573HP VW Transporter With Porsche 911 Turbo Engine Is VW Group Synergy At Its Best

Sitting at the top of the VW Transporter lineup (if you don’t count the California campervan), the Multivan is the most upmarket people-mover the German automaker builds.

Over the years, some tuners have tried to make it as quick as it is luxurious by injecting some performance into the stock engines, with pretty interesting results. However, none of the tuning projects can rival Berlin-based TH Automobile’s creation. The company builds some of the most bonkers VW Transporter-based projects you’ll ever see and one of them was recently put up for sale.

It’s a 2012 VW Multivan that looks pretty normal from the outside, despite the beefier 19-inch wheels and lowered ride height. As it turns out, it’s anything but an ordinary Multivan since it has the engine of a Porsche 911 Turbo (997) mounted in the rear, mated to a 911 Turbo transmission that drives the rear wheels.

It cost €250,000 to make but can be yours for €139,800

The car was commissioned by a customer and took two years to build, swallowing €250,000 (about $285,500) in the process. The huge cost includes the price of the VW Multivan donor car, the 911 Turbo engine, transmission, suspension, and interior parts, as well as the painstaking work necessary to make everything fit and work. TH Automobile had to build a specially-developed frame so that the VW Multivan body could accommodate the 911 Turbo mechanicals.

Compared to the build cost, the sales price of €139,800 (about $159,800) truly seems like a bargain. Especially when you consider the fact that there’s no other Multivan like this one. The 3.6-liter flat-six engine features a turbocharger and ECU from the 911 GT2 for a total output of 580 PS (573 hp). A Porsche six-speed manual transmission sends power to the rear wheels, enabling a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph). Not bad for a minivan, right?

While the boxer engine mounted in the back is a reference to the Volkswagen T1, T2, and T3, nothing else can be compared to the spartan Transporters of the past. The custom Multivan features high-performance Brembo brakes with 370mm (14.5in) front and 365mm (14.3in) rear discs, height-adjustable sports suspension, a luxurious interior bathed in high-quality leather and Alcantara, as well as all the amenities and luxuries imaginable.

The cabin even features the original Porsche 997 Turbo sports steering wheel, front seats, ignition key, and ignition lock. Obviously, the ignition was mounted on the left side, as in any true Porsche. Yes, it may look like a VW but this vehicle’s official name in the papers is Porsche 911 Turbo TH2 Multivan.