18/09/2026
Clio with a V6, or the well-known and much-loved Passat B5 with a W8 engine under the hood. Have you had any of those cases in your workshop? 🧐
Which of these popular models in rarely seen versions have come through your workshop?
Although today’s automotive world can be very generic, just a dozen or so years ago it was easy to find unusual variants of fairly standard models. A factory-tuned minivan with 240 horsepower? Absolutely. A European SUV with a 5.0-litre V10 engine? You’ll find one. A small city Toyota that, in its sportier version, could embarrass more than one larger and more expensive car? Of course! 😉
These unconventional versions of very common models were a kind of hidden gem, proving that engineers also like to break away from the usual patterns, and that automotive is not just business or a way to get from point A to point B. It’s also about emotion. 💙
Although, from a workshop perspective, those emotions were probably mixed when, after opening the hood, instead of a humble 1.9 TDI you were greeted by a W8 engine. 😅 On the other hand, servicing such a standard-but-not-quite-standard car is definitely a memorable experience and a chance to learn something new.
Have you worked on a lot of popular cars in unpopular versions in your workshop? Which one from this list is, for you, the perfect mix of madness and restraint? Or maybe you know some other especially noteworthy ordinary models in extraordinary versions that you’ve come across?
The comments section is yours. 🙂