WHY NOT?

Let’s play a little word association game. We’ll tell you a word and you have to quickly say another that has some sort of connection to it. No, it doesn’t matter if you’re reading this on the bus and other commuters will shoot you funny looks. Ok, let’s start. Chewbacca… Tornado…Fender. If your word associated with the latter happened to be the R32 on these pages, then we’re here to help you look beyond those Berg Cup inspired protuberances to realize this MK4 is far more than meets the metal.

Ryan Maretsky, a 32-year-old clean room manufacturer hailing from the eastern end of Long Island, has owned the R32 you see here for a decade. “The first car I purchased with the intent to build was a 2004 GTI,” says Ryan. “I knew what I wanted, and the general look it would take.” With six months invested, a friend of his father mentioned they were planning to sell their R32. “Knowing what the car was, I immediately called him back and told him I would buy it. I put the GTI up for sale right then, stripped it of all its work, and went to pick up the R.”

Ryan’s automotive history is somewhat short yet sweet, with his first set of wheels being a 1964 Mustang which was replaced with a more practical Toyota 4Runner for college duties. “My grandfather consistently drove off brands like Renault and Citroen when I was growing up,” Ryan tells us. “Plus, my father had a vehicle customization shop, so I’ve been into cars as long as I can remember, but have always had a particular liking for Volkswagens.” We’re glad he does. Enter the R32.

We’re in an odd time right now where values of nearly everything are rising to levels that don’t make much sense. The term ‘survivor’ seems to have become synonymous with an instant premium on the bottom line, regardless of humble origins. Oh your grandmum has a taxi-spec 1.8 MK3 Golf with only 60k on it, but threadbare bolsters because she enjoyed Cornish pasties a bit too much? Yeah, that will be 10 grand, mate. You’re not going to find another like it. Sure. So while it may cause pain to some followers of the Cult of It’s Only Original Once, we are willing to bet most of our readership isn’t the type to wince at a hacked up halo. “To clarify, at no point do I regret anything I’ve done to or

When Ryan Maretsky confessed ‘Why not?’ was the motto behind his car, that explained quite a lot to us. Looking at the photos on these pages, we’re sure you’re probably getting that similar vibe, too…

Words: Bryan McCarthy Photos: Mike Burns & Ryan McKeon

with this car.” The man hath spoken.

There isn’t enough space in this magazine to exhaustively recount the previous editions of Ryan’s R, but we’re going to briefly walk you down the winding path that leads to present day. By his own estimation, he’s completed nearly 95% of the work on his own. “I’ve had the car ten years now,” says Ryan, “and have changed it 7-8 times. I always enjoyed the car looking OEM+, but after taking it to X amount of events, I wanted something that didn’t follow many of the common Volkswagen paths.”

For those familiar with the R’s progression, please feel free to hit the Skip Intro button. He enjoyed the way it came from the factory for approximately one month before fitting air ride, ditching the Aristos, and canning the back seat. Basic bolt-ons and minor aesthetic mods were periodically fitted over the course of the following few years. In 2014, the exterior lost the rear hatch handle, the emblems, bumper lights and other unnecessary body bits. Two years later, a set of BBS RS entered Ryan’s life that would change the R’s trajectory from mild to wild.

“In order to have the right style faces that fit with the R’s big brakes, with the correct disc size and PCD, I took a local set from a Subaru. They were the right wheels once rebuilt, but the offset put them sitting way outside the fenders. After test fitting the wheels to see that the faces were what I wanted, I got to thinking about a different path. Why make the wheels fit the car, when I could make the car fit the wheels?” And so it began.

Over the next two years, Ryan did enough personal R&D until he landed on the right style of overfenders and making them properly fit. He nonchalantly mentions menial things being addressed, such as some interior modifications and the air setup. But wasn’t until 2018 when the transformation to what you see here began.

