This is what happens when all the Volkswagen models with the GTi badge face off in a race

The iconic GTi badge debuted in 1976 with the Volkswagen Golf, a model recognised as the pioneer of the hot hatch segment. Over time, this badge has not only given life to the successive generations of the Golf GTi, but also to models from other brands. Today, the German manufacturer has up to three models carrying the GTi badge, and the Carwow team decided to put them to the test in a drag race.

Volkswagen has always offered the world some of the most effective compact performance cars on the market, something it achieves with carefully tuned set-ups and more refined engines. The Golf has always been the flagship model of the German brand, but today both the Polo and the tiny Up! have adopted the GTi name to give their drivers extra fun behind the wheel.

In the video, however, we find four models, the last being the Golf GTi Clubsport S, a limited edition that raises the performance of the German compact a notch. Another contender is a Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance, which goes head to head with the other two models mentioned and with the all-powerful Clubsport.

Under the bonnet of the Golf GTi lies a turbocharged 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine. It produces 245 CV of power and 370 Nm of torque, figures that rise to 310 CV and 380 Nm of torque in the GTi Clubsport S, which uses the same engine. However, the latter gets a six-speed manual gearbox, while the standard Golf GTi is fitted with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. In the first case the 0-100 km/h sprint takes 6.2 seconds, while the Clubsport S clocks 5.8 seconds.

The Volkswagen Polo GTi also hides a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine under its bonnet, only this time it develops 200 CV and 320 Nm of torque, figures that, together with the DSG gearbox, allow it to reach 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds. Last but not least, we have the most recent model to carry the GTi badge and pay tribute to the iconic Cupo GTi: the Up!. This little warrior features a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine that delivers 115 CV and 200 Nm of torque, figures that catapult it to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds.

https://youtu.be/7OVr7eWSex8

However, these performance figures are truly appreciated on the track, where the Carwow team, wasting no time, decided to test all four models. The top spot went to the Volkswagen Golf GTi Performance, which has the DSG automatic gearbox like the Polo, while the other two participants are fitted with manual transmissions. The German compact finished the drag race in 14.5 seconds, making it the fastest in the comparison.