Mk4 Astra GSi Turbo

In this page you'll find pictures and information about my newest buy, an Arden Blue Mk4 Astra Gsi. This car is the replacement for my last beast, the Mk3 Gsi Turbo.

Shortly after selling my last car I was offered a 2003 Astra Gsi, from a friend. This car was in the lovely arden blue, in my opinion the best colour, and as standard has a Z20LET engine, the newer brother to the C20LET, and well proven in the world of touring cars.

Plans were pretty sketchy, I had aimed to get rid of the stupidly designed intake tract. This runs from the airbox, over the top of the hot engine, in a black pipe, and then into the turbo, then through the intercooler. Now simple physics dictates that if the air is cooler before the intercooler, then by the time the air reaches the engine it will be colder, and hence releases more horsepower, and in turbo engine allows more boost. I kept the exterior standard, apart from a de-badged grill.

After driving the new Astra for a bit I decided I was too afraid to park it anywhere, in case people who don't care about their cars opened their doors onto my car. The car also wasn't as fast as my old Gsi, and didn't have as much of an involving drive. All these things could've been over-come, but it wasn't practical for me to keep it.