Can you build the rear-wheel-drive Golf GTI of your dreams using only OEM VW parts? That’s exactly what the team at Deutsche Auto Parts set out to do, and based on their latest video, we’ll call it a massive success. Sure, the VW Golf GTI is one of the most popular performance cars, but sadly VW never made a rear-wheel-drive version. That means that a rear-drive conversion is the only way to enjoy perfect Golf GTI drifts.
Before we proceed we need to acknowledge all of the wonderful high-performance all-wheel-drive Golfs like the R32 and Golf R. Although these vehicles could send power to the rear wheels, thier front-wheel-drive biased all-wheel-drive systems don't replicate the purity of a rear-wheel-drive setup. These all-wheel-drive vehicles are a great source of parts for the Deutsche Auto Parts team who used a Golf R32 rear differential to complete their drivetrain conversion.
The Golf GTI used as the platform for this build is a heavily modified example that sports a built engine boosted to almost 500 horsepower (372 Kilowatts). Horsepower is fun, but it wreaks havoc on drivetrain components making this rear-wheel-drive conversion ever more difficult. The OEM VW components used in this build were never meant to handle that type of power so failure is certainly expected but the degree and frequency remain a mystery.
Unfortunately, as with all new endeavors, the team hit a few snags after performing donuts for about 20 seconds. But during those 20 seconds when the car worked, it was glorious. Apparently, the engine's power was too much for the Audi TT transfer case the team used destroying the internals and rendering the car useless.
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Luckily when you’re a VW parts supplier, you have spare parts lying around which allowed the team to try again with stunning results. The rear-wheel-drive GTI stayed together and performed some impressive donuts to celebrate a job well done.
Source: Deutsche Auto Parts
