Is it too early to define an automobile sold between 1992 and 1999 as a classic? In hindsight, Apple has created its own classic in the portable music player industry with the iPod, originally introduced in `01. Another example are movies such as Office Space ('99) and Austin Powers ('97), which are praised by many critics today as classics in cinema comedy. So perhaps in terms of modified European cars, a stylishly designed and effectively tuned Volkswagen Mk3 could deserve the label of a classic.
Take this '97 GTI from British Columbia, Canada - Euro bumpers and moldings, BBS RS wheels, suede interior and a black respray - arguably, the formula to craft the undisputed Mk3 classic.
To some diehard VW fanatics it could appear overdone, but take a minute to examine the lines and details. We promise you'll appreciate its simplicity and cleanliness. It's not just another modified German car, but a timeless work of art. It's something your father or 16 year-old cousin could build step-by-step. A finely engineered Mk3 GTI is everlasting, which is why eurotuner can't help but continue to marvel at its success more than ten years after its debut.
Touched by the hands of Kinetic...
Touched by the hands of Kinetic Motorsport, this 2.9 liter VR6 turbo is capable of 400+whp
This particular GTI is practically flawless in every aspect. Owner Uttman Jones drives his car seven days a week, but babies it like an infant. The car's glow is from the fresh coat of black paint. The exterior modifications were kept to a minimum with stubby Euro bumpers, textured VR6 moldings and fender flares, plus a badgeless grille. Appropriately, the side markers and rear emblem were shaved to refine the overall smoothness.
In true Euro fashion, a set of 15x7.5" BBS RS wheels were modified to fit the GTI using extended Kodiak lips.
There's no argument about the appearance of Uttman's GTI, but would it roar like a lion or squeal like a pig? Outfitted with the 172hp 2.8 liter staggered-six, the engine was solid and strong. In its day, the VR6 easily dominated most sport compacts on the street. But in this day and age, your auntie's '08 Accord can overpower the dated German automobile. So Uttman visited a group of local enthusiasts with proven success tuning the VR6 and building turbo kits - Kinetic Motorsport.
The main ingredient in Kinetic's...
The main ingredient in Kinetic's stage 4 kit, the T67GJ turbocharger
No stranger to et, the monstrous bellow from Kinetic's '02 GTI 337 in last year's eurotuner GP still rings in our ears from its victory in the FWD dyno competition. If you haven't seen the video, check out its 558.36whp dyno run at www.eurotuner.com on nothing but pump gas. Although this reflects its 1.8T program, Kinetic's VR6 program has been their bread and butter.
"It's a street car but it's built tough enough to take to the track," explained Shawn Van Neer of Kinetic, the brains behind the motor and chassis build. "Uttman and I wanted the best of the best for this project, so we installed our full stage 4 kit."
Kinetic offers four stages of VR6 turbo kit for both OBD1 and OBD2 applications. Its stage 1 starts with the basic hardware using a T3/T4 turbo and makes 245whp. Going up the ladder until you reach stage 4 isn't for the faint-hearted since it uses a larger T67GJ turbo to extract in excess of 400whp.
Although forged internals aren't required, the compression needed to be lowered from the factory 10.0:1 with a stainless head spacer, dropping it to 9.0:1. Forged pistons weren't necessary but for a touch more low-end torque, Shawn installed balanced European VR6 pistons to increased displacement from 2.8 to 2.9 liters. A three-angle valve job was performed to freshen the motor and also increase reliability. Lastly, shorter duration Schrick 260 cams were also needed to maintain cylinder pressure.