Photo: Facebook screenshot
May has been an awesome month for hot warm hatch fans, with Volkswagen letting it slip that its Up! is set to get a GTI badge. We're looking at an uber-mini setup that will deliver performance numbers slightly superior to those of the Mk I Golf GTI that started the Vee-Dub three-letter craze, but not everybody is happy with having to wait until next year for the pumped-Up!, as we enjoy calling the contraption.
And, if we zoom in on the shenanigans taking place at the Nurburgring these days, we'll notice that a group of aficionados has set out to build a home-brewed Up! GTI.
In a tongue-in-cheek move, the little sprinter has been dubbed the Sub7UP and while Porsche 918 Spyder Ring Hell time mention is but a piece of humor, the little creature seems determined to get round the Nordschleife as quickly as possible.
For now, the three-cylinder turbo of the vehicle has received an aggressive ECU remap, being pushed from 90 to 125 ponies, while the skinny, efficiency-focused factory rubber has been replaced with semi-slick tires.
In this configuration, the Sub7UP needs about 9 minutes to go from Bridge to Gantry, which is the course available for Touristenfahrten (Tourist Days) events and, as such, doesn't involve the main straight.
Sure, this might not sound all that impressive, but focusing on what happens during such a lap brings a different perspective.
The piece of footage below, which comes from Ring settler Misha Charoudin, who also happens to be the driver, shows the boosted VW going into a passing frenzy, one that involved passing a Porsche Cayman.
Misha explained that custom brakes and suspension pieces are the next mods on the list and we're looking forward to seeing how these improve the maximum attack attitude of the little thing.
P.S.: Hopefully, everybody remembers the rule stating that Touristenfahrten passing is only allowed on the left.
In a tongue-in-cheek move, the little sprinter has been dubbed the Sub7UP and while Porsche 918 Spyder Ring Hell time mention is but a piece of humor, the little creature seems determined to get round the Nordschleife as quickly as possible.
For now, the three-cylinder turbo of the vehicle has received an aggressive ECU remap, being pushed from 90 to 125 ponies, while the skinny, efficiency-focused factory rubber has been replaced with semi-slick tires.
In this configuration, the Sub7UP needs about 9 minutes to go from Bridge to Gantry, which is the course available for Touristenfahrten (Tourist Days) events and, as such, doesn't involve the main straight.
Sure, this might not sound all that impressive, but focusing on what happens during such a lap brings a different perspective.
The piece of footage below, which comes from Ring settler Misha Charoudin, who also happens to be the driver, shows the boosted VW going into a passing frenzy, one that involved passing a Porsche Cayman.
Misha explained that custom brakes and suspension pieces are the next mods on the list and we're looking forward to seeing how these improve the maximum attack attitude of the little thing.
P.S.: Hopefully, everybody remembers the rule stating that Touristenfahrten passing is only allowed on the left.
Google News