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european car 1.8T Challenge Finalists

Below is an enthusiast article written by the automotive experts at European Car. Anyone can pretend to be anything on the Internet, the 21st century's racing bench. european car hears a lot of big talk, and we figured waving fame and the opportunity for a small bit of fortune would flush out all the silent but deadly 1.8Ts we didn't see in

2000 Volkswagen Beetle Costs of Ownership

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IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

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Article From European Car Magazine

european car 1.8T Challenge Finalists

You voted, here are the ten enthusiast-class competitors in the 1.8T Challenge. / Article provided by: European Car Magazine

Anyone can pretend to be anything on the Internet, the 21st century's racing bench. european car hears a lot of big talk, and we figured waving fame and the opportunity for a small bit of fortune would flush out all the silent but deadly 1.8Ts we didn't see in our backyard. You delivered. We started with a big stack of entries and sat around paring it down to the ones we thought had a chance. Tuner and exhibition class entries are set; it's up to you to decide which of these 20 enthusiast-built cars deserves to take on the best 1.8Ts North America has to offer.

1. Car: 2000 New Beetle
Owner: Joseph White
Stuff: ATP 3-in. downpipe and high-flow cat, Freedom Design exhaust, TDi midpipe, K04-001 turbo, Forge 007 diverter valve, BMC cold air intake, Neuspeed turbo inlet pipe, Forced Performance lower intercooler pipe, APR EMCS, Diesel Geek shifter, Quaife diff, ECS Stage 3 clutch with light flywheel, Driveshaft Shop Stage 2 axles, Weitec coilovers, H&R front anti-roll bar, ECS Boxster S caliper/Brembo 312x25mm front rotors, 8x18-in. ROH Azzurro wheels and Yokohama Parada Spec2 215/45-18 tires.
Pick me, pick me: My car has exceptional speed and performance, which is not usually expected from the New Beetle.

2. Car: 1997 A4 Quattro
Owner: Steve Schmidt
Stuff: APR Stage 3 conversion, full exhaust, EVO front-mount intercooler, oil cooler, Stage 3 eight-puck disc and pressure plate, custom Motoperson coilovers, Neuspeed 19mm rear anti-roll bar, Alcon 13-in. front/11-in. rear brake upgrade, Technomagnesio Indy 7.5x17-in. wheels and Bridgestone Potenza S-03 225/45-17 tires.
Pick me, pick me: I still can fit the friends and groceries; I just get there faster.

3. Car: 1999 Audi A4 quattro
Owner: Matthew Alhadeff
Stuff: APR Stage 3 conversion and full exhaust, Evolution front-mount intercooler, Blitz blow-off valve, SPEC Stage 2 clutch, SPEC 8-lb flywheel, H&R coilovers and anti-roll bars, big plans for better brakes, Axis Se7en 19-in. wheels and Pirelli P Zero 225/35-19 tires.
Pick me, pick me: I can have every seat in my car filled and still blow away almost every car I encounter.

4. Car: 1988 Rallye Golf
Owner: Chris Kopitzke
Stuff: Ported head, Schrick cams, Garrett GT30 turbo, 3-in. down pipe and exhaust, Spearco front-mount intercooler, tubular manifold, Centerforce clutch, 820cc injectors, Autronic SMC, Koni coilovers, Neuspeed 28mm front anti-roll bar, Audi two-piston calipers, EBC pads and 7x17-in. BBS RC wheels.
Pick me, pick me: It will be the only Rallye Golf and it has good power.

5. Car: 1992 GTI
Owner: Mark MacDonald
Stuff: Garrett T3 turbo, G60 injectors, HKS blow-off valve, Tial wastegate, Neuspeed custom chip, HKS valve controller, Greddy turbo timer, 16V 2Y trans built by Kraftswerk, Quaife diff, lightened flywheel, ACT clutch, H&R coilovers, Neuspeed anti-roll bars, polyurethane front bushings, Neuspeed front strut tower bar, custom rear brace, 280mm Brembo front discs, Ferodo pads, ATS Billet Limited Line 15-in. wheels and Falken Azenis Sport 205/50-15 tires.
Pick me, pick me: It looks like a well-maintained little GTI but makes 279.4 hp at the wheels.

