Option #1, lifted MKIV TDI Golf with supporting mods that will give it roughly 300lb ft of torque. The interior will likely always be falling apart, but the drivetrain will last forever.
TDI Goodness
Option #2 a shortened chassis BG protege LX
How short of a wheelbase can you manage
The seller of the protege is pretty flakey, the tdi seller has been awesome to communicate with.
The protege would be completely impractical, but I literally have everything to turbo it currently in my living room and it'd be hilarious to autocross. Scandinavian flicks, trailbraking and left foot braking in something with a wheelbase that short would be a hoot. Add it boost, flatfoot shifting and launch control courtesy of MS2 and it'd be a riot.
omg that Protege
on the other hand you should buy the VW and sell me the turbo stuff for my Escort 
In reply to slowbird :
I have 2 other BP powered vehicles that can use the turbo bits and MS 
Thats actually a tough call.
Id go vw, just cause its ckoser to stock for a daily
I have zero interest in #1 and everything about #2 screams run away
I had pretty high expectations and was looking to be disappointed. That Protoge knocked it out of the park.
NOHOME
MegaDork
10/20/20 10:50 a.m.
Protege cause why not?
"If you are going to travel on the Titanic, go first class"
fanfoy
SuperDork
10/20/20 10:54 a.m.
NOHOME said:
"If you are going to travel on the Titanic, go first class"
This needs to be a bumper sticker
Duke
MegaDork
10/20/20 11:02 a.m.
I don't particularly understand or even like shortened cars, so I vote VW all the way.
NickD said:
Patrick (Forum Supporter) said:
Neither
I will also abstain.
Working on a consensus here.
Do I have to choose?
First choice: Neither.
Second choice: VW.
The Protege just makes me think of a FWD fuel altered. All the insanity, with the only half-baked rationale removed.
NOHOME said:
Protege cause why not?
"If you are going to travel on the Titanic, go first class"
Here's first class shortened car
The vw might make a good rallycross vehicle
I vote tdi. You're putting a lot of trust into whomever shortened the protege.
Eeewwww... Hi. Would you like to get punched in the ear, or kicked in the nuts?
#2 ia basically useless for anything except effing around. #2 is cool and practical, plus you could have a surprising about of off road fun in it going places mall crawler jeeps with 22" wheels are scared to go incase they scratch their chrome.
I vote for the TDI.
That Protege...just...I don't even know what to say. Why?
That's a hard choice. I would drive the E36 M3 out of both.
MotorsportsGordon said:
NOHOME said:
Protege cause why not?
"If you are going to travel on the Titanic, go first class"
Here's first class shortened car
You see, to me shortening a malaise era domestic makes sense. It's poking fun and making a caricature of what it was, plus making something that could really be usable and fun with some work. The Mazda just seems a short, strange useless oddity.
With a wheelbase that short I’d think the Protege would have an awful bouncy ride. I’d go with the Golf, would be fun in its own way. Although some more nimble tires might be better suited for rallycross.
I want the wheels from that Mazda though.
Ugh. Neither.
After “neither” I vote for the TDi because I would be very afraid of a car that has been cut in half.
