Video: Top Gear America – 70 mpg Rabbit TDI?
Fri, Feb 20, 2009
Those boys over at Top Gear America are mental brave. Seriously brave. They’ve decided to buy a 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit and swap out its engine for a newer VW TDI powerplant. Then they’re going to revise the gearing, give it low rolling resistance tires, and optimize with the aerodynamics. Why are they doing this? Because they are trying to build a $7,000 car that will get 70 (US) mpg while still getting from 0-60 mph in under 7 seconds. Sounds like a tall order but it probably isn’t much crazier than the stunts James, Jeremy, and Richard try to pull off every second show. So despite a rocky start for Top Gear America, our hats are off to them. The feature describing the ins and outs of the plan is available here.
Stay tuned to CarEnvy.ca because it won’t be long before we’re embarking on barking mad challenges like these.
[Top Gear US]
Tags: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit, Top Gear America, Top Gear Challenge, US, USA, Volkswagen, VW TDI
I’m convinced those were only ever issued here in white. Looked into buying one once a LOOOONG time ago. Really liked the feel of the thing, but the specimen we were considering needed a bit too much work for us at the time. Ended up with an ’89 Jetta Wolfsburg instead that was in much better shape.
And weighed half what a modern MINI does, too!
It wasn’t a Wolfsburg. Just a MkII Jetta GL. Small bumpers, 1.8 Litre, dual down pipe exhaust manifold, & Techtonics aluminum cat-back.
Got 40mpg on the highway & could spank V6 Mustangs & Camaros all day.
I miss that car.
There’s nothing quite like the MkI and MkII models…