6. Car: 1997 A4 Quattro
Owner: Stephen Ho
Stuff: Ported head, JE pistons, Eagle rods, Schrick solid lifter conversion, Schrick Ti valve springs, Schrick Ti valves, Turbonetics T04E ball bearing turbo, 3-in. downpipe and exhaust, Greddy blow-off valve, Tial wastegate, custom tubular manifold, Supra TT fuel pump, 550cc fuel injectors, modified intake plenum, Spearco intercooler, Nitrous Express 50-hp kit, electric fan conversion, APR engine snubber mounts, AEM stand-alone EMS with modified Honda wiring harness, Neuspeed short shifter, Werks of Art Stage 3+ clutch, APR light flywheel, H&R PCS coilovers, Brembo 13.5-in. brake system, BBS RK 8x17-in. wheels and Toyo Proxes T1-S 225/45-17 tires.
Pick me, pick me: The tuners need some competition!

7. Car: 2000 GTI
Owner: Tony Chick
Stuff: Garrett GT30R turbo, Tial 35mm wastegate, ATP manifold, ATP 3-in. downpipe, ATP high-flow cat, ATP front-mount intercooler, Techtonics cat-back exhaust, 3-in. S4 MAF sensor, TT injectors, Turbo XS boost controller, Evo cold air intake, Greddy Type S blow-off valve, Greddy EGT and gauges, GIAC KO4 software, Peloquin diff, Velocity lightened G60 flywheel, Clutch Masters Stage 3 VR6 clutch, Shine Racing springs, Koni five-way adjustable dampers, custom rear strut tower brace, cross-drilled rotors, Mintex pads, stock Audi TT wheels and Kumho Ecsta Supra 712 225/45-17 tires.
Pick me, pick me: I was originally going to use this car to take over the world, but that didn't work out, so I'm settling for the 1.8T Challenge instead.

8. Car: 1984 Rabbit GTI
Owner: John Pastore
Stuff: Stage 3 T3/T4 turbo, Tial 35mm wastegate, Greddy Profec B boost controller, Quaife diff, custom clutch, Weitec coilovers, Autotech rear anti-roll bar, Autotech strut tower and subframe braces, 280mm front discs, Wilwood four-piston calipers, rear disc conversion, Konig Glide wheels and Kumho Ecsta V700 tires.
Pick me, pick me: This was the first Rabbit 1.8t conversion, finished in late 1998. It has many autocross and track wins.

9. Car: 1999 A4 Quattro
Owner: Larry Victor
Stuff: Bored and stroked to 2.0L, balanced crank, JE pistons, Carillo rods, stainless valves, Piper cams, ported throttle body, larger injectors, ASA supercharger, larger intercooler, 3-in. Brullen exhaust, lightened flywheel and sport clutch, Autronics engine management, AMS/Abt taller third to fifth gears, H&R springs, Bilstein dampers, Neuspeed 19mm rear anti-roll bar, Tar-Ox 330mm upgrade with six-piston calipers, stock rear calipers on Tar-Ox rotors, SSR GT-1 8x18-in. wheels and Toyo Proxes T1-S 245/45-18 tires.
Pick me, pick me: I like to call it a "gentleman's aggressive sport sedan" rather than a "street punk machine."

10. Car: 1984 Rabbit GTI
Owner: Lansworth Sterling
Stuff: ARP rod bolts, T3/T4E turbo, Tial wastegate, HKS blow-off valve, GIAC chip, 020 trans with Quaife diff, Neuspeed Race springs, Koni dampers, 280mm front discs, 16V rear discs, Borbet Type E 7.5x16-in. wheels and Yokohama A520 tires.
Pick me, pick me: I've incorporated today's technology with a vehicle 19 years old.