7 minutes and 34 seconds: for anyone familiar with the Nürburgring, this achievement is truly impressive for a 30-year-old car.
With similar lap times, manufacturers such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes advertise modern high-power sports cars such as the RS Q8, M3 CS or AMG GT 63 S. The “oldtimer” is the pride of the British Nigel Pinder. According to the Nigel, seven minutes and 34 seconds are the best time he has achieved with the so-called “Pinderwagen” on the Ring – and because of the traffic on the track, the time could have been even better!
Nigel has made all the improvements to the car alone.
Naturally, Pinder’s Golf is far from a standard modification. The project is based on a fully standard Volkswagen Golf 2 CL without a sunroof. The engine comes from the Volkswagen Golf 3. It is a 2.0 16V with a “grafted” turbocharger Garrett, designed for the British Championship for touring cars. At a pressure of 0.6 bar, the engine develops 290 hp.
Serious modifications to the engine and suspension
As Pinder shifts gears, it can increase turbo pressure little by little and eventually reach 360 hp. If that’s not enough to overtake on the track, there’s a steering wheel button for Extra Boost. When Nigel pushes it, the turbo pressure rises to 1.6 bar – and so it already has 440 hp! 😮💨
In order to adequately transfer this power to the asphalt, the normal suspension has been replaced with a new one from KW. The Clubsport track set is designed for the track and not only brings the Golf closer to the ground, but also improves traction and stability.
However, this is not enough. The Volkswagen fan optimizes the carriers as the driving behavior begins to match his style. The brakes are AP Racing Pro 5000. The gearbox is from Volkswagen. You’re probably expecting a sequential transmission – but in reality, the Volkswagen Golf 4’s 6-speed transmission works here along with the differential.
Pinder-Golf with aerodynamic modifications
The Pinderwagen is homologated for the public road network and can be used to go to the nearby fruit and vegetable grocery store. The Briton made his Golf in a garage, improving his car constantly. In addition to power, aerodynamics are also “upgraded”. We can’t miss the splitter in front. It turns out to be so solid that you can step on it. You can see it in the “Porsche Eater” video by Nurburgring blogger Misha Sharuddin:
