The VW Golf R32 Supercar

When a Volkswagen Golf can wipe the floor with a Ferrari Enzo, we take notice.

Perhaps the phrase 'wipe the floor' is a little overzealous, but when Ferrari claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.3 seconds for its Enzo, and American VW/Audi tuning specialists HPA hit the same speed in 3.2 seconds in a Golf, we start to drool.

For the measly sum of $US54,900, the HPA-tuned R32 Golf stacks up incredibly well against the $US643,330 Ferrari Enzo.

Sure, it doesn't look half as sexy, won't hold its resale value or turn heads like a Prancing Horse, but if you're after bang for your buck, modified vehicles like this one are hard to ignore.

Despite the often costly pitfalls of insuring modified cars, let alone keeping them under warranty, the scene just keeps on growing, right across the globe.

From Germany to Japan and Australia to America, specialist tuning houses are growing rapidly in size as car owners want more power and less common cars, and the manic HPA-tuned R32 Golf is a prime example of big fun at a bargain basement price.

The recipe for four-wheel burnouts sounds fairly straightforward on paper:

Just take the 3.2-litre V6-powered AWD Volkswagen R32, which in stock form is a fairly feisty performer, add a pair of turbos, hook them up to intercoolers and Bob's yer uncle, 550 ponies on tap.

According to HPA, their forced induction R32 has "violent acceleration" which is understandable when you look at the specs. The 410kW/550hp stage II upgrade gets you two K04 turbochargers with oversized exhaust housings providing 19 psi (1.3bar) of boost.

There is also a drop in the compression ratio to 8.0:1, thanks to the addition of an HPA directional head spacer plate.

In order to keep the V6 engine's internals from buckling under the intense turbo pressure, race grade connecting rod bearings are used, while a 3.5-inch exhaust system and Hi-Flow HGP cast aluminium intake manifold ensures the engine inhales and exhales with ease.

Other modifications include 70mm down pipes, a hi-flow air mass sensor, dual side-mounted intercoolers, hi-flow fuel injectors, an electronic boost controller and a re-tuned ECU to ensure sweet-as-you-like injection mapping.

There is also a stage I kit, but that 'only' puts out 425hp, or 317 kilowatts.

According to press info, the stage II Enzo-rivalling R32 Golf weighs 1296kg and has recorded an 11.4 second quarter mile pass.

To achieve such rapid acceleration from standstill, the HPA R32 has a dual ceramic clutch, which allows for repeated launches @ close 6000rpm and dirty great big four-wheel burnouts.

Top speed is rated at about 200mph, or roughly 320km/h, which compares well with the standard R32 Golf's 247km/h. The 3.2 second 0-100km/h sprint right-royally shames the 6.5 second time of the stock car too, and though the HPA R32 is based on a hot-hatch platform, it's firmly entrenched in supercar land, and thanks to the AWD and a tuned suspension package, it's also an incredibly nimble performer to boot.

With American motoring websites and magazines lining up to test HPA's giant-killing twin turbo R32 Golf, it's already generating scads of interest, and is a brilliant product to showcase the burgeoning car tuning scene that spans all models and makes from luxury GTs to humble commuters.

Even the Australian car tuning/modifying scene is becoming bigger and brighter as cars like the Falcon XR6 Turbo, with its 4.0-litre inline 6-cylinder powerplant, generate interest amongst car enthusiasts.

For more info on the twin turbo HPA R32 Golf, check out their website here: HPAmotorsports.com, and keep an eye out for our R32 road test soon, where we'll put the naturally aspirated 3.2-litre V6-powered hatch to the test on Australian roads.