Table of contents for March 2022 in Performance VW

After the disappointment of the Mk3 GTI (back in 1993) as a true driver’s car the spongy Mk4 platform wasn’t much better. Thankfully, the Mk5 GTI (launched in 2004) was just what the water-cooled VW scene needed. Its chassis, with the independent rear suspension, was worlds apart from its two predecessors and the car as a whole offered owners a true hot hatch feel once again. The thing is, I don’t think at the time of its launch we really appreciated just what a great car the Mk5 was. Okay, the non GTI/R32 models were a bit bland but the GTI’s 2.0 TFSI motor was a peach and the base-spec tartan trim offering (a nod back to the original GTI) was genius. While the sixth-gen GTI (and all GTIs since)…

American performance supremos, ECS Tuning has just launched a titanium catback exhaust system for the Mk7.5 Golf GTI called the Ti.22. The exhaust is said to have a radical weight saving of 62% over stock and, combined with an ‘exotic’ exhaust note, it’s got to be a no brainer for anybody owning a 7.5 GTI. We were expecting the non-valved catback to be far more money than it is, and priced at just $1956.85, considering the weight saving alone (not to mention the performance gains) this has got to be the tuning bargain of the year. Made from ultra-lightweight Gr2 titanium, the exhaust comes with a pair of 4” chrome tips as standard, but you can spec black chrome or carbon fibre tips at an additional cost. With a standard…

Thirty-Five-year-old Wolverhampton-based gas engineer, Scott Russell was generous enough to talk us through his epic build despite it being his busiest period. Scott started his driving career in a classic Mini that was engine swapped for a 1430 unit. A Vauxhall VX220, BMW 320i and Mercedes A-Class feature in his eclectic automotive history with campers also playing a leading role. Scott has previously owned a T4 and a Ford Transit Custom but has now gone full-size and is currently working on a 2017 VW Crafter for the family’s holidaying pleasure. Scott purchased his first Mk1 Golf back in 2013 in the shape of a 1986 GTI Cabriolet. He explained how he got the VW bug largely due to the show scene: ”I found that VW shows and events are just…

JOAQUIN PAZ (KINI) AGE: 40 LOCATION: Madrid, Spain  MODEL: 2014 Caddy  PURCHASED: 2018 FIRST MOD: The air suspension FAVOURITE MOD: The 19” OZ Futura wheels  SPENT: Around 10,000 Euros FUTURE PLANS: Fit a 3.2 V6 engine DUB DETAILS ENGINE: 1.6 TDI 120 cv/90 kw CHASSIS: 19” OZ Futura wheels, air suspension, Nas Sport digital, Selex shock absorbers EXTERIOR: smoothed body, Golf Mk5 R32 white paint INTERIOR: Mk5 Golf GTI seats, Mk6 GTI steering wheel and Audi air vents JORDAN JAMESON @roughrestos AGE: 25  LOCATION: Camelford, Cornwall MODEL: 1989 Mk2 Golf PURCHASED: November 2016 FIRST MOD: Engine swap  FAVOURITE MOD: Gotta be the engine  SPENT: £6000 all in FUTURE PLANS: Possibly fit an LSD, more power, general tidying up and maintenance DUB DETAILS ENGINE: 1.8 20v turbo from a Mk4 Golf…

The true magic of life can always be found in the details. The rich texture of reality is firmly grounded in the attention that’s paid to sweating the small stuff; in much the same way that your ol’ grandma used to say ‘look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves’, so the bigger picture is always underpinned by a million smaller snapshots. Mark Fisher’s Mk5 Golf Edition 30 is a case in point. See how it’s liberally slathered in carbon fibre? Each of those individual elements represents a series of considered decisions and a lot of hard work and effort. Indeed, the very nature of carbon fibre itself acts as a metaphor for this project: the strands within the material are around 0.00020” in diameter, and yet…

Amongst a raft of new electric models and numerous hybrid versions, it’s good to see the iconic VW logo still making its presence in the range, with GTI versions of the up! the Golf and now the latest Polo for 2022.Heading up the revised sixth-generation four-door Polo range, which made its debut in 2021, the new hot hatch version comes with more power, enhanced styling, equipment upgrades, improved safety and premium-car technology. Based on the A0 variation of the same MQB platform as the Golf GTI, the hot Polo is powered by the 2.0-litre (1984 cc) fourcylinder turbocharged TSI petrol power plant with dual injection (direct and manifold injection), electronic valve lift on the intake, and a particulate filter. Producing 207 PS, up slightly from the 200 PS of its…

Presented to the general public at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Quattro Spyder was created to be a sub DM100,000 sports car with an off the shelf V6 motor. The car boasted permanent four-wheel drive and a futuristic lightweight aluminium body which came with removable glass roof panels. Glowing in bright Fiji Orange, the Spyder didn’t just look good back then, it still appears on point some 30 years later. The car’s body weighed a mere 140 kilograms (308.65 lb); in contrast to today’s series-produced vehicles, the quattro Spyder’s body consisted of a load-bearing frame and a separate skin. The entire vehicle weighed just 1100 kilograms (2425.08 lb). Due to this low weight, a standard volume-production engine more than sufficed: the 2.8-litre V6 was borrowed from the C4 Audi…

