V2-006 went out this week, headed to a builder in Florida. This is the Crystal Grey chassis we posted about when it came back from powder coat, a T-Top with standard door bars and the main hoop X-brace. We only got the one photo of it before the trailer doors closed.

The First Audi Donor

V2-006 belongs to aaronc7 on the forum, and he's doing something different. He's not using a Golf. He's building his Goblin V2 with a 2015 Audi A3 FWD 1.8T.

The A3 is built on the same MQB platform as the Mk7 Golf and it runs the same 1.8T engine you'd find in a base Golf, so a lot of what makes the Golf work as a donor should carry over. What's different is the transmission. The 1.8T Golf never came with a DSG in the US, so if you wanted the dual clutch you had to go find a GTI. The A3 came with one from the factory, and Aaron's has the DQ250 six speed mated to it.

That's the appeal. He gets the DSG without having to buy a GTI donor to do it.

We should be clear that we haven't run an A3 through a build ourselves, so the Mk7 Golf 1.8T and GTI are still the only donors we can say are a direct fit. Aaron knows that going in, and he's the one who's going to find out where the differences are. If it works out the way it looks like it should on paper, that's another donor option for anyone who's been struggling to find a Golf at a price that makes sense.

Following Along

Aaron is documenting the whole build in his build log on the forum. He'll be posting as he goes, so if you want to see how an A3 donor actually works out, that's where you'll find out first.