The Opel Kadett E, the penultimate generation of the Kadett series, holds a special place in the German firm’s history as it marked the transition from the iconic Kadett nameplate to the equally renowned Astra. Produced from 1984 to 1991, the Kadett E continued the legacy of its predecessors while also introducing several innovative features and design elements.
The car had a modern, aerodynamic design that was in line with the automotive trends of the 1980s – smooth lines, flush-fitting glass, and integrated bumpers. In the engine department, the model came with a range of gasoline and diesel units with the top-of-the-line GSi variants models featuring fuel injection technology. Not a single of the motors offered the performance the Kadett from this video has, though.
The white hot hatch may look almost stock at a glance but that is just the surface. Underneath the skin, there’s a heavily revised 16-valve four-pot engine. Unfortunately, not many details are available but we at least know that this is a turbocharged engine, which generates close to 900 horsepower at 2.4 bars of the turbocharger. We can also see a massive intercooler that sits right behind the front bumper. More impressively, that power is channeled only to the front wheels and as you can see from the video above, the car is almost constantly struggling for traction.
In the five-minute video here, the modified Kadett races two very fast cars. The first one is what appears to be a stock Dodge Challenger and it is no match for the super hatch. In the second run, the white hatch challenges a tuned McLaren 720S with 1,200 hp and this is where the battle gets interesting. The two cars appear to have a staged start and at the end, their results are very, very close.
In the final section of the video, we can see the Kadett make a half-mile run. This is where it unleashes its full potential, hitting a top speed of 185.02 miles per hour (297.76 kilometers per hour). This was enough for the car to win the award for the fastest front-wheel-drive car during the Race1000 event, at which this video was shot.
