Volkswagen’s iconic Golf GTI hot hatch is turning 40 this year. The Wolfsburg-based car maker is celebrating the milestone by unleashing the most powerful series-produced GTI it has ever built.
Christened GTI Clubsport S, the special-edition model is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that uses a large turbocharger to pump out 310 horsepower, ten ponies more than the vaunted Golf R, and 280 pound-feet of torque from 1,700 all the way up to 5,300 rpm. Unlike the R, the Clubsport S retains the GTI’s front-wheel drive setup. A six-speed manual transmission is the only unit available, and a limited-slip differential helps keep torque steer in check.
Volkswagen has lowered the GTI’s weight to just 2,833 pounds by tossing out the rear bench, the parcel shelf, the floor mats, and most of the sound-deadening material. It has also fitted the S with a smaller battery, as well as numerous aluminum components including the brake covers and the front sub-frame. The diet helps the GTI reach 62 mph from a stop in 5.8 seconds, and go on to a top speed of 162 mph.
The engine is only half of the story. Special brake pads, Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires, an adjustable suspension, and a sport-tuned chassis help keep the Clubsport S on four wheels and pointed in the right direction. Visually, it gains roughly the same body kit as the regular Clubsport model. The cabin is spruced up with a flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped with Alcantara, and a numbered plaque on the center console that tells the passengers they’re not sitting in a run-of-the-mill GTI.
Volkswagen took the Clubsport S to Germany’s famed Nürburgring track to prove what it’s capable of. The hatchback went around the grueling, 12-mile long track in 7:49, setting a new lap record for production front-wheel drive cars. The previous record of 7:50 was set last year by a Honda Civic Type R prototype.
Read more: Volkswagen takes advantage of new regulations to build a faster Polo rally car
The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S will go on sale in the fall. Production will be limited to just 400 examples, and no less than 100 of those have been earmarked for the German market. Pricing information hasn’t been published yet, but it’s of little interest to us because Volkswagen spokesman Mark Gillies told Digital Trends that the Clubsport S will only be sold in overseas markets.
Updated 05/04/2016 by Ronan Glon: Added information about US availability.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.