Modified VW Golf is faster than a Bugatti Veyron
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Meet the world’s fastest VW Golf which was bought for just £50 – but is now quicker than a £1million Bugatti Veyron.
Andy Waite, 42, has transformed the rusting heap in a road legal rocket that can scorch from 0-60mph in just 2.5 seconds – 0.1 quicker than the Bugatti – and 0-113mph in 6.6.
It can also beat the Veyron over a quarter mile drag race with a blistering time of 10 seconds, around half a second ahead of the world’s most expensive supercar.
Dad-of-three Andy has spent a year and £60,000 tuning the Mk1 1.5litre 1979 Golf, which now has a top speed of over 180mph – £820,000 less than the £880k Veyron.
Andy, owner of AK Body Craft near Newmarket, Suffolk, said that he had always wanted a Golf and restoring it had become a ”labour of love”.
He said: ”The golf is a car with a cult following and I basically took the chassis and shredded it up to make an absolute beast.
”The engine is the most expensive part and is custom made. The car also has a special roll cage like the ones found in rally cars.
”However I have to add that although I drive the car on the roads because it is road legal I definitely don’t speed on normal roads – I’m not a boy racer.
”I’d be too scared to damage the paintwork.”
The Golf now boats a 700bhp 1850cc turbo charged engine – with more power than 10 Ford Fiestas – and features four-wheel drive to improve traction off the starting line.
While the Bugatti does have 1001bhp, it weighs nearly two tons giving it a power to weight ratio of 521bhp per ton, while the Golf has nearly 700bhp per ton.
Despite the immense power, it still runs on unleaded petrol and can manage 30mpg when driven gently.
Its interior has been completely modified to a two-seater complete with a rally car roll cage and nitrous oxide for extra high speed boost.
The most expensive part was the custom made engine – every piece was specially moulded and the piston, flywheel and clutch were specially moulded in the US.
Andy, who wants to shave 40kg off the weight off the car so that it weighs under a tonne, and says the tinkering has only just begun.
He added: ”At the end of the day I wanted to build the fastest Golf and despite it being rather noisy inside it is very smooth to drive.
”Eventually I hope to get it to travel a quarter of a mile in under 9 seconds.
”The biggest problem I will have will be that once you get over 160 you can only drive it in a straight line because the steering goes wobbly.
”It drives like a normal road car at low speeds but when I put it on the drag track and you realise I have created a monster.”
Andy is married to Susan, 50, a shop assistant, and has three daughters, Marika, 21, Stephanie, 23, and Phillipa, 19.
Jon Mills
Twitter: @swns
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