This Volkswagen GTI Can Lap the Nordschleife In Under 8 Minutes

It is an impressive feat when a Volkswagen GTI, a front-wheel drive hot hatch, can lap the infamous Nürburgring racetrack under eight minutes. The even better part is you can buy this particular GTI.

This is the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S that made its debut today at the Wörthersee festival. Taking the standard GTI, Volkswagen turned it up to eleven. The turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder has been improved with a new fuel pump, optimized ECU, and exhaust system. Power stands at astounding 306 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with a six-speed manual that routes power to the front wheels. Volkswagen says the GTI Clubsport S can hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds or 0.7 seconds faster than the standard GTI. Top speed is said to be 162 mph.

Engineers also put the GTI Clubsport S on diet. The interior loses the rear seat, center armrest, and some sound isolation. Other weight loss tricks include an aluminum subframe for the front suspension and a smaller battery. These changes helped the Clubsport S have a curb weight of 2,833 pounds or about 139 pounds lighter than the lightest Golf GTI sold in the U.S.

Outside, the GTI Clubsport S features a more aggressive body kit and a set of 19-inch wheels wrapped in semi-slick Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires. The interior gets racing seats, an Alcantara-wrapped sport steering wheel, and seat belts featuring a red accent.

Now for the bad news. Volkswagen will only produce 400 GTI Clubsport S models worldwide, and sadly the U.S. isn't included in that.

What about that Nürburgring record?

Volkswagen enlisted German touring car and open-wheel driver Benny Leuchter to see if they could beat the current lap record for front-wheel drive vehicles - held by the Honda Civic Type R with a time of 7 minutes and 50 seconds. Leuchter went out on the track and was able to beat it by a second - 7 minutes and 49 seconds.

You can check out the onboard video of the record attempt below.

Pic Credit: Volkswagen