autoevolution
 

Smyth Performance G3F: VW Jetta-Based Diesel Sports Car

Smyth Performance G3FSmyth Performance G3FSmyth Performance G3FSmyth Performance G3FSmyth Performance G3F
The vehicle you see here is one of the most interesting modification projects ever created.

We know, the vehicle looks like it uses the platform from an average sports car and a custom body to deliver a bespoke experience. But things aren’t quite so. The mid-engined performance vehicle you see here started out in life as a front-engined diesel sedan, Volkswagen Jetta.

According to automotto, Mark Smith (co-founder of Factory Five Racing, a top kit car producer) and Dave Smith (co-founder of the aforementioned company and owner of Smith Performance) decided to take an oil-burning Volkswagen Jetta belonging to the MK4 generation, produced between 1998-2005 in Europe, and subjected it to a long list of radical modifications in order to transform it into a car that can offer both good performance and high mpg figures.

The car’s top was removed, together with the entire rear end, with the front part of the vehicle’s platform being matched to a tubular sub-frame. The engine has been moved from the front to a central position, with the whole package receiving a fiberglass body and a custom windshield.

The Jetta is not the only car that donated parts for the project - the custom sports car also uses Toyota Celica headlights.

The finished product has also received a name: Smyth Performance G3F, promising to offer a top speed of 140 mph, while returning a highway fuel economy figure of 60 mpg.

And it gets better. You too could have one of these in your garage. All you need are the following: good mechanical skills (or friends who have them) and $15,000 (the kit costs $10,000 and a used Jetta retails for $5,000).
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories