It’s a question that we all sit up at night and think about. Can a modified Amarok V6 TDI beat the all-new Volkswagen Golf GTI in a quarter-mile drag race? Yes, it has the power and displacement to put up a fight but, it is still a heavy bakkie. Thankfully, we now have our answer.
Used in this pairing conducted by Motor, is a Volkswagen Amarok 3,0 V6 TDI 4Motion which, in standard guise, delivers an impressive 190 kW and 580 N.m of torque but the mechanics at Evolve Technik have bumped this up to a more competitive 240 kW and 700 N.m via a stage two upgrade. The tuning firm estimates that its bakkie will deliver a 0-100 km/h time of around 6,5 seconds on a good day.
With this claimed figure, the Amarok is placed in the region of the Volkswagen Golf GTI’s quoted figure of 6,4 seconds. The German brand’s latest hot hatch competitor uses the firm’s EA888 turbocharged 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine to deliver 180 kW and 370 N.m of torque to the front wheels. While the Amarok may boast quite a bit more power, the GTI is considerably lighter with a kerb mass variance of close to a tonne.
While the Amarok gets a clean start off the line presumably thanks to its 4Motion setup, the Volkswagen Golf GTI makes quick work of catching up as the 400 metre mark closes in, thus retaining the reputation of hot hatches across the globe.
By the end of the race, the GTI registered a quarter mile time of 14,4 seconds while the Amarok, 14,9 seconds.
To rule out any discrepancies with the launch, the Australian publication also pairs the two cars up in a rolling race with a starting speed of 50 km/h. When the two cars cross the start line, The GTI pretty much walks away with the win.