Skip advert
Advertisement

New 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport 45 on sale now

Volkswagen’s commemorative 45th anniversary edition of the Golf GTI is priced from £39,980

The new Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport 45 is on sale in the UK now, with prices starting from £39,980. It’s based on the hottest version of the company’s long-lived front-wheel drive hatchback, but with a few tweaks to celebrate the Golf GTI’s 45th birthday.

Styling revisions over the standard Golf GTI Clubsport include gloss black mirror caps, a gloss black tailgate spoiler and special edition “45” badges for the car’s flanks. There’s also a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels with red detailing.

Inside, it gets Art Velours-trimmed sports seats embroidered with the GTI logo. There’s a new sports steering wheel, too, which carries the same special edition 45 badging as the car’s exterior.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Aside from visual changes, there’s also a new lightweight Akrapovič titanium exhaust system. Volkswagen has also fitted the Clubsport with a new “Race” package, which removes the car’s 155mph top speed restrictor. That means, this special edition Golf GTI is the fastest model in the Golf line-up, with a top speed of 166mph.

Like the Golf GTI Clubsport, the Clubsport 45 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 296bhp and 400Nm of torque. That’s 54bhp and 30Nm more than the standard Mk8 Golf GTI.

It is only available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which sends drive to the front wheels via an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential for improved traction. Like the standard Clubsport, the 45 can sprint from 0–62mph in 5.6 seconds.

The first-generation Golf GTI was launched back in 1976 as one of the originals of the hot hatchback genre. Since then, Volkswagen has sold more than 2.3 million examples across eight generations. 

With this 45th anniversary model arriving so early in the latest Golf’s lifecycle, we’re faced with the prospect of the Mk8 GTI remaining on sale for the car’s 50th birthday, too.

Now read our review of the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf GTI. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Skip advert
Advertisement

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New electric Volkswagen Golf GTI will take iconic hot hatch into the 2030s
Electric Volkswagen Golf GTI - front

New electric Volkswagen Golf GTI will take iconic hot hatch into the 2030s

VW is taking the iconic hot hatchback brand into the electric era with the new Golf GTI EV already in development, and our exclusive images preview ho…
News
19 May 2025
Three car garage: a hot hatch, a roadster and an estate all for the price of a new VW Golf GTI
Three car garage for £40,000

Three car garage: a hot hatch, a roadster and an estate all for the price of a new VW Golf GTI

If you’re a driving enthusiast and had £40,000 to spend, these would be the perfect three cars to fill your driveway, all pulled from the Auto Express…
Features
11 Mar 2025
Best hot hatchbacks to buy 2025
Best hot hatchbacks - header image

Best hot hatchbacks to buy 2025

The very best hot hatchbacks offer giant-killing performance and an engaging drive, all wrapped up in a family-friendly package
Best cars & vans
5 Feb 2025
Volkswagen Golf vs itself: original Mk1 head-to-head with today’s Mk8.5
Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1 and Mk8 - front tracking

Volkswagen Golf vs itself: original Mk1 head-to-head with today’s Mk8.5

VW’s legendary Golf is 50. We look at where it started, how it’s changed – and where it’s going
Car group tests
24 Dec 2024

Most Popular

New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini’s potential return
Ford Fiesta exclusive image

New Ford Fiesta: latest details on supermini’s potential return

The Ford Fiesta could be coming back as an electric car, and here’s everything we know so far
News
20 May 2025
Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution
Connecting charger to Hyundai Tucson PHEV

Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution

Half a million extra PHEVs could reach UK roads by 2030 in place of cleaner EVs due to changes surrounding the ZEV Mandate
News
19 May 2025
Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales
Luxury car tax

Labour hints at major luxury car tax U-turn to boost EV sales

Is pressure from retailers and car makers finally cutting through with ministers?
News
22 May 2025