Well said Musti 👏🏻

Glad we agree sir! Yep Cupra 280 is very underated though Evo mag loved it when it came out. The Goodyear Supersports really do transform any car, so much better than whatever rubbish they left the factory on :)

The Cupra R is a funny one, only other car with the CSS negative camber hubs but also full laden with equipment and somewhat dubious copper highlights. Just 799 made and far fewer in UK than CSS but just shows what motorsport pedigree does to collectability, the Golf is the far more desirable car for collectors

I know someone that owned both at the same time and he was saying some of the parts on the cupra R underneath are not the same as the clubsport S meaning the clubsport S had a few lighter/unique parts for that model only

@@paulmichael3844 mainly the front subframe. Aluminum in the Golf, steel in the Leon. The rest is more or less the same probably.

@@pokest225 he replaced the steel subframe for the aluminium subframe I am not sure what eles but I know that was 100% one of the parts that were different

I'd probably say that's closer to the Cupra. I did drive an I30N briefly at Millbrook and it felt good but interior of that first gen car was way behind Golf and even Leon. And official figure suggest it's thirstier with higher emissions so a less good daily IMHO

They did when I bought my first Clubsport S, it had to be black!

I'm definitely faster on track the cheaper the car is

799 is correct, the Brembo shot was one from the Cupra R I sold in 2019 I think (there is a video on it). Never really got much coverage that one weirdly but it also got the Clubsport S hubs so had the negative camber tweaks which makes it pretty hardcore. It's rare but I'm not such a fan because it's got that copper on it and to me that just links it with the crap era of Cupra we are going through now. However the carbon fibre bits were delicious. Undecided about the tacked on rear extensions to make it look (a bit) like the Leon TCR racing car.

Good stuff! Honestly it's a great car, look after it because the Cupra Leons just aren't the same even with 300 PS

Why would you compare a Clubsport S (limited to numbers, track meant only car or collectors) to a "regular" daily one year made cupra? VOLKSWIZARD - Well evo magazine compared the 2 cars in issue 227 when they were new so if it's good enough a comparison for one of the most respected car mags then it's good enough for me. CSS really isn't a track only car, Nordschleife is more like a B road than your usual circuit. The right one to compare is the regular clubsport also power wise both feature 350nm and pretty much the same hp (vw claims less but meassured its mostly that 275-280 just like the cupra and the "peak power for 10s" brings it more to the 310hp from the clubsport). VOLKSWIZARD - I've done Clubsport/CSS comparisons in the past. Most CS did not come with DCC which is crucial to being on an even slightly level playing field with the Cupra 280 where it was standard. A CS on 19s without DCC is undrivable on a good UK B road IMHO. The Cupra 280 including this one dynos at 300 PS which is closer than the 265 or 290 of the CS. ...also one is upgraded and one is pretty much stock. VOLKSWIZARD - The Cupra is upgraded but only in a similar way to what the factory does with the Sub 8 pack which brings the brakes' durability much closer to those of CSS than with the standard Cupra and CS (which have the same 340mm one piece brakes) Also price wise.. kinda obvious that a number limited car which was sold out before it was even finished producing is more expensive than a whole year produced car. VOLKSWIZARD - When these 2 cars were new they were very close in price. The whole point of the comparison is to see if today the Clubsport S is really worth double the price of the Cupra which is a very close match when it's in Sub 8 spec or whether the Cupra is the real bargain. One thing I can tell you for sure is that your typical spec CS is no match for a Cupra 280 Sub 8 or a Clubsport S and that's not just my opinion, reviews generally reflect that. And with CS prices climbing well beyond Leon Cupra levels at the moment, apart from the nicer interior and posher badge there's not a lot to recommend it if you prioritise driving dynamics.

@@volkswizard fair said. I didnt know that the CS didnt come Standard in UK with DCC which I think it did in Germany - atleast ours got it with the 19" Wheels its marketed with. I see that the Upgrades with the brakes and part of the Suspension. Still I think its more fair to compare it to the regular one just because except some numbers they are way more inline (brakes, Seats etc) and with Software they are the same Engines anyway so will get the same results than. :) Both or all 3 are fantastic Hatches and would you recommend upgraden the Clubsport Brake to the CSS one? Thats what Im thinking of doing this summer. Already got some fresh Conti SportContact 7 and HR stabilizers front and back ready.

Honestly there is a hell of a lot more to it that just being a bit lighter with no back seats. Look at the 'ring times, R is 16 seconds behind the Cupra which is 11 seconds behind the Golf, that's an eternity!

Is it a bit marmite but I love it!

Thanks Josh, appreciate the support 🙌

Thanks again Malcolm! Sorry to hear about your a/c, hopefully just needs topping up 🤞

Being close to iconic is no bad thing for the Leon 😁

huh? How does a regular Golf even come close to the look of a Clubsport? Have you even seen one? Just the Spoiler and Front Bumper looks super cool and aggressive not comparable to a regular Golf. Id rather actually say that the Curpa looks pretty much 1:1 of the regular Leon and thats pretty true except for the Exhaust und 2 minor tweaks on the Dif on the back and those 4 slits + orange ring on the front but.. wow. I wouldnt be able except for the sound if it hasnt went with the orange parts if its a regular leon or that super duper cupra version of it for the clubsport you just have to watch out for the wing which no other Golf wears that easier. I dont know why he compared a limited made track / collectors only car to a "not" so limited car if theres the same counter part clubsport NOT S with back seats and meant as a daily driven car.. the whole comparison aswell as pricing doesnt make sense cause obiously a very limited track car from factory is more worth than just a car which wasnt limited by numbers but a whole year.

