HPA Audi TT
Speed at 1 mile: 172.2 mph — 10th
Time to 1 mile: 30.1 sec — 10th
Veiw another car in our standing mile test. Chevrolet Corvette Dodge Viper SRT-10 Ford GT Hennessey Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Viper HPA Audi TT Jaguar XKR Trans-Am Lamborghini Murciélago Lola-Ford Cosworth Champ Car MV Agusta F4-1000 MT Tamburini Pontiac-Riley Mk XI Daytona Prototype Ruf CTR Ruf R Turbo Saleen S7 Twin Turbo Vortech Mustang GT

The HPA Audi TT, the first of our tuner entries, is beautifully prepared, replete with rollcage, racing seats and a thoroughly upgraded 3.2-liter narrow-angle V-6 with twin turbochargers doling out 21 psi of intercooled boost to help the engine produce a staggering 542 bhp. This power is sent to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission (with hardened gears), a cinter-metal clutch, a Haldex center diff and a Quaife limited-slip rear end. This TT also has nitrous, though not for internal combustion. Rather, it's sprayed on the intercoolers to help chill the TT's intake charge, which HPA says is good for as much as 30 bhp on a hot day.

With the sprayers on and nitrous gas pouring out of the intercooler vents in the car's nose, the HPA TT looks like a hissing dragon but takes off like a banshee. Credit here goes to HPA's launch-control software, which overrides the ESP sensors and allows driver Michelin tire engineer Brian Smith to pin the accelerator on the floor at 5000 rpm, at which point he releases the clutch and launches the car when a green light comes on.

The result? Outstanding, uneventful acceleration that's quicker than the Lamborghini and Viper to the quarter mile and beyond, aided by a 50/50 torque split (as opposed to the stock car's 60/40 split) and the removal of the TT's large rear wing.