Spotlight: Jason’s 2000 Jetta VR6 Turbo
VW Enthusiasts, like any group of nerds, appreciate order in everything they do. A Hierarchy, if you will. This hierarchy is usually arranged by order of engines. At the bottom you have your 1.8L 8v fours from the MKIII’s, the 2.0L 8v’s from the MKIII’s and MKIV’s, diesels, Audi 90° V6’s sans turbos, etc etc. Then there are the 2.0L 16v’s, the Supercharged G60 mills, etc. Then on up: the 1.8L 20v Turbo, the 2.0 16v DI Turbo, and the 12v VR6, the Audi 32v V8, and the 24v VR6. At the top of the heap sits every VW lover’s dream, an engine that never came from a factory but performs like it did: a turbocharged VR6. This is, to many A-platform fans, the Holy Grail of engines. It’s compact - the 15° bank angle makes it small, the single head makes it light, it sounds amazing, and with some boost, it makes some serious power.
A Turbo VR6 also shows that you have more dedication than the typical 1.8T owner. It’s not a simple affair like tuning a 1.8T (which i’ve covered here before) where you throw on a chip, a diverter valve, fuel pressure regulator and a downpipe and call it a day. Exhaust manifolds have to be made or acquired, turbos have to be selected, a plan has to be made, and lots of money has to be invested. The result, of course, is so worth it: the sort of smooth, liquid power normally the domain of a well-tuned Small Block V8 under the hood of a MkIV is an enticing prospect indeed.
Jason Hightman’s 12v VR6 Turbo Jetta is an example of doing it right. Designed as a powerful, reliable daily driver, not a trailer queen or a dyno diva, this 2000 GLS VR6 gets it’s pressurized air from a T3/T04E hybrid turbo, .57 trim and .82 A/R mated to a Kinetics ceramic-coated exhaust manifold. Up top, TT Sport valve springs, titanium retainers, and 8v Hydraulic lifters keep the valvetrain in check. ARP main and head studs and rod bolts keep things tightened down, while a C2 8.5:1 CR head gasket lowers the compression ratio to make the motor more boost-friendly. Fuel delivery is taken care of by 42# injectors and a Walbro 255lph inline auxiliary fuel pump. Past the manifold, exhaust exits through a custom 3″ downpipe with a V-Band adaptor and into a custom 3″ catless exhaust with a Magnaflow straight-through muffler. A Tial 38mm wastegate and Forge 007 Diverter Valve manage boost in conjunction with C2 software.
A set of VF Engineering polished motor mounts keep things in place, and a Sachs Powerclutch upgrade keeps the stock clutch from going up in smoke. Other goodies include a rather large JRC intercooler that hides quite well behind the front bumper thanks to black piping, a 13lb battery, and a Gruvenparts crackpipe.
IN-FLT’s VR6T from NCDubs.org on Vimeo.
The result of all this work is an impressive 352whp and 361 lb-ft of torque@5800 rpm, at 14 psi on pump gas.
The exterior is also a model of how to style a VW correctly. The front end has an R32 Conversion, which go perfectly with the R32 Wheels, Cupra R front lip, custom-fitted Emphase M3 Side skirts, and custom-fitted rear GLI valence. This car has all sorts of neat touches on the outside that the average bystander wouldn’t notice but add to the overall package. Check out that Satellite antenna - it’s been custom-adapted from a W204 Mercedes Benz. Or the 04+ rear tail lights, which have always looked much better than the earlier ones. Or the color-matched headlight bezels, black front badge (OEM Part!) or the black vinyl on the B Pillar which breaks up the visual weight of the car up top. The stance is perfect, with the 18″ R32 wheels stuffing the fenders.
Of course, you can’t get that perfect stance without a good suspension setup, and Jason’s VR rides on a set of trick KW Variant 2 coilovers, with polyeurothane bushings fitted to the control arms, and an H&R front sway bar.
