More Hardcore VW Golf R Spotted at Nürburgring – Could this be the Clubsport?

A new Volkswagen Golf R prototype has been spotted on the Nürburgring. Could this be a more powerful, Clubsport version of the German marque’s halo hot hatch?

Volkswagen Golf R Clubsport prototype at Nürburgring

The ‘Clubsport’ badge has adorned several Golf GTIs. However, could this moniker make its way to the Golf R? Well, in June 2024, Martin Hube, global spokesperson for the German marque, said to US publication Road & Track the company is working on another “interesting” car – a Clubsport version of the pinnacle hot hatch in Volkswagen’s arsenal. Though, at the time, this project had yet to be approved.

However, it seems this project might, indeed, become a reality, with what looks like a more hardcore version – replete with a more pronounced front grille and bonnet vents – of VW’s apex hatchback having been spotted testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Reports have also suggested it could be known as the 350 – this number likely indicating the metric horsepower produced by an uprated EA888 powertrain – and thus be the successor to the (Mk8) Golf R 333 Limited Edition. As a reminder, the latter model’s 245 kW and 420 N.m (increases of 10 kW and 20 N.m over the “standard” Mk8 Golf R) made it the most powerful series-production Golf R ever created by the Wolfsburg brand when it was revealed in 2023. A year later, the updated (Mk8.5) Golf R, which we sampled in Sweden in 2025, gained the 333’s power and torque outputs.

So, to make the Mk8.5 Golf R even more focused than it currently is, reports have suggested the hotter version – whether named 350 or, indeed, Clubsport – will produce up to 260 kW. And a fair bet would be that it could receive an injection of torque as well.

As a reminder, though the Mk8.5 Golf GTI has been confirmed for SA, and we’ve sampled this model in an exclusive first local drive before it makes its official debut, the Mk8.5 Golf R still remains on ice for our shores.

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The post More Hardcore VW Golf R Spotted at Nürburgring – Could this be the Clubsport? appeared first on CAR Magazine.


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