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Oettinger specializes in turning cars from the Volkswagen Group into rocketships for the road.

A global specialist when it comes to tuning Volkswagen Group products, Oettinger has an impressive background and history when it comes to pushing the boundaries of what is possible when tuning a car. From its humble beginnings in young mechanical engineer Gerhard Oettinger's parents' garage, the company has kept its philosophy simple, peace of mind and customer satisfaction is paramount.

Reliable power outputs and high quality products are the backbone of the company, as it offers a vast array of tuning products to enhance and makeover any number of Škoda, Seat, Volkswagen or Audi models. From a humble 1.4-liter TSI Beetle to a fire breathing RS3 you can be assured that Oettinger has an option for you.

Established in 1946 and having continued to step beyond the limit of what a consumer could, or should, ask from their cherished vehicle, these are the coolest cars modified by Oettinger.

Having taken a rather restrained approach with the 2016 RS3 compared to some of its other offerings, Oettinger forwent the usual addition of any wild exterior modifications and concentrated on developing upgrades for the 2.5-liter turbocharged heart.

With 4 stages of power available, the RS3 can now be specced, via Stage 4 tuning, to deliver a Lamborghini Aventador-crushing 750 hp and 664 lb ft of torque thanks to a bespoke exhaust, enlarged turbo, remapped ECU, optimized intake. All this results in a 0-60 mph of circa 2.7 seconds.

Dreamed up and offered by Volkswagen France and modified by German tuning masters Oettinger, the extremely limited edition GTi 16S lifted an already fast car to an all-new level, and one that would dispatch much more expensive exotica with ease.

Featuring a 16-valve 1.6-liter engine with twin overhead cams which produced 136 hp, only 1250 units were ever built and were exclusive to France (some were also sold in Switzerland). Boasting wide arches, 14-inch ATS aluminum wheels, and a unique front spoiler, the GTi 16S is highly sought-after.

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Released in 2006, the stock Audi C6 RS6 is no slouch. With its twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 pumping out what most would regard as plenty of power at 444 hp, enabling a rapid 0-60 mph dash of 4.8 seconds and a 0-125 mph time of 22 seconds.

Oettinger though saw the potential in the RS6 Avant and so decided to give it a few extra horses, boosting output to 540 hp, this resulted in a drop in the 0-60 mph time to a claimed 4.0 seconds. Bigger brakes and free flowing performance exhaust rounded things off.

Ensuring that, no matter what you're driving, running from the Police would be a fruitless venture, this specially created Mk 7.5 Golf now pumps out 400 hp and 370 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter turbocharged TSI engine.

It's not just about the power, though. The lowered suspension, Oettinger RXX-Felgen 20-inch wheels, launch control, custom quad exhaust, and full Oettinger bodykit will make these the coolest, and possibly fastest, cops patrolling the Autobahn.

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Often likened to a budget RS4, the Cupra 300 station wagon offer a lot of bang for the buck. Sporting VW's robust EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and AWD, the Cupra offers up 300 hp and an impressive 5.7 second 0-60 mph time.

Once Oettinger have finished with the Cupra though, the numbers become far more impressive. Thanks to some engine tweaks, the Cupra 300 Carbon Edition's power is lifted to 355 hp and the 0-60 run is now dispatched in a mere 4.5 seconds.

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As soon as the refreshed Scirocco hit the open market, Oettinger did what they do best and improved and enhanced the coupe way beyond what could have ever been expected of the car by adding both body and engine upgrades.

Setting aside the deeper front lip and side skirts, both petrol engines saw gains in power, with the 170 hp 1.4-liter TSI unit having its output boosted to 200 hp and the 2.0-liter FSI engine increased from 197 hp to 250 hp. Later 2.0 TSI cars saw further power outputs raised to 350 hp.

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Knowing that the second generation Audi TT was hiding far more potential than its stock form bragged, Oettinger went to work. Thanks to ECU remapping, modified fuel delivery, a larger K04 turbo, and a full stainless steel sports exhaust, they transformed the coupe.

Power was now dialed in at a reliable 280 hp, up 80 hp over standard, and could be lifted further to 310 hp. The 0-60 mph time dropped from 6.4 seconds to 5.3 seconds, matching Audi's own high performance TTS.

The 1998 Oettinger VR6 gained new camshafts, modified intake manifold and recalibrated ECU to bestow it with 210 hp and 192 lb ft of torque, enabling the punchy little Golf to hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and run on to 143 mph.

Used for Group 2 racing, the Oettinger Scirocco housed what was, at the time, considered to be the world's best four-cylinder engine as this 1.6-liter race tuned unit produced an awe-inspiring 170 hp and would top out at 127 mph.

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Fitted with a long list of Oettinger parts, such as a bodykit, full exhaust system, adjustable suspension, ram-air intake, lightened wheels, and enlarged turbocharger, the 297 hp 2.0 liter A3 became something of a sleeper and would hit 60 mph in 5.4 seconds.

Once again gaining a fully adjustable suspension setup, custom stainless steel exhaust, bespoke bodykit, induction system and ECU remap, the Oettinger S350, based on the 8P Audi S3, made 350 hp and would eagerly romp to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds.

Unveiled at the 2018 Worthersee GTi festival, the Oettinger TCR Street remasters the Golf 7.5 GTi into a formidable weapon. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine now produces 355 hp and 347 lb ft of torque and a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds.

As well as the aggressive styling, larger 380mm ventilated brakes have been fitted to scrub off the car's now higher speeds, whilst fatter 20-inch wheels sit beneath the widened arches and wear low-profile, high-performance rubber for added grip.

Having cut his teeth on the UK street racing scene in the late 90's and early 00's RJ faded from the limelight only to return 20 years later. An avid motoring enthusiast RJ especially enjoys JDM and Italian cars, and is an experienced multi-industry writer.