@@TheOfficialDuBsTeC think we'll stick with our 2013 TT TFSI Black Edition in Samoa Orange with RS amplified pack, now that's a much better looking car then either of these.

@@stevesas632 Also a great car. Personally I only like the last 2017 TT with the more sharp and R8 like Design but thats just personal taste. All 3 a great looking cars, if I had to choose between those exact 3 Id take the Clubsport (not the S though). Just because its the most practical and yet different looking from the very "stock version" of it with 4 real seats. If we were talking about the last TT with the 5 Cylinder and Audi Sport Aero.. that would be out of question the choice, awesome car. :)

@@TheOfficialDuBsTeC no, IMO the MK3 TT became too sharp angles & lost the TT look. The MK2 is the best looking TT, plus the interior is better, with proper dials (no silly Digi screen) & proper handbrake & better looking air vents. In all (again our opinion) the MK2 is pinnacle TT.

To the average man of the street the Golf looks like any Golf - not everyone is a car nerd.

The problem SEAT had was that nobody would pay anywhere near list price - In 2020 I bought a high spec FR Sport eSTate that was pre-reg, delivery miles and it was £19k! If you'd paid RRP of £29k then dealer wouldn't give you £19k so that's a big hit but get the deals and they were cheap and depreciation possibly less than Golf. This was why Cupra became a brand, because they couldn't sustain having to discount so much so they decided to become I'm not sure what, Audi on the cheap? Whether this will work we will only know when supply improves after semi-conductor shortage. I personally can't see Cupra surviving in the longer term.

​@@volkswizardload of rubbish.

Check that clutch 👍👍

@@volkswizard absolutely👍

Thanks! I know exactly what you mean and I hated that delay feeling of the clutch not coming back quickly. I don't recall that on the Leon funnily enough and so far not on the CSS but I'll look out for it next time. My only concern is that VW put it in there for a reason and I don't know what that is..

@@volkswizard It’s an interesting one, I did quite a lot of research and couldn’t find evidence of it having adverse effects. The spring acts to pull the clutch pedal in, making it easier to depress. My thinking is that it is probably a left over from the more basic Golfs, where an easy to depress clutch might be of more value than a nice feeling clutch that allows for quick shifts. In terms of wear, I don’t daily my GTI (that’s left to an Up!) and so I wasn’t getting used to the clutch, and felt like I was slipping it more than needed because of the strange behaviour, so removing it might help me on clutch wear. I guess you could check if the CSS has it or not by just checking the clutch pedal (it’s a silver spring hooked onto the arm of the pedal).

Agreed which begs the question, has the CSS gone too far?

@@volkswizard maybe look at it as a GTI Plus? (But is less ??)

As a dealer I'd find it tricky to sell that car on with a map, warranty companies wouldn't cover it but with Racingline at least you can put back to stock when the time comes. Be prepared for a clutch but that's true of a standard Mk7 GTI anyway. I guess the biggest problem with non-pp is no VAQ diff which will mean traction might be marginal but it doesn't ruin a mapped Edition 30 with 300 PS, just make sure you have the best tyres, Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport or Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. So yes subject to above conditions!

@@volkswizard thanks for the detailed response as always Andrew, I went with 18" OEM Pretorias by the way, dark graphite metallic, which look nice on the white silver metallic

I get that, VW somehow manages to remain head and shoulders about its rivals when it comes to desirability though Mk8 definitely a backward step in that regard (but still ahead)

EA888 Gen 3 in MQB platform isn't bad when it comes to oil consumption.

@@volkswizard I was just interesting how amount You have to be ready to ad in regular use vs track:)?

I couldn't possibly comment😉

Glad you enjoyed it Philip!

Glad to hear it Ryan, thanks!

Got to agree, the Golf, even in Clubsport S form (and especially in black) just looks like a smart Golf and remains just about classless, the Leon is so good, so VERY good but it just can't compete with the Golf's decades of breeding which has seen even Royals drive them

Thanks Jay 👍

Look at the Cupra Born and the other crap Cupra is now producing and you will see the Leon is unlikely to be seen ever again too.

@@volkswizard What a depressing time to be a car enthusiast.

Thanks! 👍

Strange, had a lot more squeaks and rattles in Golf 7s. His experience is prob formed from that one example and who knows what’s been done to it in the past?

A Cupra 280 Ultimate Sub 8 with Michelin Cup 2 tyres and no aircon is I’d bet much rarer than CSS and a lot cooler

@volkswizard but in reality, the CSS must be amazing. I'm having an argument with the garage that fixes my cars. I want to buy a Cupra Estate, and he thinks I should get a Golf R estate. I keep telling him the Cupra is rarer, and I'm too stubborn to buy what everyone else has.

Plenty of iconic cars with no back seats - it's all about perspective 😎

@@volkswizard I get that, totally do. But for the price... The whole point of a golf is a practical hatchback, the gti, a warm hatchback. I just think the point of the car diminishes with no back seats, never liked the meganne which did that either. Completely bonkers if you ask me.

Agreed. A Cupra is what the Gti Clubsport S should have been in price and design. It's not that Cupra is cheap, it's. not compared to it's competition. It's VW being overpriced for what it is.

Rubbish.

@@jondonnelly4831 You have no clue but you think you do.

😆👍👍