story/photos: dan hankin
If you catch yourself watching Comedy Central in the middle of the night, you'd know him as Mack the mechanic from the Bap/Geon commercials. In reality, Mack is Brian Claar from Bap/Geon's Newport News store. When he's not selling parts or helping customers, you'll likely find Claar at a road course, autocross, or drag strip giving his competitors a lesson in German engineering.
When Claar's vdub first rolled off the truck into his driveway on the night
he purchased it, the '92 Corrado was a broken mess, having been involved in
a major collision. The finished product has since made a dyno proven 289.6
hp and 293.9 ft.lb. of torque, and run 13.7 e.t.'s in the quarter mile. Respectable
numbers for a daily driver.
The 2.0 liter ABA 8-valve motor was stuffed full of good stuff including an
ABA forged crank, Eurospec H-beam rods, 83mm Weisco forged pistons, Nippon
rings, and ARP bolts to deliver power and reliability. The turbo is a custom
trim T3/T4 from Turbo Concepts mated to a ATP turbo manifold. A custom piped
Spearco intercooler keeps the intake charge cool.
Power is delivered to the 18"x8" Team Dynamics wheels via a Canadian
spec Passat five speed transmission with Quaife LSD, Fidanza aluminum flywheel,
and a Stage IV Clutch Masters clutch. Gear selections are made through a AWE
short shifter.
Bilstein PSS9 coilovers, Prothane urethane bushings, a Shine Racing rear sway
bar, and a Eurosport rear stress bar help keep the 18" rollers planted
securely on the pavement when the roads get twisty.
Claar had the exterior shot in the original violet pearl, and dressed it up
with a JSP carbon fiber hood, APR carbon mirrors, and a rare RS4 front bumper
cover.
Aluminum racing seats and 5-point harnesses don't do much for daily comfort,
but they hold Claar in close proximity to the quick release Sparco wheel no
matter how rough the ride gets. And since no driver is complete without tunes,
a Blaupunkt San Francisco head unit, Planet Audio BB150x4 digital amp, OZ
Matrix 130CS component set, and OZ Matrix Elite 2 ohm provide entertainment.
Brian would like to thank Peninsula Window Film Tint, Marc Osvald, Paul Smyers,
Elite Auto Sound & Performance (757-599-3899), Bap/Geon Import Auto Parts
(757-599-3360), New German Performance (877-437-6261), and everyone else who
helped.
