Volkswagen have just released footage of the full lap that broke the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for front-wheel-drive cars. Honda held the record previously at 7:50.61, but the Golf GTI Clubsport S has now beaten that record by a little over a second with a time of 7:49.21. The record was set by touring car driver Benny Leuchter early this month.

The Clubsport S pulls around 1.5 G in the corners, and as much under braking thanks to its sticky Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires and a suspension setup for the track. The lap never looks scary, but it is fast. Leuchter gets up to around 150 mph on the straight, and VW say it's capable of 165 mph.

This is a special car for Volkswagen, as it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the GTI. The car has been stripped down and given more power, so unlike other GTIs, it's not as sensible as it is fast. The Clubsport S is a hardcore, track focused car and as a result only 400 will leave the factory.



Not only is the Clubsport S track-focused, it's Nordschleife-focused. It comes with a special setting for the track that sets it up specifically for the "green hell." Volkswagen also say that, through the magic of aerodynamism, their new GTI has tamed the understeer that plagues FWD cars.

The Clubsport S comes with 305 hp, 280 lb/ft of torque and a dry weight of only 2,833 lbs.