Tanner Foust will be returning to Formula Drift this year and will be bringing a wild VW Passat with him. Foust chose to use a Volkswagen because that is what he drives in Global RallyCross Championship and chose Papadakis Racing to build it because they had worked together before in Formula Drift.
Although you can compete with less power, the current methodology in drifting is the more, the better. So under the Passat’s hood sits a LS7 V8 with a displacement increased to 7.3 L (450 ci) and power to 700 horsepower. On top of the engine sits a nitrous system that will give the engine another 200 horsepower gain for a total of 900 horsepower.
An unusual feature you can see on the engine is the custom 8-to-1 sequential exhaust header. Papadakis Racing claims it gives the engine a unique sound compared to other LSx engines. It looks pretty wild and shows off Papadakis’ patience and metalwork skills. Another unusual feature is the back doors actually open up.
The rest of the drivetrain consists of a G-Force four-speed dogbox transmission, three-disc clutch, and a custom drive shaft. This all routes through a custom tunnel and sheet metal to make up the RWD conversion.
Source: Speedhunters (more photos of the build), Jalopnik and GTChannel
Best of luck on the upcoming Formula D season Tanner! Awesome car for an awesome driver. That has to be the sickest Passat I’ve ever seen.
Lovellyyy car wish I had the chance to come sit in one love the sound