Please don't respond without reading first.

I'm thinking of selling my 600hp c5 (let me know if you are in the market) and buying a low cost awd convertible with a manual transmission.

Based on what i enjoy driving, if the car has <85 w-hp/kip, i probably won't like it much. Assuming 20% drivetrain loss with awd and a manual, that's ~106 c-hp/kip.

searching the classifieds, all i find is the audi s4 b6 and audi tt mk1. In stock form, neither car has a great power/weight ratio.

The s4 has some aftermarket support but everything i've found is extremely expensive.
The tt has lower cost aftermarket, but making this car fast doesn't look easy. At 3340lb, to reach my goal that little 1.8l would have to make ~355c-hp. That seems pretty daunting. I'm wondering if i could reach that goal with a combination of bolt ons and weight reduction.

How much power can the 1.8l make with standard bolt ons and how much will it cost? By standard bolt ons, I'm thinking, twin scroll manifold and larger twin scroll ball bearing turbo, larger ic, cat delete, high flow injectors and fuel pump, e85, maybe higher lift camshafts and higher k-value valve springs and supporting controllers/tune. Am i way off on what the standard bolt ons are for this 1.8l?

How much have others reduced weight on this model in the past? For weight reduction, I'd consider removing the hvac/ac system, side windows and window motors, roof, washer fluid system and wiper system, ballast weight, air bags, audio system and sound deadening. I'd consider getting cheap race seats or taking weight out of the stock ones and getting a cheap lower cca/weight battery. Are there other significant low cost weight reduction methods for this model?

if this platform is just the wrong one, do you have other suggestions?

 

If your desire is only performance, perhaps the TT mk1 is not the car for you, although some people have tuned it to extreme hp and tq.
For most people (like me) the TT is a design icon and so much fun to drive open air while enjoying at a beautiful car inside and out. I love seeing my baseball roadster every time I come home (no, it is not my dd). I don't even have quattro, only fwd. Who cares? Not me.

 

The MK1 TT 225HP isn't a bottle rocket but it is a TON of fun to drive. A few quick bolts on upgrades (downpipe, intake, intercooler, and a tune) and it's making a good bit of power over stock (mind you it's not going to be a 600hp C5).

 

My TT only has 180 hp. But at 90 mph in open air, who's complaining? Smell the forest, hear the birds, see the stars at night. Life is good at such occasions.