2001 VW GTI VR6

2001 VW GTI VR6
The Mk4 chassis is arguably the most versatile of all VW's water-cooled offerings. From trailer queen with five-figure mods, to 10sec dragracer, to weekend autocrosser, to fuel-sipping bio-diesel TDI, the venerable Mk4 can do it all. These cars have been around since 1999 (in North America) and their affordable nature means they can even fulfill the role of hood ride/beater/show car/racer.

It can (and has been) said that when they designed the Mk4, VW lost the essence of a GTI by increasing the luxury at the expense of light and nimble performance. Yet we enthusiasts can be grateful for what they did include - potential, lots and lots of potential.

With four engine options wrapped in a modern, CAD-engineered, stiff chassis, an owner with a plan and a bit of disposable income, can turn the Mk4 into pretty much whatever he wants it to be.

When Vinny Errico from Newington, CT set out to build his own Mk4 GTI project, he had all the above to consider. A former Civic owner, Vinny was tired of driving the same car as all his friends. He liked the sound of the VR6 and when he came across this very reasonably-priced example in 2006, he scooped it up. Like most owners, Vinny enjoyed the '01 GTI even in stock form, but knew the immense scope of the VW aftermarket meant he had the ability to change or enhance anything he felt needed attention. "I never set out to make huge changes to the car," Vinny stated. "My goal was to make the car more fun to drive and, at the same time, give it my own style." And with that declaration, he set out to basically forego any specific build theme and chose to simply build a better Mk4 GTI.

One of the first things that needed attention was the stock suspension. With a parts house like North American Motorsports and an install facility like Tony's Imported Auto just around the corner, Vinny looked to each for assistance and the result is a suspension system incorporating Koni coilovers and Neuspeed sways. The shell was then reinforced with a Neuspeed upper strut bar and a Yarrowsport upper tie bar, front and rear respectively.

Putting the newfound cornering potential to good use is a set of 19" OZ Superturismo wheels wrapped with 225/35-19 Toyo Proxes tires. "I searched around a long time for wheels I liked and the OZs were the only ones that really did it for me," Vinny told us. He went on to suggest that, "if there is any kind of theme for the car it would be motorsport, but that's because of my choice of wheels; I pretty much chose the other mods to complement them."

Stopping is arguably more important than starting, so ECS front and rear brake systems reside behind the OZ wheels. Consisting of Porsche four-piston mono-block calipers and 13.1" rotors, the stage 2 front set-up provides amazing power, while the stage 1 rear kit and its 12.1" rotors balances that power nicely.

As stated at the beginning, while the Mk4 GTI wasn't exactly hardcore in OE form, it does possess a great deal of potential. With the handling and braking potential realized, next on Vinny's list was more power. With three main options to choose from (turboed, normally-aspirated and supercharged), Vinny opted for a VF-Engineering s/c kit. "I really liked the idea of VF's all-in-one bolt-on kit, and I can't say I've been disappointed," Vinny said. "It's been flawless, and the power and drivability is amazing."

With around 300hp under his right toe, we'd hope the power is amazing! That's because our guy didn't mess around with some sissy stage one supercharger conversion, he went straight for stage 3 with its high boost pulley, bigger fuel injectors and front-mount intercooler. That's enough to turn any GTI into a snarling animal.