggest the idea won’t come to fruition immediately.
A senior Volkswagen executive has seemingly ruled out the prospect of a Clubsport variant of its Golf R performance hatch – at least in the near future – saying the brand is happy with what the latest update to the model offers.
Speaking with Drive at the launch of the Mk8.5 Golf R in Sydney this week, Pedro Martinez Diaz, Head of Sales and Marketing for Volkswagen R suggested the 245kW offered in the updated R was enough, and that a Clubsport was just an idea, not a reality.
“Our Clubsport… we have a lot of ideas. We are here to sell what we have on the market right now,” he said.
“We’re happy that the 8.5 is such a great product, and then we’ll see in the future what is possible. But as I said, we’ll stick on the 333 horsepower [245kW] engine and it’s okay.
MORE: Hotter Volkswagen Golf R Clubsport in development – report
“Customers are always asking for more performance, but the question is, do we really need more performance or not? And I think with this package we are having here today, I think … will be the right performance for the next couple of years.”
The comments mean the arrival of a mooted more hardcore ‘Clubsport’ variant of the Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch could be pushed back to at least 2027, following on from the reveal of the not-for-Australia GTI Clubsport last year.
“There’s another interesting car we are working on at the moment. They [engineers and planners] are thinking about and working on a Clubsport version of the Golf R,” Martin Hube, a global spokesperson for Volkswagen, told US publication Road and Track at the time.
As reported by Drive, the future of the Golf R Clubsport was in the hands of the Volkswagen board, with Diaz’s comments suggesting development has not progressed beyond the idea stage.
MORE: Volkswagen Golf could stay on with petrol power until 2035, including GTI – report
Though not confirmed, there could be more planned future changes to the Golf line-up as a whole, with the Mk8.5 due to remain on sale with petrol power alongside the new Mk9 electric version when the latter launches in 2029, according to Autocar.
The brand has previously said it would continue selling internal combustion-engined vehicles (ICE) until the European Union’s ban comes in 2035.
Creating an even hotter petrol-powered Golf R Clubsport with tightening emissions regulations may just not be possible for the sub-brand, or Australia’s fuel standards may not support the souped-up powertrain, as seen with other Volkswagen Group products.
Speaking with Drive about the R brand’s move to electric, Diaz said work is already underway.
MORE: Volkswagen ID.2 GTI electric hot hatch being tested against a 20-year-old Golf – report
“It’s obvious that we are in transition mode, the whole industry is transforming from ICE [internal combustion engines] to electric cars. We are thinking about how the future looks for Volkswagen R in general.
“So therefore we are working on several projects to see how we are able to transform Volkswagen R into this electric world.
“But Volkswagen, it’s more than just acceleration, very important are the driving dynamics. Therefore, when we are going to launch such a car, an electric car, it has to be ensured that we are translating the R DNA 100 per cent from the combustion engine to battery-electric.
“The performance has to be right, the driving dynamics have to be right.”
Outside of Volkswagen R, the first hotly-anticipated electric GTI model – the ID.2 GTI – is planned for Europe next year, with the first electric Golf GTI expected at the end of the decade, reports Top Gear.
The post Volkswagen Golf R Clubsport at least two years away – executive appeared first on Drive.