We’re meant to hailing the the fact that the new Volkswagen GTI Clubsport S has set a new front-wheel, production car record at the Nurburgring. That lap time doesn’t matter because it really is a case of chasing the numbers and you know what the score is. The record will eventually be beaten.   The key facts are always this, how fast is it, how much does it cost and when will it be available. We can at least do our best to answer all three self imposed questions. At the beating heart of the GTI Clubsport S is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder TSI engine. That means you 308bhp and around 380 Nm of torque. Straight-line performance is swift, 0-62mph takes 5.8 seconds and the 6-speed manual gearbox will get you to a top speed of 165mph in a car that weighs 1285kg. VW have shaved a 30kg of weight by not including any rear seats, loosing the sound proofing material, and even casting aside things like the parcel shelf and floor matts. VW have installed an new exhaust system with an enlarged cross-section which is designed to produce a strong backfire when braking. VW engineers have tinkered with the chassis and reconfigured the front and rear axle to dial in a little bit more controllable over-steer when exiting a corner. There is also a Nordschleife setting which optimally regulates the spring/damper settings so you can go at lunatic speeds when cornering without loosing stability over the bumps. The Clubsport S marks 40 years of the GTI brand and that means it needs exclusivity so it’s a strictly a two seater and is strictly limited to just 400 examples worldwide. The colours of the limited edition stick to those of the original GTI: “Tornado Red”, “Pure White” and “Deep Black Pearl Effect”, and the roof of the red or white GTI Clubsport S is also painted black VW have yet to set a price or make it be known when the GTI Clubsport S will be made available.