The new Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, the most powerful GTI in the model’s 40-year history, celebrated its world premiere at the annual GTI event at Lake Wörthersee (May 4-7, 2016) in Austria.

This came on the heels of a record-breaking performance on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. With German racing driver Benny Leuchter at the wheel, the Golf GTI Clubsport S smashed the existing lap record for front-wheel-drive production cars with a time of 7:49:21.

Under the hood is a heavily modified 2.0L TSI engine that produces 306 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque (the latter from 1,700-5,300 rpm), allowing sprints of 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and a top speed of 265 km/h.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S rides on 19” Pretoria alloy wheels wrapped in semi-slick Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires. Aerodynamics were completely redesigned in many areas resulting in improved downforce, while Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) further improves handling.

Various weight-saving measures ― including a three-door configuration (instead of five), a stripped-down interior (with no rear seats), and the use of a manual transmission ― bring the Clubsport S down to 1,360 kg.

Inside, you’ll find racing bucket seats, the iconic golf-ball gear knob with Alcantara trim, a red line in the safety belts, “Honeycomb 40” design decals, elegant accents in Piano Black, and an extremely grippy Alcantara-trimmed sport steering wheel.

The body 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.

This exclusive sports car will have a global production run of 400 units. Details for Canada and the U.S. have yet to be announced.