At first glance, Todd Cope’s VW Mk4 GTI looks like any other clean modified ride. One look under the hood however and it is immediately apparent that there is something quite different and special about this car. When asked what Todd likes most about his car, he replied “That would have to be the engine bay. It just does not look like a VW under the hood anymore.” I doubt anyone would disagree.

So, what does this “new look” produce? “I don’t have any dyno numbers or 1/4mile times to date with the new setup, but power numbers with this turbo and fuel system will be upwards of 500hp on pump gas” states Cope. Um…WOW! If his estimates are correct, that would amount to about 278 horsepower per liter.

Something Different

Not satisfied with buying an existing bolt-on turbo kit, Todd and friend Scott decided to create something completely new. “The goal of the car was to build a VW that other people were not building,” states Cope. “So we set out to build as much of the car ourselvs as we could. There are a lot of custom CNC one-off parts on this car that could be a story all its own. The list of aftermarket parts is extensive.” He’s not kidding. Appart from new engine internals able to survive the heavy breathing, here are just some of the engine modifications:

Custom sidewinder turbo manifold all equal length by MAKK Motoring
Custom intake manifold with custom CNC velocity stacks
TiAL Alpha Q Recirculating Blow-Off Valve
TiAL 44mm wWastegate
TiAL 3582R V-Band Turbo
Walbro In-Tank 255 Fuel Pump
1000cc Injectors
Eurodyne tune
AN custom water and oil lines
CNC machined Master Cylinder Billet relocation piece for MAKK Motoring by Ray Pabon
Coolant System Flange and Water Pipe designed and built for MAKK Motoring by Ray Pabon
Billet Heater Core Fittings custom made for MAKK Motoring by Ray Pabon
Custom Coolant System Hoses and lines built and installed by MAKK Motoring

Other Modifications

On top of the engine mods above, over the last few years Cope has also done a lot to make his GTI special. This includes Ksport Pro Coilovers, 18 inch Kinesis wheels, a custom roll cage and a serious sound system. So what’s next? “I think the next thing on my list will be paint and body mods and some new interior,” states Cope. “I think that’s what is lacking as far as the show car portion of the car goes.”

Well, if he is as creative with the look of the car as he is with the power, we’re in for a treat. Cope has been showing the car in the Pacific Northwest since 2003 and has won more than 40 awards. He may want to makes some more room on the trophy case with this monster.

Wish List

So Todd, if you could modify any car, what would it be? “I’m a die-hard Audi and VW guy so if money was no object, I would have to say an Audi B5 S4. I love those cars.” With a 500hp 1.8L Turbo, you can only imagine what Todd would do with the 2.7L S4.

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