“In summer of 2018 I decided to do some incredibly wide rears, the wing, and the shaved bay,” Ryan casually recalls. For many enthusiasts, one large project, be it bodywork or the like, is enough to separate the serial modifier from the Pep Boys accessory aisle crowd.

That shaved bay wasn’t as curious as it stands today. Sure, there are pieces that remain similar, such as the ruby red valve

cover and beige-coated bits. But top and center, devoid of any intake manifold and commanding every ounce of your attention, sits a pair of turbos.

“The fun current trend is the mirror image twin turbos that you see on LS swaps and other V8s. The V8 is obviously more conducive to the mirror image design, being an exhaust manifold comes up on each side, but I decided if I was going to do this much work, I was certainly not going to hide it between the motor and the firewall. It would be on full display. It didn’t hurt that my motto for this entire car is ‘why not?’”

The rest of the bay is easily as impressive, with nothing escaping Ryan’s detailed presentation. Hard lines are used everywhere and the colour coordination would make the Power Rangers proud. “All [the lines were] made specifically for each application by hand,” says Ryan. “I cut, bent and flared every single line for the entire vehicle.” The strut towers were also smoothed over, the tops presenting a very unusual lack of strut top mounts. “I have my fitment and wheel alignment finely tuned, so it’s usually not a worry to have it covered,” Ryan informs us. “I have the strut damping and adjustable camber under there, so if I need to adjust I have to drop the top plate down, make my basic adjustments and then refit it. I have camber adjust on the lower control arms as well so I can fine tune. I enjoy the smooth look more than I mind having to do extra work for an alignment.”

You could spend half a day inspecting the engine bay and still not see it all, like visiting a museum on a class trip. “It was the definition of 10 pounds of potatoes in a five pound sack,” jokes Ryan. “The amount of planning and meticulous placement of parts, not only to ensure nothing interfered, but to simultaneously keep the shaved bay look, was to me, a triumph in itself. I specifically need to thank Jamie and Adam from Fabwerkz for all their help with the turbo setup, tuning, and time spent troubleshooting with me.”

Peer through the bay and you’ll see the lower suspension pieces and brake components have also been powder coated the same Edgewood Beige. “Kris and Kacper at KK Finishing Co powder coated every single part on this car that wasn’t a painted piece. They literally coated several thousand items, parts, beauty washers, you name it.” Take a look under the TCR-inspired chopped rear bumper and you’ll see the same level of detail for the rear undercarriage as well. Not one stone was left unturned. This is the real deal.

Working your way around the exterior, setting aside the flares and the wheels for future examination, you’ll find an otherwise standard looking R32 in that Ryan’s left the taillights, side skirts and door handles alone. The DTM-esque door mirrors are BRAND and the rear and side windows have been replaced with polycarbonate pieces featuring little sliders for drive through access. The elephant in the feature hanging off the hatch is more than just a talking piece. “I built linear

actuators onto the rear wing,” says Ryan, donning his fanciest engineer cap. “They’re connected to a brain unit which I programmed using a gyroscope and an accelerometer, so as the car speeds up or brakes, the wing moves to adjust for better downforce or braking assistance.” While it hasn’t seen track time yet, Lime Rock Park isn’t too far and he’s not afraid of using it.

And with anyone that’s been on track before, the road racing version of “break a leg” is usually to keep the shiny side up. Have you noticed the intricacies of Ryan’s roof? This man left no canvas blank on his way to artistic perfection.

“I’ve always enjoyed lowriders and hoppers,” admits Ryan. “A lot of those guys do intricate paint designs and I enjoy the way that breaks up the main colour on a car.” By taking advantage of the roof’s real estate, the sea of solid red is tamed without the need for added graphics, stripes or a wrap. “We used old school method of lace table cloth to do my roof,” continues Ryan. “The paisley design is left behind after you lay a table cloth or sheet out and ghost paint into the open areas. When you strip it back and gloss it, you’re left with the transverse design of whatever was on your cloth. I actually bought the tablecloth the first year I had the car, it just took me 10 years to get around to it.”

