Drag racing has always been a cornerstone of Swedish car culture.
Over the decades, the sport has evolved from grassroots gatherings to a professional spectacle with highly organized competitions, such as the Top Fuel events at Tierp Arena and Meguiar’s Drag Festival at Mantorp Park. Recently, I decided to visit the latter and check out an event hosted by SWK, a popular Swedish automotive YouTuber.
If you’re unfamiliar with Mantorp Park, the circuit’s long main straight doubles as a quarter-mile for drag racing events.
This event wasn’t about Doorslammer or Top Fuel madness, but rather a showcase of street builds in a friendly competition. But when I say street builds, I mean serious ones. Ever heard of the Stockholm Open?
It’s been a hot minute since we featured a Swedish-built drag car. We know Scandinavians have a knack for making their Audis go sideways, but how about straight-line performance?
Robert Hellsing, the owner and builder of this 1993 Audi S2 Coupe, is well-versed in the art. With 35 years of experience, he’s no stranger to racing Audis down Mantorp Park’s quarter mile.
Robert picked up the S2 as a stock car in 2020 and got straight to work transforming it into the drag weapon you see today.
The first thing that grabs your attention is the aggressive carbon fiber wide-body kit. Inspired by Prior Design, Robert crafted the front and rear fender flares, front bumper and lip, rear bumper with custom diffuser, hood, trunk lid, and roof scoop that channels air to the radiator in the back via two large hoses. All told the custom body work took Robert six months to complete.
For wheels, 15×9-inch 32 Racing Speedstars feature up front, with Summit Racing Fast Fives in 15×10-inch used at the rear. Robert has wrapped these in 26-inch-tall Hoosier drag slicks on all four corners.
The suspension features KW Variant 3 coilovers with Verkline adjustable top plates. The front brake calipers and disc are from Strange Engineering, while the rear end is OEM – plus an RJS Sportsman parachute.
By now I’m sure you’ve seen the two hood outlets and are probably wondering what resides beneath…
Behold, the fully-built Audi 2.4L 5-cylinder engine based on a billet block. Gorter Racing in the Netherlands pieced together the motor with Wiseco forged pistons, FCP forged connecting rods, and a billet crankshaft. The cylinder head was CNC-ported for optimal flow.
The crowning glory – and real power-making piece of the puzzle – is a Precision 7675 Gen 2 turbocharger. How much power exactly? At 4.2 bar (60.9psi) of boost pressure, the setup produces a staggering 1,044whp and 1,035Nm, delivered to all four wheels via a DragPower 6-speed sequential transmission.
Alongside the previously-mentioned radiator, the trunk is home to an EWP 150 electric water pump, a 4-gallon Peterson dry sump tank, and three AEM 400LPH fuel pumps mounted with a billet bracket beneath the 8-liter PPF fuel tank. Big power equals big thirst.
Inside the Audi, you’ll find a world of steel, wires, and safety equipment.
Opening one of the Kevlar/fiberglass doors reveals aluminum Kirkey drag racing seats on custom mounts, paired with Simpson 6-point harnesses. The gear lever, crafted by DragPower, includes a micro switch for gear cuts, but the transmission can also be operated via paddle shifters behind the Nardi steering wheel can also be used. All critical data is displayed via a FuelTech 550 ECU.
We’ve featured some wild Scandinavian Audis on Speedhunters over the years, and Robert’s creation ranks right up there. His fastest quarter mile ET to date is 9.19 seconds at 256km/h (159mph), set at Mantorp Park in 2023. But that pass was made with “just” 3.4 bar (49.3psi) of boost dialed in, so there is still room for improvement. Watch this space.
Alen Haseta
Instagram: hazetaa
Robert Hellsing’s 1993 Audi S2 Coupe
Chassis: FIA-approved drag racing roll cage, tagged to 8.50
Engine: 2.4-litre 5-cylinder Gorter Racing Billet block with water jackets, Gorter Racing billet crank, Gorter Racing Billet intake with double fuel rails, FCP connecting rods, Wiseco pistons with HD bolts, oversized bearing frame/crank for bigger play, CNC-ported cylinder head, oversized valves 0.5+, Catcams cams, mechanical pushers from SuperTech, Gorter Racing Billet valve cover, Tommi’s cam drive, FCP reinforced cam belt, 84mm Bosch throttle body, PPF stainless steel manifold, TiAL 60mm wastegate, Nuke Performance 50mm dump valve, Precision Turbo 7675 Gen 2 ball-bearing turbocharger, BMC double cone 100mm air filter, 875cc & 1,400cc injectors PPF quick clamps on pressure pipes, DW fuel pressure regulator, 13-row Setrab oil cooler, 2x Mac valves, Autobahn intercooler, Gorter Racing dry sump, Peterson dry sump tank, EWP150 electric water pump, 3x AEM 400 fuel pumps on custom-made billet bracket, PPF 8-litre fuel tank, Opel Corsa electric servo, Fueltech 550 ECU
Drivetrain: Audi 01E transmission rebuilt into a 6-speed sequential by DragPower, DLI Teknik flywheel, Sachs double-sided 200mm clutch with Tilton tread bearing
Suspension & Brakes: KW Variant 3 coilovers with Verkline top bearings, RG Custom bridges, SPQ tube arms, Strange brake calipers and discs (front) original brakes in the rear
Wheels And Tires: 32 Racing Speedstar 15×8-inch +25 wheels (front), Summit Racing Fast Five 10×15-inch -25 wheels (rear), Hoosier slicks, 26-8/15 (front), 26-10/15 (rear)
Exterior: Prior Design-inspired wide-body kit in carbon fiber, custom carbon fiber front lip, custom carbon fiber rear diffuser, custom carbon fiber side skirts, custom carbon fiber hood, custom carbon fiber trunk door, custom carbon fiber rood scoop, Coolwheels Kevlar/fiberglass doors
Interior: Kirkey aluminum drag racing seats, custom seat rails, Simpson 6-point racing harnesses, DragPower gear shifter with custom integrated microswitch in the knob for gear cuts, custom made firewall by Carmod, Nardi steering wheel, OBP pedals, OBP hydraulic handbrake
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