Welcome.
I echo Rich's comments above.
If you want to build a car, then the 5EXI will give you great satisfaction as it comes together, and puts a big tick in the "skills" box. You'll meet some interesting characters on your journey, and if you've not done anything similar before, you'll enjoy honing your skills and thinking your way through problems.
If what you want is purely to get a good cost effective, and capable track car, the better route is an Elise / VX220, which if too slow as stock, you could slot in a 1.8t or supercharged Honda K20.
I've driven a number of modified VWs with a 1.8t fitted, have experience of driving an EP3 Type-R, and my 5EXI has a Honda K20A2 in it coupled to a Hondata ECU. The power delivery of the two engines is very different, and the 1.8t definitely packs a serious mid-range wallop. For a given chassis mass, a 1.8t with the same peak power as Honda K20, will propel a car faster. The throttle response, and adjustability of the K20 is better than the 1.8t.... I'd prefer a track orientated car to have the K20 for purity, but for straight line wallop I'd go 1.8t, especially as extracting more power is quite easy.
Enjoy whatever you choose.
John.
|