Back to those wheels. The D-lng Designs turbo fans add a bit of flare to the fronts, while the rears are the beneficiaries of 7” lips. SEVEN. But one simply doesn’t just bolt a fifteen inch wide wheel to the hub and call it a day. Prior to the added width, Ryan relied on Clinched overfenders to cast a shadow over the poking tire. And if you think bolt-on means just that, think again. “They fit terribly when I got them,” says Ryan. “They’re actually my third different set of Clinched overfenders. They have several styles in their lineup, as I’ve changed wheel widths and ideas, I’ve changed over from one model to the next. They need

Available 24/7 TABLET • MOBILE

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ENGINE: 3.2-litre 24v VR6 with 8.5:1 compression head gasket spacer, ARP head studs, intake and exhaust port and polish, three-angle valve job, back cut intake valves, VW block and crank, 264/260 camshafts, Supertech hd valve springs, lightweight Ti retainers and seat locators, mechanical tensioner, new timing components, forged pistons, forged rods, hd main bearings, sp lightweight pulleys, OEM VW MLS head gasket, ARP main studs, custom 3” intercooler with 90-degree end tanks , 80mm throttle body conversion, custom fl oating motor mod with Mk3/Mk2 style mounts (solid mounts), solid rear diff mounts, lvlk5 hardened axles. Coolant feed/return hardline -an stainless steel, hardline -an oil feed & drain, 25row oil cooler with shroud & fans, thermostatic oil plate, custom brake booster delete, custom fl uid reservoir, Mishimoto radiator with custom shroud and front side push fans, two Garrett turbos, Tial wastegates, Tial blow off valve, Velocity stacks for turbos, short runner intake manifold, 1200cc injectors, custom charge piping, twin hood exit exhausts and wastegate dumps, Ignition Projects coil packs, custom power steering reservoir, in tank fuel pump dw65, dual inline fuel fi lters, Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator, high fl ow fuel rail, surge tank, AEM 400lph, shortened and baffl ed oil pan, solid steering rack mounts, solid billet shifter end links, solid shifter mounts, Emu black custom tuned ECU, launch control, lambda add on, LSD trans and rear diff, ARP hardware for gears, 4th gear support, new bearings, solid steel shifter forks, Clutch Masters FX500, Mk3 coolant fl ange, Mk5 R32 valve cover, WOT & 2 step rev limiter, Vacuum distribution block, custom dipstick pull, custom power steering lines, Snow Performance water/meth with custom reservoir, direct port nitrous system, all lines converted to aluminium with -an fi ttings (no more rubber or soft hoses), all new allen head bolts/beauty washers and arp hardware CHASSIS: 13x18” and 15x18” BBS RS wheels with custom outer lips, powdercoated barrels and faces, spiked bolts, custom centre caps, custom front functional turbo fans, Toyo Proxes R888R 335/18 tyres and tyre stickers. Wide over fender setup. Air Lift Performance bags and V2 air suspension setup, Brembo calipers with large discs, front tubular control arms. Fully painted/ powder-coated engine and components, transmission, rear differential, all suspension parts, trailing arms, tie rods, control arms, brake calipers and parts, driveshafts, shifter box, subframe, rear diff cradle, axles. Hardline brake lines with -an, ABS brain relocated. Adjustable rear control arms upper and lower, custom rear roll bar mounts, uprated roll bar. All new bushing bearings, hubs, shocks, ball joints, tie rods, brake parts, etc. All bolts replaced with allen head/ beauty washers and arp hardware EXTERIOR: Blasted to bare metal, full respray in original tornado red, bottom of car undercoated, shaved windshield wipers, custom rain tray cowl, Votex rear hatch spoiler, fully shaved engine bay, shock tower covers, custom paisley lace roof paint, full plexi window set, window lift mechanisms removed, Nuke air jack setup (jacks frenched into shaved fl oor), custom front lip and skirt extensions, custom trimmed rear bumper, custom active aero rear spoiler, underglow, rear license plate rain light, single reverse light, led taillights, VW/Hella projector headlights, custom ¼ hood with shaved notch, nos FK badgeless grille, Mattig cup mirrors, all bumper/marker lights deleted, rear hatch handle and emblem deleted, hood hinges deleted, side rub strips deleted, hella air horn, front and rear custom centre jack points. All bolts replaced with allen head/beauty washers and arp hardware INTERIOR: KM (no MPH reading) Mk4 R32 gauge cluster, custom dccd gauge cluster centre screen, shaved front fl oor, shaved driveshaft tunnel, shaved trunk fl oor, interior blasted to bare metal, full respray in Tornado Red, custom iPad dash mount with Bluetooth connect to ECU for engine status readouts, HVAC controls deleted, radio moved to HVAC control space below iPad, full Alcantara headliner, Alcantara pillars/door cards/rear fl oor, all plastic parts fl ocked black, twin turbo door sill plates from 911 Porsche, powder-coated Kirkey sprint car seats with custom seat mounts, powder-coated KDN shift tower, custom OBP handbrake, Momo Alcantara steering wheel with quick release, sun visors/grab handles/interior lights deleted, smart rearview mirror utilising rear camera, HPA Haldex touch-motion screen, air vents deleted, custom gauge pods and button pad in vent delete panels, interior led lighting, six-point powder-coated rollcage, rear X-bar, removable subwoofer box, custom audio setup, powder-coated fi vegallon air setup with dual painted Viair 444c, two powder-coated NOS tanks with custom brackets and mounts, powder-coated pedals with custom accelerator heel extension, OMP powder-coated fl oor plates and custom foot braces, Crow fi ve-point 3” racing harnesses, custom fi re extinguisher mount, custom door pulls, custom Air Lift controller door mount, all hardware changed to allen head bolts and beauty washers SHOUT: Litos Customs, KK Finishing Co, Zealous Mfg and DLNG Designs

