Lush sounding Mk2 VR6 that makes the hairs on the back of our necks stand up

GOLF+ VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Mk2 Golf 1.8T sets UK record as the quickest, road legal front wheel drive car

A 360bhp Mk2 Golf has recently set the UK record as the fastest front wheel drive car to hit the strip. James Hodson, of Jabbasport, romped away to a 10.66 second pass to claim the title as the fastest FWD ever to blitz the sticky tarmac at the Pod. Invited to compete alongside a number of other competitors at the VWDRC (Volkswagen Drag Racing Championship) James set a blistering sprint. His 60ft time, an indication of how well a car is gripping and launching - as well as the drivers reaction time - was a neck snapping 1.5 seconds, while 60mph was dispatched in just 3.3 seconds. The Jabbasport-fettled 1.8t engine retains a relatively mild street tune, including the ubiquitous Subaru derived IHI turbo and standard internals, to produce no more than 360bhp. Racing slicks, trick suspension and a 50bhp shot of NOS rocket this ballistic Golf to the finishing line. Not bad for a car that began life as a stock Mk2 1.6 Driver when James was just 18 years of age.

Nutbag rear wheel drive Mk1 exposed

Well respected engine builder and founder of the new engine machnine specialists JP of JNL Racing, recently got in touch with us here at GOLF+ towers concerning his latest, lunatic project. Thanks to his background in hot rods and numerous years spent fabricating specialist parts for his own V8 engined project cars - including a mad V8 engined Zakspeed Capri - JP is now building a road legel, RWD Mk1 Golf drag car to raise eyebrows and attempt to dominate the timing lights at the Pod.
Starting with a stock 1.3-litre Mk1 'shell JP has seen fit to skillfully graft a 3.0-litre Ford Capri transmission tunnel, Mustang rear axle, and fibreglass wings into the Mk1, not to mention a handmade roll cage and an Audi 80 front subframe to support the longtidunally mounted 1.9-litre Corrado engine block. The only factory panels that remain include the tailgate, doors and roof - everything else has been modified, custom made or cut out and re-positioned, allowing the bodywork to look nigh on identical to a stock Mk1 Golf. The only give away will the tubbed rear end that will accomodate drag slicks at the back.
We're planning to bring you regular updates on the progress of JP's RWD 1.9T Mk1 project, so stay tuned for the next issue of the GOLF+ that hits the shelves on the first friday of February. Surf onto www.jnlracing.com if you'd like JP to spin his lathe on your private metal bits.

Wave ta ta Porsche Turbo, Ferrari 612 and Pagani Zonda, Mk1 Golf's were never meant to be this quick

You've probably heard the name Andy Waite before in our monthly magazine, but for those who don't know him. he runs a bodyshop in Cambridgeshire called AK Bodycraft, and when he's not patching up MOT failures and fixing dented wings the Wisbech resident can found fettling his 550bhp, 4WD spaceframed Mk1 Golf. If you look at our wallpapers section you'll notice that there's a Blue Rallye that he stripped down to use as the basis for his straightline obsession with acceleration. Having deemed the Rallye, "not fast enough" Andy spent two years building this Mk1 from the ground up using a chassis jig to make sure everything aligned properly, his Mk1 is now 4mm wider and 10mm longer in order to accomodate the Rallye underpinnings and Haldex 4WD system.
A Garrett GT30 turbo rests at the back of the engine bay throwing 30PSI of unrelenting boost into a custom fabricated front mount intercooler and through the home made inlet manifold, the water cooling system and radiator now located out back thanks to the lack of space in the Mk1 engine bay. So far his quickest 0-60mph time is 3.1 seconds and he's blitzed the quarter mile in just 10.7, but last we heard the car was coming off of the road for a winter time revamp, because as Andy put it, "you can never go fast enough." Expect it to hit the strip next year and decemate any VAG drag pretender in the process.

Soft roader cracks 60mph faster than a MK5 GTI - Two Ton, Four-Wheel drive cars aren't supposed to do 0-62mph in 6.7secs shortly before defying aerodynamics and rocketing onto 146mph.

Two Ton, Four-Wheel drive cars aren't supposed to do 0-62mph in 6.7secs shortly before defying aerodynamics and rocketing onto 146mph. Even though Porsche, BMW and Range Rover have all released sporting SUVs, the latest, sportiest version of the Touareg, entitled the R50, should give them a run for their money. Powered by a VW-tweaked version of the already very impressive 5-litre V10 TDI that produces 313bhp as standard, the latest twin-turbo 'derv' powerplant has had adjustments to its Turbo charging and a modified engine management system to unearth a further 37bhp increase, blessing the 5-litre with a whooping 350bhp. Most notable, though, is the colossal 582lb/ft of torque on offer from just 2000rpm. In keeping with the performance potential of the R50, Volkswagen Individual has designed new exterior and interior features according to the R philosophy, including 21-inch wheels. It's expected in the UK at the start of 2008 with prices from £61,300. Gulp! You can forget all about that traffic-light grand prix right now!

Not the wrong headline for the wrong story, but the automotive lunacy of a Croatian GOLF+ reader

known only to us as Petar Biocic. Said madman decided roughly 18 months ago that he wasn't happy with his stonking 2.8-litre 24-valve engined Mk2 Golf, so he opted to break that car and fit the engine, along with a second 2.8-litre 24-valve VR6 from a SEAT Toledo, into what began life as a humble 1.0-litre Lupo shopping car. The twin-engine, 5.2-litre, W12 Lupo features a power plant both fore and aft, along with some of the maddest engineering we've come across. It's anticipated that final power output will be somewhere in the region of 420bhp once the finishing touches have been added.

If the sanatorium allows Petar to use his day release wisely then this most inspirational of projects will be complete within the next few months, and best of all he's eager to bring the hair-brained creation to the UK to show us all what it's capable of. Just look at the dimensions of those Porsche/Audi RS4 brakes, barely contained by 18-inch lightweight OZ Super Ts for some indication of how serious he really is.