What is a “sleeping car”? Is it a car for sleeping? You can’t fall asleep in these cars

Some car enthusiasts have had this experience: at a traffic light or in traffic, a seemingly ordinary car suddenly shows amazing maneuverability and acceleration. You might think it is only equipped with a small-displacement engine, or even as old as yours. But the truth may be completely different.

This phenomenon existed long before the birth of the car, and the old proverb “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” describes it all. In the modern automotive world, this type of car is called a “sleeper”. The design concept of a sleeper car is to keep the appearance as low-key and inconspicuous as possible, but in terms of technical configuration, it can often surpass many supercars. Sleepers include not only mass-produced models, but also works from small modification studios, and even some car owners will build them by hand in their garages. Today, we will focus on the wonderful case of a German modification studio.

Early modding pioneer: Günter Artz

In the early 1970s, Genet Artz was the general manager of a large Volkswagen dealership in Hannover. He was known for his passionate car hobby and excellent communication skills. It is precisely with these abilities that Artz successfully opened his own modification studio – “Artz”, focusing on the tuning and upgrading of Volkswagen, Opel and Porsche series models.

At that time, Germany’s car modification regulations were very strict. Any form of modification could cause trouble, and even replacing the rearview mirror could lead to legal risks. However, Artz successfully promoted several bold modification projects in his own way.

Bold modification attempts

Artz’s first project was to install a Chevrolet Corvair’s flat-six engine into a Volkswagen Karmann-Ghia Typ 34. This “donation” was not surprising, as the two models were similar in structure, both were rear-engine coupes. However, the Chevrolet engine provided 95 horsepower, while the original Karmann-Ghia engine only had 65 horsepower. The next project was even more amazing, and a normal family station wagon was replaced with a Porsche 911 engine.

Volkswagen Beetle Artz

In the next modification project, Artz combined parts from three different models to create a Volkswagen Beetle with ordinary appearance but extraordinary performance. The car uses the chassis of the Porsche 914 and the 210-horsepower engine of the Porsche 911, but the appearance has hardly changed. The only difference is its significantly lowered body height. Despite its ordinary appearance, the performance of this “sleeping car” is extremely outstanding: 0-100 km/h acceleration takes only 7.3 seconds and the maximum speed can reach 220 km/h.

Sciwago and more modifications

Artz’s modification hobby is not limited to sedans. He also has a special love for station wagons and has converted coupes and hatchbacks into station wagons many times. In 1979, he launched the “Sciwago” – a modified station wagon based on the Volkswagen Scirocco. Later, Artz converted the Porsche 928 into a station wagon version.

A series of creative works

In 1981, Artz Studio launched a number of new works, including a station wagon based on the Audi 200. This car originally did not have a station wagon version. Artz greatly improved the performance of this car by combining the rear of the Volkswagen Passat Variant with the front of the Audi 200 and equipped it with the Audi Quattro four-wheel drive system. The modified Audi 200 station wagon has a maximum speed of 200 km/h and an acceleration time of 0-100 km of 8.5 seconds.

In the same year, Artz also converted the Audi Quattro into a three-compartment station wagon (Audi Quattro Kombi), and further launched the unique Audi Quattro Limousine. This car cleverly combines the body parts of the Audi Quattro and Audi 80, and finally presents a luxury model that is no less than the original design.

The legend of Porsche and Audi

One of the most famous works of the Artz studio is the Porsche 924 Turbo Kombi, a station wagon based on the Porsche 924 Turbo. Only about 20 were produced, and today these cars are extremely valuable in the car collection world. In addition, Artz also modified the Porsche 928 and launched two Porsche 928 station wagons, one of which was involved in an accident shortly after it was sold, and the other is still kept and used by Artz himself.

The ultimate “sleeping car”: Cordette

In 1989, Artz created the most “sleeping car” model – Cordette. The basis of this car is the body of Opel Kadett and the power system of Chevrolet Corvette C4, equipped with a 5.7-liter V8 engine with a power of up to 300 horsepower. The acceleration performance of the car is amazing, 0-100 km/h in only 6.5 seconds, and the maximum speed can reach 250 km/h.

Conclusion

With the gradual popularization of modification culture, Artz’s studio began to withdraw from this creative and challenging field. Although the “Artz” studio still exists today, it no longer carries out such complex and groundbreaking modification projects. We can only admire these classic “sleeping car” works today, or dispute their bold design concepts. In any case, these unique modified vehicles still represent a legend in car culture.