Indice dei contenuti per June 2022 in Performance VW

What a cover… what an issue! The engine alone (Oettinger 16v on ITBs) inside Aaron Stehly’s Mk1 is one of the best we’ve ever seen and that’s before you start delving into the other hot rod-inspired parts of the build. It’s insane! Find out more over on page 8. Elsewhere in the issue, we bring you Chris Baird’s 510bhp Mk7 Golf Clubsport (p26), a JDM-inspired Passat R36 on air suspension (p54), and a Helios Blue Mk2 Jetta running more rare OEM+ parts than we’ve seen in a build for quite some time (p60). Demonstrating we can appreciate a sensibly modified car (or two) when we see one, we’ve bagged a pair of stunning Mk7 Clubsports (p34) owned by a husband and wife duo that used to be heavily into new…

FROM $99.99 American tuner, ECS Tuning recently found a desire from its enthusiast customers to convert their Quattro cars to rear-wheel-drive in order to pull smokey donuts on cue. Why leave the drifting fun to the Beemer boys and JDM scene, hey? So, it soon designed & engineered an in-house solution that allows owners of manual B8 A4s and S4s running a Quattro set-up to easily delete their front axles yet keep their wheel bearings secure in the hub. ECS Tuning’s Front Axle Delete Plug Set retails at $99.95, but it does currently require the centre diff to also be welded at this time. Not liking to leave a job half done, however, the ECS team are in the process of testing its prototype Differential Delete Kit (hence the photos)…

We tend to think of our fellow performance VW owners as being long-term “dyed in the wool” enthusiasts of the German brand, just like us. Indeed, there are those of us who’ve only ever owned Volkswagen Group products and some of us ‘oldies’ can trace our involvement all the way back to initial ownership of the classic air-cooled Beetles (speak for yourself, Neil – Ed). But there are also many who have become converts to the brand somewhat later in life. Indeed, husband and wife team Fred and Sally Dyer from Kent were both heavily involved in the New MINI scene for over 10 years (shame on you – All). It’s where they both met, in fact, so it’s hardly a dedication they were going to leave behind lightly. The…

This year's first outing for the VWDRC was the club’s preseason test day - private use of Santa Pod’s dragstrip, what more could a drag racing club want? The test day is always a great opportunity for club members to test out their winter upgrades and for the new guys to get a taste of what the club is all about and to make some new friends. As is always the case with the VWDRC, there was a huge variety of cars, everything from air cooled Beetles to 1000bhp Audis. New to the club for 2022 was Phil Swell with his very unique 1970 Bay window bus. The bus is powered by a Vauxhall three-litre V6, which has had a few tweaks as well as some beefed-up running gear, Phil…

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As our scene matures we are seeing more and more serious builds and PVW always strives to get the scoops on the latest and greatest but this Mk1 takes things to another level, even by our standards. For many, Aaron Stehly won’t need an introduction. The 38-year-old Minnesota based serial dubber has worked his way up through the cycle industry and is now Director of Education for Quality Bicycle Products. In Volkswagen circles he has made a name for himself both in the modified scene and in professional racing since getting his road licence in 2000 and then shortly after, with the encouragement of his uncle, achieving race licences through Skip Barber Race School. Eagle-eyed readers will remember Aaron’s TFSI Rallye from our June 2015 issue which was a cutting…

Got a product, service or offer you want our readers to know about? Email: pvw.ed@kelsey.co.uk with all the details and we’ll make it happen Independent throttle bodies (ITBs) are a great way to improve an engine’s performance, offering significant advantages over carburettors or standard injection systems. The only drawback has been the fact they don’t always suit the under-bonnet styling of old VWs, especially if you’re trying to keep the mods period perfect. Thankfully, Jenvey Dynamics have designed these Heritage Throttle Bodies that look like a traditional twin-carb set-up, but offer all the performance gains of individual throttle bodies, which the injectors hidden neatly inside and wiring underneath. Jenvey’s Heritage Throttle Bodies are available in 40mm, 42mm, 45mm and whopping 48mm sizes, so are suitable for all manner of applications…

