Handling & Grip - Tech - Eurotuner Magazine

Part 1
If you've followed eurotuner for the past five years, we've had a diverse range of project cars. From Project M3 and 135i to Silverstone and 2.slow, each carried its own unique theme, whether it be using OEM parts, going for power or being budget-friendly. And now we're excited to introduce a new project that many enthusiasts possibly never considered - the B6 VW Passat

The midsize sedan was never intended to be a tuner's wet dream, nor be taken on the track. The Passat catered to families who needed extra space, whether it was hauling the kids or offering more comfort on daily commutes. Our '08 Passat 2.0T fits the stereotype to a tee.

Equipped with the Komfort package, it features a cozy leather interior and six-speed automatic. The front-wheel drive 2.0T delivers 19/29mpg and is a breeze to drive on the long commutes to work. The car isn't a slug either. Despite its size, it has the same motor found in the GTI, Jetta and A4. The turbocharged 16v FSI pumps out 200hp and 207 lb-ft of torque.

Is there room for improvement? Of course! Over the next few months we'll show you some basic and affordable mods to turn a B6 Passat into something more unique, sporty and fun to drive.

To start, we did what most project car owners do - upgrade the wheels, tires and suspension. These three key elements quickly improve how a car handles, grips and looks.

So we ditched the stock 17" wheels for 19x8.5" rollers from Privat. The Legende is a simple five-spoke that comes with matte-graphite faces, machined lips and a multi-piece look.

Priced under $200 a corner, the wheels give a classier, tougher look for a fraction of the price of forged wheels. After all, we won't be racing it. This is still a family car!

Before installing the Privats, we asked Continental for a set of its high-performance ContiSportContact3 tires. Although the tires have been available in the market for a few years, the CSC3s remain a stellar performer in everyday conditions, as well as on the drag strip and road course, as proven in the last two years of eurotuner GP.

For the chassis, we stuck with a company trusted for decades. Whether it was our BMW, Audi or VW project cars, we've always had great experiences with the products from H&R Springs. So we sourced its Street performance coilovers for our B6.

The coils allow ride height adjustability of 1.25-2" in the front and 1.25-2.5" rear. Since the Passat is factory-tuned for comfort, we're happy to infuse the car with quicker, sharper handling while ditching the despicable ride height.

With the Privat wheels and Contis already installed on our Passat to check for clearance, we made a trip to the VW/Audi experts at Eurocode Tuning (ecodetuning.com) in Torrance, CA for the coilover install. The procedure was straightforward, as you'll see below, and the Eurocode technicians required only a couple of hours.

We've captured it all on video, if you wish to follow along, or you can see the main steps here.

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