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VW Beetle with a Turbo 5.3 L V8

VW Beetle with a turbocharged 5.3 L LSx V8

A member off LS1Tech forums created a VW Beetle which is powered by a turbocharged 5.3 L V8 engine. Boost is provided by a Master Power T70 turbocharger. The engine runs off a Megasquirt ECU and a MSD 6010. The Bug sits on a custom boxed frame that was made previously for a smaller engine. There is no telling how much horsepower this puts down but I am sure it is more than enough. Check out below the videos and images.

VW Beetle with a turbocharged 5.3 L LSx V8

VW Beetle with a turbocharged 5.3 L LSx V8

VW Beetle with a turbocharged 5.3 L LSx V8

Source: LS1Tech via Jalopnik

21 thoughts on “VW Beetle with a Turbo 5.3 L V8”

  1. Hi

    i’m bilal from lebanon i like this project because i search to know how i build the chassis because i will make like this project

    best regards
    bilal

    1. hi i have just purched a squareback would like to pick your brain about your vw build . please email a phone no if you would not mind . great build thanks sandy

  2. LOOKS ALSOME I HAVE A 70 VW BUG WITH A 40 FORD PANEL KIT ON MINE LOOKING FOR SPECS TO MAKE FULL FRAME WITH A CHEV 350 WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP TKS CAL

  3. Hello,
    Im looking to do the same with a beetle. I wondereed if you could tell me how much this cost and what type, and brands of everything that is in your bug. I want a small car that can pull up to a vette and waste em’ and forget about all that tuner stuff this is purly muscle.
    Thanks,
    Mack Franklin

  4. Hi,
    I am 17 and I recently got a ’57 VW Baja bug. I was wondering if you could offer any advice on how to make something like that possible on a car like mine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    Gabe

  5. hello,
    im hopefully getting a vw 1303 superbeetle and want a very high powered 1.3 engine for it, could you please let me know what that engine can be, if it would need a conversion and how much would it be for the conversion?
    thanks for your help

    cheers
    adam

  6. for anyone that wants to know prostreetbugs.com has a frame they make for bugs so you can put a front mounted V8 in your vw bug. or you can buy their blueprints and build the frame for yourself. the blueprints cost 125 dollars. plus i think 5 dollars shipping. i plan on buying the plans VERY soon for a few bug projects i want to start including one for the baja 1000, one 4×4 bug and one as a street sleeper. im thinking 383 stroker for baja 1000, putting my 454 in the 4×4 one and an ls1 for the street sleeper 🙂

  7. So he spent all this money to put this V8 in this bug, when it probably would have ran a better 1/4 mile with just a bored out VW air-cooled motor and would have been alot cheeper and faster. And alot less effort.

    1. i don’t think so!! It could be done but u would need do some serious work to VW motor to make it as quick n fast as this!! Even with a turbo! I really doubt u could even do it with the stock motor at all!! Need a totally purpose built aftermarket caster motor!! U can get impressive power out of a VW but this motor is probably over 500-550 horsepower minimal! And they are cheap to build! Even if u could, it’s just another bug!!

  8. Taylor: Maybe so, but would it be as awesome? Heck no! Put a Ford or Continental style front end kit on it and it’s bad to the bone.

    I’m interested to know what kind of transmission it has.

  9. elle est vriment trés bien faite ,tu un profitionnel,moi j’ai une coxi et je veux la tuner,j’émerais bien que tu me donne un peut d’idais,than you.

  10. @ Taylor Hill

    Then he would just have another bug. How many V8 bugs, much less with boost, do you see? Maybe he also wanted to do a complete build up. Maybe he doesn’t like the sound of a farty 4 cylinder. Perhaps he thought about a different V8 build, but found using a bug body inexpensive.

  11. The cheapest and most easy way to put a V8 in a bug is to use a Chevy S10 frame, all that needs done is to shorten the frame at the back. I would narrow it at the same time for larger rear tires.

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