“Most of the things I did on this car were to draw attention”

to be trimmed cut widened, etc, but that’s not a big deal to me. I love the way they look.” Oh, and if Toyo made a tyre wider than 335mm for an 18” wheel, those hoops would find their way out back. Meaty.

There is one last thing to mention about the exterior, in case you haven’t been exposed to enough. The conventional floor jack was sent to the freecycle group and replaced with Nuke air jacks. That’s right, historic Le Mans technology has finally trickled down to the humble MK4 platform. “When [they] came out with their new style of air jack, which could run off my in-car air system, I knew this was the time. It was a significant amount of effort to plan them into the car, French them into the front floor, and set them to balance and actually lift the car. But to be able to pull a valve and have the car jump up makes it all worth it.” Talk about taking all the parking lot GTG points.

Open the driver’s door and you’re greeted by a fire extinguisher. It’s that doesn’t signal this guy means business, then immediately close the door and move on. There is a familiar shade of that Edgewood beige that covers the roll cage, the metal floor mats, and even the R32 pedal pads, something I’ve personally never seen before. The seats are another thing altogether.

“You want to know something?” Ryan queries us. “Of everything I’ve done on this car, all the things to love or hate on, all the radical modifications, the 'amazing details' or the 'ruining of such a pure car', the 'twin turbo comments', it's the 'where did you get

W W W . A U T O F I N E S S E . C O M

that wing?', that's the number one question I'm asked! ‘How un/comfortable are those seats?’” Ryan tossed us an invite to test them out next time we’re in the same vicinity. “They’re Kirkey aluminum seats for dirt oval racing. After spending years at the track, I always had a love for these seats. They’re like a mix between a professional race seat and an all metal low bomber seat. And, in keeping with the fashion of this build, I’d never seen them in another car so…”

