Hot Volkswagen Clubsport badge to be used on EVs

Volkswagen has confirmed that it will reinvent its white-hot Clubsport badge for the electric age, that could see inbound hot electric cars like the ID.2 GTI and Golf GTI EV get a track-suited makeover.

First introduced on the Mk7 VW Golf GTI, the Clubsport version of the popular hot hatch added more power and a track-focused chassis for enthusiasts who wanted to extract more performance from their Golf GTI.

An even more extreme Mk8 Golf GTI Clubsport S followed that introduced extreme weight-saving measures that even included deleting the rear seats, as well as extra sound deadening and adding lightweight wheels and aluminium suspension and chassis components.

Until now, it was thought the hotter Clubsport badge would be dropped with the switch to EVs. However, fuelling rumours the name will live on, Volkswagen’s design boss, Andreas Mindt, speaking to Auto Exprvolksess, welcomed an even hotter take on the inbound Volkswagen ID.2 GTI.

“[It’s] something for enthusiasts to get excited about,” said Mindt, who said he was already “looking for this in the plan”, suggesting he is lobbying for more extreme versions of the brand’s future EVs.

During the interview, Mindt was careful not to confirm a battery-powered Clubsport model but highlighted that the ID.2 GTI would be perfect for the Clubsport treatment as it shares the same pair of driven wheels as the Golf GTI.

“Clubsport front-wheel drive is special with enthusiasts,” he said.

Motivating the introduction of a more extreme version of the car like the ID.2 GTI is the evidence of faster variants of both the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce, which both produce 206kW from their front e-motor and come with a mechanical limited-slip differential, plus more aggressive aero, larger wheels and a more extreme chassis tune.

The news of a potential Clubsport version of the ID.2 small hatch follows reports that an even faster, more advanced ID.2 R is in the pipeline. That model will feature a pair of punchy in-hub motors that will drive the rear wheels, with the all-wheel all-electric hot hatch said to produce more than 300kW.

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