Since the German auto scene has been around for ages, you will find many cars with great aftermarket support.
When buying a second-hand car, it's important to consider how much it will cost you in the long term. While the price might be cheap upfront, the long-term investment will be very expensive. Some used cars might not work very well as project cars because they are highly unreliable and will break down often. Therefore, it's important to choose a reliable project car.
Fortunately, German automakers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have a long-standing reputation for making reliable cars. Since the German auto scene has been around for ages, you will find many cars with great aftermarket support. The next ten German cars cost less than $10,000, are great for tuning, and have some great aftermarket options.
The Mk4 Golf R32 hosts a 3.2-litre VR6 engine putting out 240 horsepower from the factory, taking it from 0 to 60 in 6.3 seconds thanks to its all-wheel drive Haldex system.
Suspension is critical when modifying the R32, and even though it sits lower than the GTI, it can drop even further to provide better handling on the road. The best way to get serious power out of his beast is through forced induction, although it can be an expensive venture.
Under the hood of the BMW 335i, you'll find the N54 engine, a 6-cylinder, twin-turbo unit that puts out 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque through its rear wheels. With its 0 to 60 time of 5.3 seconds, this car provides a solid baseline to start tuning.
The three series looks sick, and that twin turbo setup is a great platform for modding. It's easy to get North off 200 HP with various available aftermarket upgrades.
The hugely popular Audi S4 B5, which hosts a 2.7-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine mated to either a six-speed manual or five-speed auto box, puts out 265 horsepower from the factory. It can sprint from 0 to 60 in just 5.7 seconds but is capable of insanely better performance. Thanks to the Quattro, it can effortlessly make 350 NM of torque.
This car has solid internal structures. Therefore, it can support a vast selection of aftermarket parts ranging from intercoolers, exhaust systems, and injection mods for increased performance.
Mercedes has a long history of superchargers in their road and racing cars. Unlike many tuner cars that lock in luxury, choosing a Mercedes guarantees comfort in your dream build.
The C230K came with a 1.8-litre inline-four engine that made 189 hp and 192 pound-feet of torque. A variety of tuning options is available for these cars. A simple stage on tuning has the potential to unlock up to 230 horsepower, while upgrades on superchargers could have you making insanely more.
The VW Corrado VR6 is one of those cars that might not stay cheap forever. It was fast enough during its era, but it will be a stretch to call it a speed demon today. However, its platform is easy and fun to modify.
Parts for these cars are cheap and readily available. There's no limit to the MOD options for the Corrado, so you need to be as creative as possible. Besides, there's no shortage of aftermarket support, and you can find forums online to give you tons of information you might need along the way.
The Boxster is a fantastic mid-engine Porsche sports car that, unlike other Porsche sports cars, is affordable. Many modifications are available to enhance the Boxster and allow you to get even more out of it.
Top modifications include a weight-saving stainless steel silencer that makes the already good-sounding car sound even better. Tons of other worthy performance and handling upgrades are readily available in the vast support community.
If you want to tune a 20-year-old car, you must make sure you do it on a solid foundation. For the Audi TT it's important to check that the bushings, the vacuum lines, and seals won't b the weak points when you introduce shiny new parts. Once you have that covered, you have many mod options to help you get the most out of your Audi TT.
These cars come with 225 HP, which was fantastic for the time. But if you plan on getting one for dirt cheap, remember that it possibly lost some horses along the way due to poor maintenance. You can do some ECU tuning procedures to map the car for more boost and other performance upgrades.
The BMW Z3 is one of the best German project cars. You can get an awesome Z3 with plenty of sports mods with some proper planning. These cars are fun to work on, and a few sensible upgrades, such as turbo remaps and camshafts, can dramatically maximize your Z3 experience.
A remap is one of the surest ways to get the most advantage for the money. However, you still have the alternative for issue upgrades and even piggyback ECUs.
Audi A4 are easily tunable through turbo upgrades, remaps, and many other tuning modifications to boost performance. A wide aftermarket support for the A4 makes it one of the best project cars.
This quality executive car from Audi ranges from 1995 and shares much with the A5 and the A3; thus, there's an endless supply of parts. You can opt for various Audi A4 improvements that give you better weight savings resulting in increased fuel economy and performance.
This unconventional Porsche was the company's attempt to develop an affordable, front-engine design. It shares about 20% of its parts with the Porsche 968, meaning there is solid availability of parts. Three trims were available for the 944, including the base model, the 944 turbo, and the 944S.
The 2.5-litre engines are the best for modding as they have numerous performance parts for tuning. The NA 944S don't benefit much from tunes, but the S2 or the 944 Turbo can make plenty of power with upgraded headers, camshafts, MAF conversions, and high-flow cats.
K. N’njagi has been a writer in the auto industry since 2017 and keeps getting okay at it. A staff writer with a taste for high mileage, rusted-out projects, and amateur endurance racing.