If you’re able to look beyond the bum holders, you’ll start to notice the anodized red highlights peeking out here and there. The washers, seat frames, shifter and e-brake handle, it all flows. This is not accidental. The HVAC system was deemed unnecessary so the vents were sealed. There are 3D printed R logos in the ones on top of the dash, and there is a multitude of gauges and buttons intentionally placed where the other vents once resided. Look down and the striking lack of carpeting will catch your glance. “The interior floor was completely shaved along with the driveline tunnel,” says Ryan. Out back, two hefty NOS bottles are on display flanking the air tank. They’re plumbed in and fully functional, too, providing a respective 50 and 100 shot of the laughing gas when the button on the dash is prodded. It would be borderline offensive to use the car crash analogy to describe Ryan’s R, but the more you stare, the harder it is to look away. It’s a project, that after so many reincarnations, is put together that well. “Most of the things I did on this car were to draw attention,” Ryan affirms, “to make them think about how I did it, why it was done that way, or just to make them say wow. I enjoyed building this car, hiding small details and important parts, just as much as I enjoy everyone who will really look, study and get into the build.”

The ultimate version was set to be completed in just under a year’s time. “I wanted to have it ready for the following 2020 season. Add exactly two years to that original estimate, plans change, life moves, things happen, but three years later, almost to the day, I finished the car to my standards around 2 a.m., packed up, drove to L’oe show in PA and reintroduced the car to the community for the final time.”

So will this truly be the way Ryan’s R lives out its days? And will it remain in his care or put on sale like yesterday’s milk? “The R will most likely stay with me for a long time,” muses Ryan. “It’s been such an extensive project that I am very invested in. I don’t see any need to move on the car, so it will just be used and enjoyed as is. This was the final change for this car and it’s everything I hoped it could be. I have a bunch of other projects to move onto. I’m looking forward to actually working on something else rather than this car again for the hundredth time!”

Why not, right? Because he can n

INTRODUCING

WESTERNMASS WATERWORKS CLOCKS

Covid was a pretty rough period for most of us, but there were some positives to come out of it, too. For old-skool VW fan, Nick Kramarczyk (whose own Mk2 Golf was featured back in PVW 4/00), having just fi nished building his wife’s Mk2 Golf, he began messing around with wood working to amuse himself during those long periods at home and then came up with the great idea of converting old Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 Golf tachos and speedometers into working clocks for your home. “I was really bored and had seen something similar to these on Instagram a while back and kind of wanted to take that idea to another level,” Nick told us.

“I’ve been making all sorts of things over the past couple years, but the clocks seem to be the most popular. I started by making a few to be sold at various Foundation Blue auctions, then just kept going. I even made one out of a coupe Quattro gauge face.”

We’ve not actually seen these clocks in the fl esh, but if they’re as good as they look in the photos then they sound like a snip starting at just $120. Prices naturally can increase depending on the wood used and specifi cation of the clocks you wish to use, but if you can’t quite stretch to the clocks, then Nick also offers a range of other cool stuff including these amazing gear knobs (below, right), which start at just $70. PRICE: From $120.00 CONTACT: @westernmasswaterworks

FROM $120.00

WHAT'SNEW

JETTA GLI PERFORMANCE CONCEPT

Volkswagen of America recently revealed its Jetta GLI Performance concept at the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Created by its Design Centre in California, the concept was built on a 2022 Jetta GLI Autobahn with six-speed manual, the GLI Performance concept features front and rear fenders that are 0.8 inches wider than stock, all with backside vents. The motorsportinspired fl ares are tied together at the profi le through larger profi le side skirts. A custom front bumper boasts upsized grille intakes, while the rear bodywork sports updated grille inserts and a muscular lower valance that frames the car’s twin-exit sport exhaust. A custom hexagonthemed matte black vinyl wrap transitions to the car’s factory shade of Kings Red Metallic paint. RacingLine added its IS38 turbo-based performance package with an R600 Carbon Fibre Cold-Air Intake and Performance Intercooler deliver the necessary fl ow of cool air, while an oil management kit and oil cooler aid with thermal management of the motor’s oil.

