Rolling out of the garage and onto the empty driveway, the first beams of daylight drip onto the midnight paint. So rarely does the car see the light of day, it's as if it's unsure of what comes next.
Like a pilot walking the underbelly of his fighter, Kirit Patel makes certain all is well before takeoff. Closing the hood, he nods that everything is ready for flight.
Not wishing to break the silence, I quietly slide into the cockpit. Then the early morning tranquility is abruptly torn by the bark of the narrow-angle six.
Without the typical pre-ride conversation we have with an owner before going for a ride, I'm able to make first impressions of this rare specimen. The vibration of the rigidly-mounted VR6 tingled through the body as the big-cam idle hunted for a steady pattern. Quickly underway, I notice the suspension is taut and the racecar-like whine of the Quaife 'box is intoxicating.
Moving through the gears, an uneasy feeling passes through me. I know this isn't simply another VR6; this car is unlike anything I've ever ridden in. Up ahead, I see the freeway entrance and as we head for the open road the silence is finally broken, "it's on low boost right now, but you should still enjoy the ride," Kirit said quietly.
Looping around the on-ramp, Kirit leaves the car in second gear. As the ramp unwinds and the empty highway unfolds before us I hear the car transition to WOT.
In an instant, the wail of the boosted VR6 is deafening, but the acceleration is unearthly. Screaming toward triple digits, second, third and fourth gears are nothing but wheelspin; at 130mph, the car finally begins to hook up and I'm shoved into the Recaro bucket seats much harder than before.
There are fast cars and there are FAST cars. It just so happens, Kirit Patel's '98 GTI VR6 belongs to an exclusive group that can easily shame Ferraris, Lambos and Porsches.
For Kirit, senseless speed came early, raised around go-fast gearheads including an uncle who owned several boosted Bimmers and a childhood friend who was into road racing.
Although Kirit has owned the car since it was new, he hasn't always been a Dubhead. "My first car was an Integra with a built motor and nitrous. It was a lot of fun but it got out of hand and would no longer pass smog so my father made me sell it," he said.
In exchange, Kirit's father agreed to buy him the car of his choice along with a small chunk of change to modify anything but the engine. "At that point I was traveling to Europe a lot and fell in love with the GTI. Friends were buying Camaros and Mustangs but I wanted something different," he said.
After driving the black '98 VR6 he had already ordered parts before the deal was sealed. So when he took delivery of his midnight Dub he fitted OG Eibach sleeved coilovers (give him a break, he came from the import crowd and hadn't learned yet...) along with Neuspeed sway bars, TSW wheels and genuine Abt outerwear including a grille, skirts, wing and Strictly Foreign diffuser.
As Kirit began to mod his GTI he knew it would be different. "I didn't care how long I had to save or what it cost, I was willing to wait for the best parts," he said.
Rare gold BBS LM wheels should...
Rare gold BBS LM wheels should Wilwood four-piston calipers and Brembo rotors
Inevitably, Kirit ignored his father's advice against modding the motor and some Schrick 268s, springs with Ti retainers found their way into a big-valve Denon head.
To fortify the top end, he swiss-cheesed the air box, added a Brospeed header along with a Techtonics chip and exhaust. "The combo belted out nearly 190whp despite its rich mixture," Kirit said.
In 2000, Kirit approached a Bay Area shop to have an ATP bolt-on turbo kit fitted. He'd opted for the T04E ball-bearing snail along with a head spacer and boost-friendly DSR 256 cams. On a 50/50 mix of race and pump gas, the kit was good for 325whp on 9.5psi with a less-than-ideal AFR.