So first up, you’re probably wondering why am I spouting on about an all-electric VW SUV? Something that’s about as far removed from the fabulous stanced machines you’ll see elsewhere in this erstwhile publication. Well, we thought it was interesting as the ID.3 and ID.4 are clearly a key signal of VW’s future, whether we like it or not; these may be the types of car we choose to modify in the future. Who knows, for sure, right? For those still cynical, let me assure you I’m not an ‘EV-angelist’, who thinks the petrol engine is dead. Far from it. While the ID.4 has become my main transport for work and family trips alike, I’m lucky to have other conventional ICE powered cars on the fleet, including a mint MK1…

Major car shows are all well and good, but it’s also been great to get along to regular local car meets of late and this month we’ve got news of a relatively new one. On the 3rd Sunday of each month one of the newest and most exciting events takes place. Re:Fuel was conceived by Dan Regan in 2019 as a way of car enthusiasts in the South West having a place to meet, chat and show off their pride and joys. The concept is simple, meet at Mansell Raceway at The Airfield Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Honiton from 9am to 4pm (since the pandemic it’s changed slightly to morning and afternoon sessions), pay £5 (again slightly changed since pandemic to ticket entry through Eventbrite), grab some food and caffeine from…

Although it’s not as synonymous with its performance versions as the Golf, the Polo has quietly racked up a notinconsiderable race history since it joined the range 46 years ago, and not just with private teams. The GT-G40 was a speed endurance record-holder in 1985, before Volkswagen Motorsport engineering gave it its own race series that lasted into the Nineties, and it didn’t stop there. By 2000, the 6N2 16V was available as a factory-built junior rally car, and the Polo’s rallying career would progress through widearch S1600 and S2000 versions peaking with a competitive stint in the WRC and under later R5 regs. Plenty of inspiration to work with, if you know where to look. You’d have had to look hard to take cues from this one, at least…

Who here can remember the first time they were handed a wrench and told what to do with it? For some, the earliest memories are the ones that stand out the most. For our man David Olsson, he always possessed the desire to build things and understand how they work. Watching his father figure out the mechanics of a problem and engineering a solution sparked an interest that’s still burning to this day. “I remember one project my dad took on when I was younger was he took a 1951 Studebaker truck and put the body of it onto a 1994 Ford Explorer frame so he could get the newer technology and the 4WD.” Whoa. Unable to quench the insatiable thirst for knowledge and know-how, the Mk2 you see before…

The story of the Polo GTI can be traced back to the supercharged 115 PS 1.3-litre G40, based on the Mk2F Polo. This was sold in the UK between 1990 and 1994, having previously been available in Europe during the late 1980s as the GT G40. The GTI badge proper first appeared on the Mk3 Polo (6N), with a 120 PS 1.6 16v engine, initially released in 1998 and available only in left-hand drive for Europe, with a production run of just 3,000. With 15mm lowered suspension, GTI badges, 15" BBS alloy wheels and red callipers, it also featured sports seats, red trimmed door panels and floor mat edging, and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. 1999 6N2 The first proper series production Polo GTI for the UK came with the 6N2…

aving owned the GTI for three months now I can honestly say it is one of the best cars I’ve ever owned - the perfect balance of size, performance and economy! Averaging in the high 30s to the gallon, it is turning out to be a great daily. As you might have seen from the last few articles the car has been mechanically looked after by Canterbury VW, handling and brakes taken care of by Tyre Point & now it was time to treat it to a detailing session with renowned automotive detailer Perfection Valet (PV). Richard Tipper has been looking after some of the world’s most recognised classic and modern sports cars for over thirty years now and his knowledge and attention to detail is second to none. Performance…

FEBRUARY 4-5th EURO TRIPPER 9 Ft Myers, Florida, USA www.eurotrippershow.com MARCH 13th ULTIMATE DUBS Telford Centre, UK www.ultimate-dubs.co.uk 13th VW-SPEED MID-WINTER MEETING Airport Twenthe, Holland, www.vw-speed.nl 19-22nd VOLKS WORLD SHOW Sundown Park, Esher, Surrey, UK www.volksworld.com APRIL 2-3rd DUBSHED Nikon Exhibition Centre, Belfast, NI www.dubshed.com 3rd THE FAST SHOW Santa Pod, Wellingborough, UK www.santapod.co.uk 8-10th WOOKIES IN THE WOODS Robbinsville, NC, USA www.wookiesinthewoods.com 9-10th GR8 INTERNATIONAL CAR SHOW Kortrijk Xpo, Belgium www.gr8mag.be 10th ELSECAR AT THE RACES Doncaster Racecourse, UK www.elsecarattheraces.com 10th UK RALLYE GOLF SHOW Doncaster Racecourse, UK www.elsecarattheraces.com 10th GTI SPRING FEST Santa Pod, Wellingborough, UK www.santapod.co.uk 18th OFFSET SHOW Royal Cornwall Showground, UK www.wgnuk.com 24th NEW ENGLAND DUSTOFF Thompson Speedway, Thompson, CT, USA Facebook: New England Dustoff 24th THE ULTIMATE SHOW Depot Mayfield, Manchester,UK www.ultimate-show.co.uk MAY 2nd…