Car Magazine has decided to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the GTI in the only appropriate way: with a race.

The premise of the video is pretty simple, take the six fastest Golfs and race them against one another. The result is pretty interesting, but the most interesting bit by far is the last race between the Golf R and the Golf GTI Clubsport S.

The Golf R has four-wheel-drive and as a result has the best 0-60 time of the six Golfs at 4.9 seconds.

The Clubsport S meanwhile gets to 60 in a meandering 5.8 seconds. That said, it weighs considerably less, has about 10 more horsepower, and is setup specifically for track use.

The two look like they might be well matched on paper, but the Clubsport S clearly shows its speed after the first corner.

Although the Golf R jumps off the line, as soon as a braking zone of any consequence rears its head, the Clubsport S flies by the R and stays well ahead.

The result may be less than surprising given that the Clubsport S is the fastest production front-wheel-drive car to ever go round the Nurburgring, but all the same it’s a victory for followers William Bushnell Stout whose credo read “simplicate and add more lightness.”

The above video also comes with a whole standalone site produced by Car Magazine. The site 40yearsofhotgolfs.co.uk, you may have already guessed, is designed to showcase some of the best Golfs ever.