TCR UK’s launch and test event held at Brands Hatch recently revealed the start of what is destined to be the biggest and most spectacular year yet for the burgeoning multimarque touring car championship’s fifth consecutive season. With no less than 30 registrations, 26 of which were on track at the test day (the youngest being just 16 yearsold at the time) this is going to be one exciting series to watch. Head over to www.tcr-uk.co.uk now for more details or add at least one of the dates below in your diary. CONTACT: www.tcr-uk.co.uk…

EBC Brakes Racing’s acclaimed two-piece fully floating discs are now available for many more vehicle applications. The Northampton-based firm has expanded on its range so the high-performance components are now available for the likes of the Audi RSQ3 (8U), as well as more of VW-Audi Group’s popular MQB Platform of vehicles (such as the Mk8 VW Golf GTI). With many of the vehicles in question designed to be driven sportingly on both road and track, these applications prove to be a valuable addition to the EBC Brakes Racing range of products. As well as the Mk8 GTI, EBC also lists the T-Roc R and Tiguan R among others. To find out more models and advantages head to the website below. PRICE: Mk8 GTI (pair): £864.00 CONTACT: www.ebcbrakesdirect.com…

Introduced in 2016 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Golf GTI, this specially commissioned model was the most powerful factory-built GTI to date. Powered by the 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection EA 888 engine delivering 265 PS and 350 Nm, an additional ‘overboost’ function increases the engine power to 290 PS, when in third gear or higher, for up to 10 seconds. The official 0-62 mph time for both three- and five-door versions, whether manual or DSG, is 6.3 seconds, while the top speed is limited to 155 mph. With the option of either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG auto gearbox, the front-wheel drive system incorporates a VAQ electronically controlled front differential lock for maximum traction as well as the XDS+ vehicle dynamics function for optimum handling modulation. The DSG…

Subtlety. It’s a much underrated quality in this day and age. With the hysterical excitability of social media, constant connectivity and fashionable one-upmanship, it would be easy for us all to end up with extreme, shocking and jarring cars that push the envelope of uniqueness to an absurd degree, wearing 14”-wide neon-blue split-rims and rhodium-plated Recaros, with carbon fibre bodywork hand-woven by the Kevlar-tipped fingers of virginal sirens. But thankfully there’s a hardcore of tuners that keep us balanced, focusing on the details and allowing a more natural aesthetic flow to emerge – the purposeful look that’s achieved by the judicious application of quality upgrades. With this level-headed approach, equilibrium is restored and reason returns to the scene. Ostentatiousness is happily balanced by subtlety, the yin and yang of the…

For all the world-class driving roads Wales puts on my doorstep, my home turf can be an unforgiving environment for an old performance car. Living this side of the border means rain and rust are inevitable – but it also means I haven’t had to travel far to turn back the clock on that damage. It’s just over two years since I committed some PVW column inches to grumbling about the blistering paint on the Polo’s doors, noting that it would be worth addressing before it got much worse. But have the last two years gone to plan for any of us? Instead, I’ve snatched every opportunity to enjoy the G40 between lockdowns and ended up with a short period where it’s been my only car. Autumn school runs with…

KW Automotive has reported a growing number of its customers are fitting alloys and lowered suspension to their electric vehicles. As a result, KW has been developing coilovers for a growing number of EVs, the latest kit being offered for the Cupra Born (K1). The KW V3 coilover suspension and the adaptive KW DDC plug & play coilover suspension can lower the car by 20 to 45 millimetres. While the KW V3 (£1870.00) can be adjusted manually in terms of damping, the DDC plug&play (£2425.00) - with its electric damper control - is recommended for all Cupra Borns with optional DCC standard chassis control. The two KW coilovers, made in Germany from stainless steel, are available now at www.kwsuspensions.co.uk PRICE: From £1870.00 CONTACT: www.kwsuspensions.co.uk…

