VOLKSWAGEN UNVEILS THE EXCLUSIVE GOLF GTI CLUBSPORT 45

The ultimate Volkswagen Golf has always been the all-wheel-drive Golf R, but the echelon of the GTI has been the Clubsport variant, delivering nearly as much power as the R but without powered rear wheels.

Following up on last year's release of the latest Clubsport, an even more special version of the Clubsport 45 was unvelied to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the hot hatch this year, Joel Stocksdale wrote for AutoBlog.

From the outside, the Clubsport 45 looks very much like the regular model. It has larger air intakes and a big rear wing for additional downforce compared to a regular GTI.

But the 45 gets unique black 19-inch wheels with red pinstripes plus a hexagonal pattern stripe and 45 decals on the sides, and the interior, a 45 badge on the steering wheel.

The engine is unchanged from the regular Clubsport with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Power still goes through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic to an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential. The Clubsport 45 does come standard with the "Race" package, though, adding a sport exhaust and top speed limiter removed.

Unfortunately for car enthusiasts in America, as is the case with the regular model of the car, the Clubsport 45 is exclusive to Europe as only 5,000 have been built.

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