September 01, 2024

This Mk2 Volkswagen Golf is hiding a turbocharged VR6 and all-wheel drive.

Aside from a set of big wheels, this Mk2 Volkswagen Golf might not look like much. But it's hiding a massively powerful all-wheel drive powertrain that'll give most supercars a run for their money.
Built and raced by Kim Paetz, this Golf is hiding a 2.9-liter VR6 from a later Volkswagen, highly modified to withstand boost from a BorgWarner EFR 9180 turbocharger. According to Engine Swap Depot, the setup is making 898 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. All of that thrust gets to the wheels via a five-speed sequential transmission and a modern 4Motion VW all-wheel drive system.

The VeeDubRacing YouTube channel managed to snag video of Paetz's car participating at the L8Night quarter-mile event last month held at Lausitzring, just outside of Berlin. Here we're able to see the car do a few quarter-mile runs, complete with some excellent four-wheel burnouts.
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Of the runs we see, Paetz is able to squeeze a best time of 10.07 seconds at 148.7 mph. While that number can't match modern supercars like the Rimac Nevera or Porsche 911 Turbo S, it's still incredibly quick. It's even more impressive once you consider the car's blocky aerodynamic shape and lack of traction off the line. With a better launch, we bet this car could get into 9-second range.
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