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With a time of seven minutes and 23 seconds, that is the quickest Volkswagen Golf Mk2 to ever lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Do I’ve your consideration? Good, as a result of while it could look somewhat tough across the edges, Nigel Pinder’s Volkswagen Golf CL is among the most exceptional vehicles I’ve ever skilled in particular person.
Nigel’s first expertise of ‘The Inexperienced Hell’ occurred again in 2006 in his household automobile, a 2003 Mazda 6 property. After just some meandering laps, he’d caught the bug. Realising fairly shortly that the poor Mazda wasn’t actually appropriate for the job, he set his sights on both an E30 BMW 316 or a Mk2 Golf.
The front-wheel drive security of the Golf gained Nigel over, with the added level of: “If I hated it I might simply promote it and purchase an E30 anyway.”
Clearly, Nigel didn’t transfer over to an E30, although his first Golf met its demise on the ‘Ring round Easter in 2007. The automobile you see earlier than you is Nigel’s second Mk2, and the results of 16 years’ value of analysis and improvement.
Nigel and the ‘Pinderwagen’ are considerably of a legendary pair within the UK monitor day and Touristenfahrten (TF) circles, so when the possibility got here as much as spend a day with the 2 at Thruxton Circuit, I wasn’t going to cross it up.
Two issues have been obvious from the off: One, Nigel is a beautiful chap and, two, you may inform he’s been attending monitor days within the Golf for near two many years.
At first it was ‘simply’ a Mk2 Golf with a Mk3 Golf GTI 2.0L ABF engine, which other than the addition of a standalone ECU and Suzuki GSX-R throttle our bodies remained pretty normal till being turbocharged in 2014. The explanation for the latter? Some pleasant in-family rivalry.
“I had plateaued across the ‘Ring with a time of 8:20 the identical 12 months my son took his E36 328i monitor automobile,” says Nigel. “Inside 5 laps of making an attempt the E36 I’d managed an 8:04, and I used to be torn between entering into one thing completely different or turbocharging the Golf.”
At the moment, the engine is lots completely different to when it was initially turbocharged, although. The block, cylinder head and crankshaft could also be normal, however the remainder of the construct is complete. Wiseco cast pistons are mounted on Built-in Engineering rifle-drilled connecting rods with ARP bolts, whereas ARP head studs preserve every thing in a single piece.
The turbocharger is a hybrid Littco-Garrett G25-660 plumbed as much as a customized KR/1.8T consumption manifold and ABF throttle physique by way of the customized front-mounted intercooler, with a mixture of two.5-inch and 3-inch pipework. A DTAFast S80Pro ECU controls ignition, gasoline and enhance, whereas a customized SCH40 metal manifold and 3-inch system deal with exhaust gases.
Energy reaches the entrance wheels by an SQS Racing 02Q 6-speed dog-gear handbook transmission with an SQS SeqShift mechanism, which primarily converts the normal H-pattern into sequential shift. A light-weight flywheel, Alcon paddle clutch, SQS plate-equipped restricted slip differential and customized driveshafts strengthened with Golf R32 parts full the package deal.
Suspension and chassis-wise, the Pinderwagen has had as a lot work as Nigel has been capable of do to beat the truth that “on the finish of the day it’s a 30-year-old Golf – there’s solely so quick it’ll go!”
The shell has been strengthened and stiffened with a mixture of multi-point roll cage and reinforcing the chassis legs within the engine bay. The entrance stitch-framed subframe has been braced to take away as a lot flex as doable underneath load, along with polyurethane bushes all through the automobile.
On the again, the stub axles have been spaced out by 25mm and changed with newer VW Polo objects for higher sturdiness, whereas on the entrance a mixture of prolonged decrease wishbones give elevated caster at 7.5 levels versus the manufacturing unit 1.5 levels for extra camber when turning.
This has been carried out alongside spherical joints and an upgraded Vauxhall steering pump and steering rack from a Mk3 GTI for extra exact and dependable cornering, going hand in hand with the KW Clubsport coilovers operating Eibach Professional Race springs in customized prolonged, strengthened and slotted strut towers
AP Racing CP9660 callipers and Reyland floating discs on the entrance are, admittedly by Nigel, overkill in a package deal as mild and manoeuvrable because the Golf. However with security and reliability on the ‘Ring being the precedence, I’d argue any drawbacks are far outweighed by the advantages.
The true speaking level of the Golf – other than its sheer pace, after all – is the aerodynamic package deal, which has been honed and developed by Nigel with the assistance of some confirmed testing methods, technical literature and his pricey spouse, Louise.
Armed with a duplicate of Competitors Automobile Aerodynamics by Simon McBeath, Nigel set to work on his first entrance splitter and air dam idea, which he notes did make a noticeable distinction within the pace he might keep on monitor. “The primary splitter appeared horrendous; I simply thought I’d see if it really works… and it did!” Nigel says.
Nevertheless, after just a few tweaks, a somewhat scary second at Silverstone Circuit – the place the rear finish of the Golf tried to overhaul the entrance – taught Nigel the significance of aerodynamic steadiness. Classes on monitor with strings of wool taped to the facet of the automobile and Louise taking pictures at numerous factors on the monitor to search out pockets of ‘useless’ air and wind move have culminated in what you see right here. “I’m on model six of the entrance splitter now, and model three of the rear diffuser,” Nigel added.
I can inform you personally that at pace you may actually really feel simply how planted the Golf is round corners and quick sweeping bends. At excessive speeds particularly, it’s the Golf’s flat ground that makes the distinction. Nigel mentions how even in opposition to “sleeker” vehicles with related energy, the Mk2 continues to drag away because of its lack of underbody drag.
Even with a completely stripped automobile, Nigel wished to retain some extent of consolation for his journeys and monitor classes with passengers, akin to his spouse. The roof scoop directs air at Nigel while the NACA ducts and ducting all through the automobile retain cabin airflow.
A really driver-focussed cockpit with a number of digital readouts for driver and passenger preserve Nigel knowledgeable concerning the Golf’s situation, whereas the passenger show retains the sufferer occupant knowledgeable about how briskly they’re being hurled into corners.
With very changeable climate situations at Thruxton Circuit, Nigel switched twice between semi-slicks, slick tyres and his moist climate Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, all mounted on 17-inch Group Dynamics wheels in 17×8-inch, and 17×9-inch for the rear full slicks.
What caught with me probably the most from our day at Thruxton wasn’t simply how blindingly quick and succesful the Mk2 is as a monitor software, nor was it Nigel’s talent behind the wheel. It was his can-do, properly organised and constructive angle.
Nigel’s method to trace days and the approach to life that surrounds them is about as healthful because it comes. He commonly attends monitor classes along with his household, making entire journeys and experiences out of it. They’ve spent total summers tenting on the Nürburgring, doing monitor laps and exploring the area.
Even on the day, a silicone enhance hose actually exploded within the engine bay on our second lap out. As a substitute of being disheartened about it, a brand new hose was sourced from a close-by efficiency workshop and the monitor motion continued.
Facet word: This specific workshop is a gold mine for a BMW nerd akin to myself and may warrant one other journey…
More than pleased to reply questions and chat with passersby, and preferring to share his monitor classes with a passenger over heading out on the circuit by himself, Nigel is a real gentleman and represents one of the best of what monitor day tradition is about.
I’ll depart you a gallery under with some highlights from the day. Due to Nigel and the Pinderwagen, it’s one I gained’t overlook.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn
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