The interior is equally impressive. Despite the ferocious performance, this is a nice place to spend time. The headliner and pillars have been reupholstered with some black/grey suede to match the all-black interior and black leather seats. The A-pillar has a nicely integrated 2-gauge pod setup with Autometer Nexus Boost and Wideband AFR gauges to keep an eye on proceedings. A Passat W8 overhead console provides the neat LED lighting that MKV owners enjoy, and a Kenwood Head Unit is wired for Sirius radio. And last but not least, the car is hardwired for a Valentine 1 radar detector…
…Which is pretty important, actually. This car is fast. Not that that’s particularly surprising considering the numbers, but the way this car pulls in 3rd gear is just surreal. And the sound is glorious: perhaps a bit loud for a daily driver, but can you think of a way that a Turbo 12v VR6 at 14psi breathing through a 3″ downpipe and a 3″ straight pipe exhaust wouldn’t sound amazing? The sound is completely unique; it’s a mixture of noticeable turbo whine, and that gravely, metallic bark that German six-cylinders all seem to have.
And let’s be clear: this might be a white Jetta, but you’d have to have a better upper-build build than me to pass the $20 test in this car. Butt dyno says this 12v Turbo VR6 would have no trouble annihilating a C5 Corvette from a 60mph roll.
This car is a shining example of a VW done right, like I said. Tons of power, tons of class, top-quality parts, and no rice. Jason says it better, though: “I think this car is a good example of what you can do when you plan things out and take your time. Sticking to the plan and being patient is key as well as having the long range vision. Also when it comes time to do things… take your time and do them right or don’t do them at all.”
As an added bonus, here’s a little fly-by video I shot of the VR6. Hope you enjoy it!
Modifications List
Exterior
- R32 front end swap
- R32 Wheels
- Emphase M3 sideskirts ( logo filled in and custom support brackets )
- GLI rear lip, professionally modified rear cutout for exhaust
- Custom Mercedes Benz GPS module on roof with Sirius receiver embedded
- 30% Tint all side windows and rear glass
- 50% Tint on front windshield with 30% strip on top
- Color Matched Headlight bezels
- VW Euro Police Black plastic front emblem
- 04+ Rear Tails (RWRW)
- Black Vinyl on B-Pillars
- Seat Leon Cupra R Lip on lower valence
Interior
- Full Black Interior
- Black Leather Seats
- Black Suede Headliner
- OEM Black W8 overhead console
- 2 pods on column, wrapped in same material
- Autometer Nexus Boost Gauge
- Autometer Nexus Wideband
- Autometer Nexus Controller ( mounted in glovebox )
- Kenwood Headunit with Sirius
- Hardwired for Valentine 1 Radar Detector
Suspension
- KW Variant 2 Coilovers
- Polyeurothane bushings on Control Arms
- H&R Front Sway Bar
Engine
- T3/T04e .57 trim .82 A/R ( Turbine Coated with 1600deg. coating from HPCHPC )
- Kinetic Exhaust Manifold ( Coated with 1600deg. coating from HPCHPC )
- ARP Main Studs
- ARP Head studs
- ARP Rodbolts
- Walbro Inline Fuel Pump
- Custom 3.0″ Downpipe ( V-Band Connection to Turbo )
- Forge007 DV
- C2 8.5:1 Headspacer Gasket
- C2 Motorsports Software
- C2 95mm MAF housing
- C2 motorsports SRI
- 42# Injectors
- Spark Plugs - NGK BKR7IXE
- Sachs Power Clutch
- 38mm Tial Wastegate
- VF Engineering Motor mounts (polished)
- Poly Dogbone insert
- JRC Intercooler
- Custom 2.5″ to 3″ I/C piping
- Custom 3″ exhaust ( No Cat, Magnaflow Straight through Muffler )
- DynaBatt Battery (13lbs)
- New timing chain & guides
- TT Sport Valve Springs
- Titanium retainers
- 8V Hydraulic Lifters
- Gruvenparts Crack Pipe