Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport

Clubsport Once upon a time, the Golf GTI was the pinnacle of hot hatchbacks, and now we're living with the latest model to see if that's still the case

- DARREN MOSS

IN THE WORLD of hot hatches, I tend to think of the Volkswagen Golf GTI as king, with this going back to my youth.

You see, my older brother and I used to attend various modified car meetings around our home county of Northamptonshire. And these typically featured large numbers of the same modded models - Fiat Puntos, Ford Fiestas, Renault Clios and the like - revving their engines, playing loud music and, occasionally, disappearing swiftly when the police decided to pop by.

But while those cars seemed to me both fast and furious, things were always turned up a notch when a Golf GTI rocked up. Whether it was due to the looks, noise or speed, they seemed a cut above any competition. And I've wanted to own one ever since.

So, here we go. Sitting on my driveway right now is the latest example of the Golf GTI breed: a Clubsport model, which is essentially Volkswagen's own attempt at a modified Golf GTI.