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Heavily Tuned Turbo VW Gol Engine Explodes on Dyno After Block Failure

We've always loved watching underdogs battle it out with the big boys and yet, when you drive a machine that belongs to the first category, danger always lurks. The latest example of this comes from the footage below, which shows a heavily tuned VW Gol, basically the definition of an underdog, exploding during a dyno run.
Turbo Volkswagen Gol Engine Block Explodes on the Dyno 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
Before moving any further with this rather painful story, we have to explain the Gol is one of those cars Volkswagen has developed for markets that favor price over quality, such as Brazil or Mexico.

However, car enthusiasts are driven by the same need to speed all over the world and this is how this modest hatchback ended up packing a seriously boosted setup.

Alas, the engine block failed while the Vee-Dub was being put through its paces on the dyno, with the mix having catastrophic consequences. To put things bluntly, the engine ceased serving internal purposes, with its combustion being spread across the dyno room. Oh, and the boiling-hot oil didn't help too much, either.

The incident took place last month, killing one of the fastest cars in Brazil. As you'll be able to see in the video below, this Gol was a stripped-out drag racer, the kind that delivers serious performance at the drag strip.

Fortunately, the owner was not hurt by the explosion, with the Gol's firewall serving its purpose well.

Given the fact that internals came flying out of the boosted four-pot, this guy has tons of reasons to be thankful for not being hit by shrapnel. The crankshaft was also expelled, in a move that seems more like a horror movie scene than a recording from the dyno room.

This should serve as a reminder that dyno runs should come with a serious set of safety rules, one that has to involve humans outside the driver's seat being far away from the contraption.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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