Best VW Golf for track car

[Robonhoms]

What do people think the best golf would be for a track car, under £2000. Obvious answer seems like vr6 or r32 but could other options such as mk4 gti be good?

[MrBarry123]

I would think the Mk4 1.8T would be the best as the engine can be modded to produce quite impressive figures. The problem you'll have with it is the poor chassis as it's not renowned for being great.

There's plenty of better possible track-day hacks available for <£2000.

Why does it have to be a Golf?

[Robonhoms]

Doesnt have to be a golf at all, just one of many options i wanted more knowledge on to find out which one suits me best. Thankyou for the help

[iguana]

Mk2, lots of powerplant choices from other VAG that slot right in.

[mk4gtiturbo]

I had a mk2 16v and it was great, however finding a half decent one these days is a nightmare. I've gone for an E36 BMW this time.

[Hol]

Not sure if you can build one to your budget, but the best/most impressive golf I have even seen on track was a Mk2 with a 1.8TT lump running around 300bhp.

Two old fellas were driving it and it has rose joints throughout and slick tyres, but basically it was quicker than all the jap stuff that day.


If you were going to develop one over time, that seems the perfect direction to head towards.

[KarlMac]

There was a mk1 on ebay running a Lupo 1600 engine on carbs in your budget, check if thats still available?

[Wh00sher]

Personally, unless you just want the noise, I`d avoid the heavier VR6 engine. You are compromising yourself before you even start.

Yes, I KNOW they can be made to handle well, but you are adding weight right at the front of the car where you don`t want it.

RE the OP and his request for the best MK4, I`d say the 1.8T. Start off with standard tune, then once you`ve sorted the handling, brakes and your driving skills THEN you can tune to add more power.

[T0MMY]

MrBarry123 said:

There's plenty of better possible track-day hacks available for <£2000.

Why does it have to be a Golf?

Agreed...I definitely wouldn't be looking at any sort of modern (mk3 onwards) Golf as a cheap track hack, purely as there are far better handling cars in that price range.

[Scho]

vr6 a very poor choice for the track.

[Adey Dents]

I'd go Mk3 but then again I'm biased, start with a Mk3 and raid the Mk4 parts bin, put all the good Mk4 stuff on the lighter Mk3 shell