DEI has just added heat resistant Knitted Sleeves to its range of Titanium heat protection products. The titanium sleeves are available in two different pre-cut lengths – 12” (£30.62) and 24” (£49.52). The knitted sleeves are designed to fit around and insulate exhaust pipes to prevent the transfer of heat to surrounding components and the passenger compartment. The Titanium Knitted Sleeves have a maximum temperature rating of 1800oF (approx. 982oC) with a continuous rating of 1382oF (750oC). These sleeves can be cut to length and the ends finished by simply rolling. For more information about this and DEI’s complete line of performance heat and sound control products, visit www.DesignEngineering.com PRICE: From £30.62 CONTACT: www.designengineering.com…

Powerflex has added a handful of new products to its growing application list for the Volkswagen Group's adaptable MQB A0 supermini platform. The latest addition to this range sees new powertrain mount insert options for selected Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda models which share this platform. After careful consideration and testing, Powerflex has opted to produce these new powertrain mount inserts in three different polyurethane blends: Red (65A durometer) for fast road use in models with three-cylinder and diesel engines, Yellow (70A durometer) for fast road use in models with four-cylinder petrol engines, and Black (95A durometer) for track or competition use. Prices for the mounts vary but they start at £24.54 for a Road Series Engine Mount and go up to £32.94 for the Black Series Gearbox Mount, so…

As 40th birthdays go, most of us could feel a bit envious of the Golf GTI. Instead of taking it easy, the original performance Volkswagen stormed into its fifth decade with an uncharacteristic show of force. This was an anniversary marked by the GTI’s first season competing under TCR rules, and a little of that motorsport engineering propelling the 310hp GTI Clubsport S to a Nürburgring lap record a few weeks after its headline reveal at Wörthersee. A reminder from Wolfsburg that the trailblazer could still cut it. Edinburgh-based Chris Baird was in the right place to pick up on that hype. As the GTI turned 40 back in 2016, he’d been taking a break from the building trade to indulge in a life-long love of cars. Working at a…

They say everything happens for a reason. This rings true for more than just life events. It can happen to anyone at any time with anything, and in this instance that 'thing' happens to be the wonderful machine that Angel Fuentes, from Newark, New Jersey, has built and is here for you to see. Now, Angel wasn’t always a fan of Volkswagens until a lowered Mk2 Golf rolled in at a local car meet and, as they say, it was love at first sight! The car before you isn’t his first foray into the Mk2 world, though, as he’s had a run of cars, but this is the gem! For the past three years Angel has had the joy of building this glorious creation, so let’s take a trip down…

APRIL 28-1 MAY EXPO TUNING TORINO Turin, Piedmont, Italy www.expotuningtorino.it MAY 28 APRIL - 1 MAY EXPO TUNING TORINO Turin, Piedmont, Italy www.expotuningtorino.it 1st EUROS ON THE CAPITOL Capitol Raceway, Crofton, MD, USA www.eurosonthecapitol.com 2nd BHP PERFORMANCE SHOW Lynden Hill Circuit, UK www.bhpperformanceshow.com 7th MK2MAYDAY Lebanon, NJ, USA FB: Mk2 Mayday 4 8th EARLY EDITION Sywell Aerodrome, UK www.edition38.com 8th VW-SPEED MID-WINTER MEETING Airport Twenthe, Holland FB: VW Speed Mid-winter Meeting 14th HIGH DESERT EURO FEST Deschutes County Fairgrounds, Oregon FB: High Desert Euro Fest 18-22nd ALPINE VOLKS FAIR Helen, Georgia, USA www.alpinevolksfair.com 21-22nd RETRO RIDES WEEKENDER Goodwood Circuit, Chichester, UK www.retroridesgathering.com 21-22nd DUBS AT THE LAKE Garrett County Fairgrounds, USA www.dubsatthelake.com 26-29th TUNING WORLD BODENSEE Friedrichshafen, Germany www.tuningworldbodensee.de 27-29th MODIFIED NATIONALS Peterborough Arena, UK www.modifiednationals.co.uk 29th PLUS FOUR FOUR…