When you have a car which looks simple and unassuming on the outside, but packs serious performance under the hood, this is what people call a “sleeper car” in the USA or “Q car” in the UK. The second-generation Volkswagen Golf turned out to be one of these as it set a new high score at a quarter-mile drag race.
The hatchback has covered the entire 402 meters in breezy 8.7 seconds, accelerating to 268 km/h (167 mph) towards the end. A Dodge Challenger SRT Demon supercar, which commands a no-nonsense 850-horsepower (634-kilowatt) strong engine, takes almost a second longer to do the same.
The VW vehicle was tuned by the German car atelier Boba Motoring for the race. The engineers have equipped it with a new turbocharged two-liter engine and several drivetrain components by Extreme Tuners and NG Motorsports. They have also retrofitted it with an AWD system by 4Motion and a DSG transmission. The atelier refused to provide performance estimates, but word has it that the car is now nearly 1,200 hp / 900 kW strong.
The hatchback weighs in at 1,220 kilograms (2,670 lb) and bolts from zero to 100 km/h (60 mph) in 2.1 seconds. Its top going speed makes an impressive 340 km/h (211 mph).
Photo: autoevolution.com