2006 HPA Volkswagen Jetta RGT

The annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas is out of control. What was once a small group of aftermarket companies displaying its wares has now turned into full-blown week-long event that attracts over 125,000 attendees walking over a million square feet of floor space. The SEMA Show has become such an important event (over 10,000 exhibitor booths!) that vehicle manufacturers are now debuting some new vehicles in Vegas rather than via such normal venues as the New York and Los Angeles Auto Shows. While most automotive companies have long had a presence at SEMA, mysteriously absent has been Volkswagen--until 2005.

VW jumped into the 2005 SEMA show at full stride by displaying its wares with a huge booth along with a special news conference to debut three wild tuner vehicles. VW's goal was to judge the public reaction to the vehicle modifications and then take the info back to Wolfsburg brass to contemplate whether any or all of the modifications should be considered for future production. Of the three display vehicles (a tuned Touareg, Passat, and Jetta), the crowd favorite was the wild race-spec Jetta RGT fit with HPA twin-turbo power.

Recently we had the opportunity to drive the Jetta RGT on back roads outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, just days before the trio of autobahn burners were shipped back to Deutschland. The Jetta (along with the RGT Touareg and Passat) were in Vancouver getting final tuning by HPA motorsports (www.hpamotorsports.com) which is the VW tuning company contracted to build Volkswagen's three SEMA show vehicles.

The Jetta RGT started life as a 2.5-liter five-cylinder four-door people mover equipped with front-wheel-drive. From there, things got wild. The engine was removed and replaced with an R32-spec 3.2L V-6 that was blueprinted, fit with heavy-duty engine bearings, and that incorporated a special head spacer plate system to lower compression. Next up, HPA fit a pair of Garrett ball-bearing turbochargers to blow boost through twin aluminum intercoolers, HPA's custom alloy intake manifold, and out a hand made "quad bypass" stainless steel exhaust system. Engine power is rated at over 600, but for SEMA (and our testing) VW mandated that the boost be turned down to produce just 500 ponies.

The Jetta's transmission is comprised of a DSG gearbox that was upgraded with a heavy-duty wet-style dual clutch system replete with custom transmission programming to handle the massive increase in engine torque. To better connect the 600 hp with the tarmac, HPA installed a complete R32-spec 4-Motion all-wheel-drive drivetrain upgraded with HPA's Sport Haldex Controller unit. Added to the chassis is KW FIA Competition series three-way adjustable coilovers with special rate coil springs, unique anti-roll bars with special end links, and a 6-point roll cage to stiffen. The suspension is amazingly tight, but the custom roll cage adds considerable weight to an already heavy car (final weight is a porky 4,100 lbs).

To set the Jetta RGT apart from any other tuner vehicle, VW had a set of custom wheels made by Avus that were forged from mono-block aluminum. The Avus wheels are 19x9-inches and employ DTM-style center-lock retention. Rubber consists of Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires sized in hefty 265/30ZR19 proportions. Residing behind the grey hued wheel spokes are genuine WRC-spec Brembo 8-piston brake calipers that clamp Texas-sized 15-inch diameter rotors. These brakes are not available to the general public, but VW corporate made a few calls to wrangle a set of the WRC binders for the SEMA display vehicle. Word on the street is that the calipers cost over $3,000 each--not including mounting hardware, pads, lines, or even rotors! However, HPA offers a slightly smaller, much cheaper Brembo-built brake system for it's tuned vehicle packages. In a hurry to change tires or check the brakes? Just hit the AP Racing quad air jack system that's built right into the Jetta. This car is full race...for the street.