800 hp. 663 pound-feet of torque. That's how much power TH Automotive has dialed into its latest Volkswagen Transporter creation. It's called the TH2RS, and yes, these German tuners are a little crazy.
But crazy in the good sense, we must add. Those in the know have learned over the years to admire what the Berlin outfit does to the unassuming Transporter. By replacing the sedate VW powertrain with that from a 996- or 997-series Porsche Turbo, they can turn any speed hungry van owners' dreams into reality.
In line with the Porsche RS philosophy, all unnecessary interior amenities have been deleted or lightened for the sake of power and ideal weight balance. As you can see, it's completely stripped and barren of many creature comforts. But if an owner so desires, engineers can install a full-blown Porsche 911 Turbo cockpit for an extra charge. Six composite buckets reside inside the TH2RS allowing the speed to be enjoyed with some friends.
Oh yes, speed. TH reckons its top tier model can hit over 186 mph easily, and will attempt to do just that come this weekend at the Continental Tire Nardo event. Given that the TH2RS's engine has been fine tuned by a little firm called 9ff (look closely and you'll see the '9ff' logo), we're pretty sure the engine won't blow. But will the chassis hold? Just for some further reference, their TH2 T5 model retails for around $216,000.
Check back for more as our very own Scott Evans will be there to report on how the TH2RS, as well as many other tuner machines, do on Italy's fastest circuit.