"Normally Tein is conservative with engine work, but with the GTI we felt power mods would make more of a statement since most Euro owners don't do this,"

Work began with the Tein crew stripping the interior and removing the motor. "We scraped all the sound-deadening from the bodyshell and took out 20 lb of tar in the process. That's when we discovered VW engineers use Torx screws to build the cars, so had to buy new Snap-On tools," Philip revealed.

The motor was also stripped and the long block delivered to EuroCode Tuning (EC) in Torrance, CA. "They're one of our dealers and are located close-by. They were also very enthusiastic to participate in the project, so it worked out well," Philip said.

With Tein's conservative nature, they decided to "do it once and do it right," according to Philip. "We decided to build the engine so it would be strong enough for high boost pressure, rather than blow it up and have to rebuild it later."

While this is a worthy notion, the reality for EC was that very few parts were available for the 2.0T at the time. Consequently, the only way to get forged JE pistons and Carrillo rods was to send the factory parts to each manufacturer and have them create the required parts. Surprisingly, they didn't take this opportunity to lower the compression ratio, preferring to retain stock drivability.

Once the pioneering parts were produced, the forged rods and pistons were sent to Cosworth for balancing, along with the crank and lightweight EC flywheel.

The team also sought performance cams and valvetrain products, but the search came up empty so the stock parts were retained.

The motor was reassembled with the stronger bottom end and a K04 turbo upgrade sourced from APR, along with the accompanying software and EC front-mount. The turbo is bolted to an APR manifold and 3" stainless steel downpipe with high-flow cat. The exhaust was then completed with 3" mandrel-bent tubing, resonator and muffler from Vibrant Performance.

The result is a claimed 260hp with 300 lb/ft of torque, but Tein expects to soon adopt APR's more powerful GT2871R turbo upgrade since they have the stronger bottom end.

Along with Cosworth balancing, the engine's rotating assembly and gearbox internals were shot-peened by WPC Treatment. This process produces an utterly smooth, low friction finish on all surfaces that further contributes to strength and durability. The gearbox was then rebuilt with a Quaife LSD to aid traction.

As for the bodywork, Tein originally envisaged a conservative Abt lip kit but when they had a rendering done, the illustrator gave it a bolder look. This was shown to BRS AutoDesign in City of Industry, CA. They liked it and decided to recreate the rendering.

The GTI would be Tein's third widebody. The previous two had been fabricated in metal but weren't track-friendly because they were heavy and difficult to repair. So Tein decided to build this car from glassfiber, bolt on the rear fenders and leave the car white rather than apply custom paint work.

The process of recreating the illustration wasn't easy. BRS attempted two front bumpers and four different side skirts before being satisfied with the results.This inevitably delayed the schedule, and what had been expected to take one month actually took three times longer.

The end product is a body kit that simply bolts on. Even the rear fenders can be screwed into place once the metal arches have been cut away to provide clearance for bigger tires. The front fenders bolt on as well, so would be easily replaced if damaged - all part of Tein's original plan.

The body kit consists of a front bumper, front fenders, side skirts, rear flares and a rear half bumper constructed in glassfiber that's been strategically reinforced. BRS also manufactured a carbon front splitter and rear diffuser to complete the package. They were even responsible for the carbon roof skin.