By Chris Ward, October 17, 2018
I don’t know about you but a DIY hot hatch with a modified 1,250bhp engine sounds like a suicide mission. The Opel Kadett E, which was the forerunner to the Astra as it is known in the UK was built between 1984 -1991. A typical powerplant was 1.4-litre engines and later models had 2.0-litre engines. All naturally aspirated.
Fast forward to 2018 and one particular Opel Kadett is still alive and still kicking. The 2.0-litre engine has been heavily modified. The addition of a turbocharger and a lot of extra modification means this rather ordinary looking Kadett packs an extraordinary 1,250bhp. The Opel Kadett was filmed competing at a drag race event in Germany. You have got to hand it to the driver, we wouldn’t get behind the wheel. Modern cars, fast cars, are defined by an advanced understanding of aerodynamics. That understanding keeps the car stable at high speeds. We can not see any aerodynamic work on this 1,250bhp Kadett. It’s rather akin to landing a plane without wearing a seatbelt.
