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:

Meet the new brutal Porsche Marsien. The Martian is based on the new 911 Turbo S and will be produced in a circulation of only 40 units.

Each of them receives a tuning package from RUF, which increases the power to 750 hp. But this is only the serial version. For customers who are willing to pay extra, horses can jump up to 830 combined with 930 Nm. This is done with the help of larger turbines and the Akrapovic exhaust system.

The speed

These numbers are enough to eject up to 100 km / h in 2.6 seconds and reach 330 km / h. Much more interesting, however, is Marsien’s ability to handle off-road terrain. This is a fact thanks to the completely redesigned suspension, for which the specialists of KW Automotive are responsible. Adjustable shock absorbers allow raising the ground clearance from 120 to 250 mm, and for an additional fee will be offered suspension, comparable to that of racing cars from “Dakar”.

All this is packaged in a super lightweight carbon fiber body made by KLK – a company that supplies for Formula 1, Formula E and Le Mans.

The interior is also completely redesigned compared to the standard Turbo S. It is inspired by that of the Carrera GT. Everything in it can be individualized according to the wishes of the happy 40 customers who will order the car. In this regard, it is good to know that the price of 500 thousand euros does not even include the 911 Turbo S itself, on which the tuning studio will make changes.

The Gemballa Marsien is priced at €495,000 not including taxes or the donor car, but by the time it reaches the UK it will cost from around £665,000 before options, including the £155k base price of a Turbo S.