The third-gen Volkswagen Jetta sedan is decidedly not a car to boast in terms of looks or power, but it does have quite a bit of tuning potential – as this example clearly demonstrates.
The owner, Mike Myers from Alabama, removed the old 90-something-horsepower engine from under the hood and put a VR6 block in its place. The VR6 was a Volkswagen engine used, among other things, in the 1990s-era Passat sedan line. Its stock output was 174 PS (172 hp / 128 kW), but Myers used a supercharger to boost it to a healthy 280 PS (276 hp / 206 kW) at the wheel. Needless to say, the entire drivetrain had to be redesigned and reinforced for long-term reliability and performance.
He then finished the exterior in metallic green, replaced the headlights with Xenon ones, and installed air-ride suspension. 16-inch CCW wheels sporting a retro look went into the arches.
Love’s Trim performed the interior overhaul. In addition to brown saddle leather covering nearly every surface in view, the Jetta ended up with a three-spoke Nardi wheel featuring a wooden rim, extra dash gauges and a premium audio system built with Polk speakers.
