Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Golf GTI, Volkswagen will unveil at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show a special version of the hot hatch. Dubbed the most powerful production GTI ever, the new Golf GTI Clubsport packs 265 horsepower.

VW used to take pride in not playing into the horsepower game and keeping the output of GTI models at a reasonable level. The latest version has only around 220 hp. But these day with all the 300+ hot hatches around, that just wouldn’t cut it anymore. So they came up with this Golf GTI Clubsport which has a tweaked engine with 265 hp, increased momentarily to 290 PS using an overboost function. 

It still isn’t a lot, but the Clubsport can accelerate from o to 100 km/h in just under 6 seconds which is satisfying. That is with the overboost engaged, since all you have to do to engage it is press the throttle fully. You can choose between a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DSG), with the latter returning 34.8 mpg.

Apart from packing more power, Golf GTI Clubsport anniversary model also looks remarkably different than the standard version thanks to a completely new front bumper, new side sills, a new rear diffuser, a new multi-part roof spoiler and exclusive forged aluminum-alloy wheels. The highlights of the interior include ergonomic sport seats featuring tartan fabric upholstery, red stitching, a golf-ball-shaped shifter knob and black headliner.