# VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Turbunnium: Introduction



## [email protected] (Aug 1, 2002)

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The “Rabbit Test” was the kind of hideous procedure that makes grown men cross their legs just a _little_ bit tighter when they hear about it. Popular during the early 20th century, doctors would inject womens’ urine into the bloodstream of female rabbits. After a few days, the rabbit would get sliced open, and if its ovaries had swollen then the woman was pregnant. She would then go home and excitedly call relatives to tell them that “the rabbit died,” which passed for happy news at a time when the word “pregnant” couldn’t even be said on broadcast radio. That this procedure exists in the first place raises a lot of thoughts, most of them prefaced with “eew” and many of them involving attempts to get my head around someone actually _discovering_ the Rabbit Test in the first place.
*Full story and pictures...*


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## The Kilted Yaksman (Oct 31, 2000)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Turbunnium: Introduction ([email protected])*

146 WHP? I guess it wasn't much of a stretch for VW to bump up the crank HP to 170.


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## dogmavskarma (Nov 18, 2004)

so is the rabbit getting a turbo? or am i missing something?


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## captain coordination (Nov 4, 2004)

*Re: (dogmavskarma)*








yeah i feel the same way. i never read anything in the article about putting a turbo on it but it they called it Turbunnium so i just assumed that in the future it would be getting some type of boost...
.
_Quote, originally posted by *dogmavskarma* »_so is the rabbit getting a turbo? or am i missing something?


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## [email protected] (Aug 1, 2002)

*Re: (captain coordination)*

The name is a play on the New Beetle Turbonium; we had a really difficult time coming up with a name for this project. We didn't announce that the car is getting a turbo kit because nothing has been finalized, but after driving the VW/Neuspeed Thunder Bunny (which inspired this project) we'd really _like_ to get some boost. We can't say more than that at this point...


_Modified by [email protected] at 9:49 AM 7-5-2008_


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## Jettin2Class (Jun 26, 2002)

*Re: ([email protected])*

Hmmm...given that C2 makes a nice kit now, I would almost count on it.








I LOVE the sound of the MkV 2.5s with some exhaust work. If I could afford one right now I'd pick one up.


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## I know Laz (Apr 27, 2008)

*Re: (Jettin2Class)*

aerosmith..sweet emotion
"can't catch me cause the rabbit done died"
classic


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## kofe (Nov 15, 2007)

what are the wheels on the already modified car?


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## Parklife (Feb 23, 1999)

*Re: (kofe)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kofe* »_what are the wheels on the already modified car?

I believe they're Neuspeed RS10s.








They're used by VW as "street" wheels for the Thunder Bunny. When the car is on display, it has the set of custom-made wheels that VW originally designed for the show car:








The other show car that VW has running about, the R GTI, uses Neuspeed wheels as its runabout wheels, too. The one-off show wheels for the R GTI actually cost more each than our Rabbit does, so VW's not too keen on seeing them nicked or curbed.


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## 42green (Aug 4, 2001)

*Re: ([email protected])*

no d/s floormat in the rabbit? what's up with that???


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## abeaufils (Sep 1, 2005)

I love the modified Rabbit!! I want one with a similar exterior arrangement!
What has been done to it?
Is there a complete thread on that beauty?
Cant find it in the search.... HELP, I'm in need of knowing more about that sexy aggressive looking beast!
Its the THUNDER BUNNY!!! Man, Have I been enclosed in a closet all this time... What a beauty... 
I got my answer to my own question! Freaky! haha


_Modified by abeaufils at 12:00 AM 7-6-2008_


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## Parklife (Feb 23, 1999)

*Re: (firebrat)*


_Quote, originally posted by *firebrat* »_no d/s floormat in the rabbit? what's up with that???

The base Rabbit has power windows and locks, a CD player, A/C, and keyless entry - but floor mats are an extra-cost dealer option. Go figure.


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## kofe (Nov 15, 2007)

i would love to get my hands on those custom mades on the thunder bunny...damn vw..


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## mujjuman (Jul 29, 2004)

*Re: (kofe)*

im guessing they didnt mod it yet..... cuz if they did i think they should have said what the mods were and the power gains.


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## [email protected] (Aug 1, 2002)

*Re: (mujjuman)*

The car currently has only cosmetic and suspension modifications, which we didn't describe because this was simply an introduction. We'll have an update about the body modifications posted next week, before we leave for Waterfest.
There are some considerable power upgrades forthcoming, but we won't talk about anything here until it's actually installed on the car.


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## l3lacksheepsquad (Nov 21, 2007)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Turbunnium: Introduction ([email protected])*

Soooooo you bought a "new" car that was introduced in 2006 and wrote an article describing ancient pregnancy tests and a stock VW.
Cutting edge stuff. Maybe you should check out the MKV forums, I hear they've already started lowering these things and such...


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## [email protected] (Aug 1, 2002)

*Re: VWvortex Project Car Week: Project Turbunnium: Introduction (l3lacksheepsquad)*

All of our project car series have kicked off with what we call an "introduction," in which we describe the car (sometimes stock, as in this case, but not always), the goals for the project, and our inspiration. That's what we did here.








As we stated, yes, the car is a year old. When we bought it, we discussed its potential as a project car with VW staffers. The series didn't launch until now in part because I was still enjoying my first brand new car in stock form, and in part because VW said they'd like to provide us with upcoming accessories, which were later delayed in production. These parts were well worth the wait.
Believe it or not, Wes and I aren't exactly new around here, which could explain why a suspension upgrade was one of our first modifications.


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