In recent years, the mark for hyper cars has been 1,000 horsepower, which is completely unreal. Now, to achieve this insane output, mot automakers are strapping multiple-turbocharged V-8, V-10 or V-12 powerplants into their cars. For us normal folk that cannot afford these $1 million-plus cars, we have to perform some creative engineering to reach numbers even reaching the supercar standard of 600 horsepower. And most of the time, that includes a crate-engine swap.
Well, the folks over at Boba Motoring in Germany have a bucked the trend by squeezing an amazing 1,013 horsepower from an Mk I (1974 through 1983) Volkswagen Golf. It didn’t do so by dropping a nasty V-8 into a hacked up engine compartment; rather, it tweaked a 1.8-liter to this insane number. This KR 16-valve 1.8-liter, which was one of the many engines offered in the Mk II Golf, received some heavy mods, including: 144 mm (5.6-inch) long steel con rods; an 86.4 mm (3.40-inch) stroke crankshaft; an 80.98 mm (3.18-inch) bore; an updated intake with eight injectors powered by a KMS MD35 injection-ignition system; an 80 mm (3.15-inch) throttle body; an updated exhaust system; and a Garrett GTX4202R turbocharger that pushes through 4.25 bar (61.6 psi) of pressure.
The engine delivers the power through VW’s 4Motion driveline and out to all four wheels. Not only is this beast powerful, but the 4Motion system assures a breakneck launch every time.
On top of all of that, Boba Motoring also managed to drop the Mk I Golf’s weight to just 900 kg (1,984 pounds), making this a true pocket rocket.
The light weight, massive power and awesome traction all deliver outlandish performance. This one-time throw-away car now hits 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2 seconds and 200 km/h (124 mph) in 5 seconds. The 1/4-incle is no contest, as it tears that apart in just about 8 seconds at 240 km/h (149.12 mph).
