Frankly speaking, it had never occurred to us that we’d be calling the VW Lupo – a cute elderly urban car, nothing much to it – a ‘hot rod’. Produced between 1998 and 2005, it was like an antithesis to all things fit and sporty. Seriously, what did they do to it!?
For starters, the owner of this particular Lupo had its roof chopped for a sportier appearance. He then fitted it with a body kit, notably including a massive tailgate-mounted rear wing. Standard tires made room for wide racing-grade sleeks, and the hood cover flew away to accommodate the enormous intercooler.
Still, the drivetrain is easily the most interesting part of the entire build. The car gained a 2.0-liter twin-turbo four-cylinder engine dialed up to 11, which is to say, to 1,200 horsepower (or 895 kilowatts).
The urban-car-turned-monster then participated in a quarter-mile drag race somewhere in Romania. Its rivals included an Audi 90 (S2) tuned to 800 hp (596 kW) and a Nissan Skyline R32 packing 1,500 hp (1,119 kW). Hit ‘Play’ and watch the Lupo tear through the competition!
Photo: carscoops.com