Sidewinder Jetta

When the Robert Bosch Corporation came to Banks and asked if Gale could inject some excitement into the pedestrian VW Jetta TDi, the Sidewinder Jetta was born. Banks started by adapting its tried-and-true in-house developed tuner technology. Then merged it with the Banks iQ touchscreen interface. The team created a custom cold air intake and exhaust system. Finishing it all off with a special wheel and suspension package. When Banks was finished the first “Sidewinder Jetta” emerged.

Powerful, grippy like it has Velcro tires, and frugal with fuel are not things used to describe this car. But it’s a recipe Banks has used for decades. It was quickly adopted by the Bosch demonstration fleet where it became a favorite of journalists and engineers alike.

Banks built a version of the Sidewinder Jetta for its own fleet, this time with a wagon, where it served as a test bed for upcoming diesel technology and electronic systems.