VW ID 2 GTI Clubsport: 282-HP Electric Hot Hatch in Development

VW Plans Hardcore ID 2 GTI Clubsport

Volkswagen is working on a hardcore Clubsport version of its upcoming ID 2 electric hatchback, with more power and a better way to handle it, according to a report from Autocar. Reportedly undergoing development at VW’s R&D center in Braunschweig, Germany, this model would carry the legacy of VW’s track-ready Golf Clubsport models into the electric era.

Expected Power Output: Where the GTI and Clubsport May Land

First shown in concept form in September 2023, the ID GTI is expected to be shown in production-ready form in 2026, with sales starting in 2027. Like its gasoline Golf GTI predecessor, the ID GTI will be a sportier version of a compact hatchback, in this case the production version of VW’s ID 2all concept, which was powered by a single electric motor producing 223 hp. Autocar is forecasting 282 hp for the Clubsport, with the standard ID GTI likely somewhere in between in output.

Like other ID 2 models, the Clubsport will have front-wheel drive. But a mechanical limited-slip differential will ensure better grip, while also enabling torque vectoring between the front wheels. An anonymous VW insider with knowledge of the project told Autocar that the Clubsport will employ this “fully mechanical system” rather than the software-controlled, brake-based torque vectoring used in many other cars.

Related: 5 Reasons The Latest Golf GTI Is A Future Icon

A mechanical limited-slip diff will give the ID 2 GTI Clubsport a more analog feel, as will the variable torque delivery and simulated gearshift functions VW is also reportedly considering for it. Together, these functions will replicate the stepped response of a manual transmission while eliminating the jerkiness under hard acceleration that can sometimes accompany manual shifts, according to the report.

MEB Entry Platform Enables Affordable ID 2 and Hotter Trims

This would make for quite the transformation of the basic ID 2 hatch, will use a new derivative of the MEB platform from current VW EVs like the ID.4 and ID.Buzz. Called MEB Entry, this architecture will help the base ID 2 achieve a base price below 25,000 euros (about $29,000 at current exchange rates). The GTI and Clubsport versions will be pricier—assuming they make it to the U.S. at all (VW hasn’t confirmed anything yet)—with the Clubsport likely being a limited edition in line with previous Clubsport models.

VW launched the first Golf GTI Clubsport in 2016 to mark the GTI’s 40th anniversary, quickly following that up with a Clubsport S version that set a Nürburgring lap record for front-wheel drive production cars. A Clubsport version of the current Mark VIII GTI was unveiled in 2024 with 296 hp, a significant bump from the 241 hp of the current U.S.-spec GTI, but it remains a Europe-only affair.

Clubsport may not be the only iconic hot-hatch badge VW is applying to the upcoming ID 2. Another Autocar report from just last week hints at an ID R that, like the internal-combustion Golf R, will have all-wheel drive. But in this case, that will come courtesy of in-wheel motors producing around 400 hp.