Prepare To Be Befuddled By This Inline-Four Audi R8

The defining feature of any R8 - be it a V8 or a V10 version - is surely the engine. So, the idea of whipping out one of those many-cylindered works of art and slapping in a heavily turbocharged inline-four is just a bit wrong, isn’t it?

In the world of motorsport, not really. This fascinating hill climb car from a company called Dialynx Performance has been given a 2.0-litre engine transplant for class reasons, a move which has also helped the mid-engined Audi shed a load of weight - this one tips the scales at just 950kg.

It’s no ordinary four-banger sitting behind the cabin, either. It’s a hybrid of two VW Group engines of the past: an ALT 20-valve aluminium block married to a 16-valve ABF Mk3 Golf GTI cylinder head. The whole shebang is fed by a Garrett turbocharger running at 30PSI.

When brimmed with racing fuel, the engine - which sits on a custom rear subframe - develops 650bhp. It may not sound quite as nice as it did originally, but damn, does it make for one fast R8.