---
title: "Fall in Love With This Volkswagen Super Beetle With a 377-HP Subaru Boxer Engine"
description: "Lighter than a Miata and with almost 400 horsepower—is this the ultimate answer when fun calls?"
date: "2019-03-20"
modified: "2019-03-20"
authors:
  - name: "Rob Stumpf"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/rob-stumpf"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/27036/fall-in-love-with-this-volkswagen-super-beetle-with-a-377-hp-subaru-boxer-engine"
categories:
  - "Builds"
  - "Culture"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Volkswagen News"
tags:
  - "Engine Swap"
  - "Subaru"
  - "Volkswagen Beetle"
  - "Watch This"
---

# Fall in Love With This Volkswagen Super Beetle With a 377-HP Subaru Boxer Engine

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2019/03/20190319-Super-Beetle.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Meet the super-est of Super Beetles, a 10-year-long project in the making: the [Speedhunters-inspired](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/14739/speedhunters-larry-chen-shows-us-around-his-orange-bang-datsun-240z>) VW Bug is likely a creation that you've never had the pleasure of seeing cruise to a local meet.

As both a Subaru and Volkswagen fan, Super Beetle owner, Adonis felt a natural obsession to mate the two platforms together. Specifically, the Beetle reminded him of summer days riding in the back of his uncle's [bug at the beach](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/26760/volkswagen-i-d-buggy-electric-off-roader-revealed-ahead-of-geneva-motor-show>), something which sparked his love for the car and convinced him to one day purchase his own.

But, the old Volkswagen was far from peppy, so one day Adonis' friend took him for a ride in his own [boxer-powered](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/25536/this-vw-type-2-pickup-is-powered-by-a-twin-turbo-subaru-flat-six>) Beetle, and it was right then and there that his modding obsession began.

Adonis procured a 2.0-liter EJ20 in some fashion (whether pulling it from an old Subaru or purchasing new from the factory) and got to work. An off-the-shelf T3/T4 turbocharger was strapped to the motor and fed with supporting fuel mods. In fact, the flow rate of the 1,000cc injectors nearly matched the volume of the original air-cooled 1,200cc engine that was found in the beetle from the factory. A ported intake and exhaust helped to force in additional air, creating a total power output of 281 kilowatts, or 377 horsepower.

https://youtube.com/embed/kWNp7ngKSIk

But it didn't stop at just power, Adonis had almost eclipsed the stock power output of the beetle by a factor of 10; so the build had to be sturdy. A roll cage was installed along with a completely overhauled suspension that featured custom coilovers and polyurethane bushing on all corners. Stopping power was added with the addition of oversized BMW brakes on the front and Volkswagen brakes on the rear, plus a hydraulic handbrake.

To bring the build together, the car was styled after the Speedhunters Beetle that Adonis had found many years prior. Custom widened BBS wheels complemented the bug's wide hips and a large, downforce-generating spoiler adorns the rear.

While I can't help but love this, I feel the need to know more about the car. There are so many small odds and ends which could pique my interest for days, and after watching this video, I'm certain that you'll feel the same.

## Author
After putting down the camera and leaving the tuner car scene behind, Rob has been covering the automotive world since early 2017. Rob’s blend of technology and automotive backgrounds coupled with his industry insight give a unique perspective of what the future of mobility holds.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/allthingslow/>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/RobDrivesCars>)