To counter the 350 horsepower and 372 pound-feet of torque the car features a RacingLine Stage 3+ six-pot big brake kit with carbon-ceramic discs and TrackSport coilover suspension kit. Wrapping the concept is a set of forged GRZ 20” Rotiform wheels, with Aerodisc covers, plus pair of Recaro Pole Position ABE seats trimmed in a custom Texagon themed material. PRICE: More than you can afford, pal! CONTACT: www.volkswagen.com

UNITRONIC 2.0 TSI EA888 EVO4 SOFTWARE

Well, the wait is fi nally over as a number of tuner’s release software for the EVO4 2.0TSI engine. The fi rst to drop into out inbox is from Unitronic who have released Performance ECU and TCU Software for the Mk8 GTI, R and 8Y S3 equipped with the 2.0TSI EVO4 engine and DQ381.2 seven-speed gearbox. With testing and validations completed, power outputs on the Mk8 Golf R and 8Y S3 are increased by up to 109hp (+100lb/ft) with Unitronic Stage 1+ 93octane/98ron Performance Software for a maximum of 446hp (410lb/ft). Currently Stage 1 software will cost you $650.00, but check out the website below for more details. PRICE: $650.00 CONTACT: www.getunitronic.com KW is pleased to announce the release of its K3 coilovers for the all-new T7 Multivan in front-wheel drive offering. The Variant 3 coilover is three-way adjustable and can reduce the vehicle’s ride height by up to 55mm. If you want to lower your van without compromise and still retain a factory feel and ride, then we can’t think of many better ways. Priced at £2450.00 the suspension kit will with the T7 Multivan without DCC and excluding the Plug-inHybrid. For more details head over to www.kwsuspensions.net PRICE: £2450.00 CONTACT: www.kwsuspensions.net

Whilst we all dream of driving around in an immaculately clean car, sometimes life just gets in the way, or the costs to get the professionals in are too prohibitive. Written to enable us all to reconnect with the pleasure and pride that comes from a car that looks like it’s just driven off the sales forecourt, Driveway Detailing Warrior fi nds the author generously sharing his top ten money saving, technically accurate and inspirational detailing projects, along with sage advice and entertaining anecdotes that will put a smile on the face of every petrolhead. Informative, entertaining and with its contents even more pertinent as we lurch further into this cost of living crisis, Driveway Detailing Warrior is a stand out read and makes the perfect Christmas gift for the car proud man or woman in your life. Priced at £5.99 in Kindle format, £15.99 for paperback or £27.99 for hardback, what’s not to like? PRICE: From £5.99 CONTACT: www.amazon.com

DRIVEWAY DETAILING WARRIOR KW VARIANT 3 T7 COILOVERS

Got a product, service or offer you want our readers to know about? Email: pvw.ed@kelsey.co.uk with all the details and we’ll make it happen

BC RACING VW ARTEON COILOVERS GDF SYNCRO Mk1 BILLET BEAM BRACKETS

BC Racing has just released its BR-RS Series coilovers for VW’s Arteon Shooting Brake 3H7. The BR-RS series coilover kits are supplied with aluminium camber adjustable front top mounts with rubber centres and aluminium rear top mounts with rubber centres or no rear top mounts. They feature inverted monotube damper bodies, 30-way adjustable damping, adjustable spring platforms, height adjustment via the bottom mount to retain full damper travel, bearing mounted upper front spring platform and a dust boot to protect damper seals. All this for just £999.00. What are you waiting for? PRICE: £999.00 CONTACT: www.bcracing.co.uk

RACINGLINE AUDI B9 CATCH CAN SYSTEM

RacingLine has just announced its Oil Catch Can System for the Audi S4, S5, SQ5 B9 running the 3.0 TFSI V6T (EA839) engine. It’s almost too good to hide away in the engine bay! The system features a complete PCV replacement block feeding vapours to an internally-baffl ed can. Keep your intercooler and inlet tracts free from oil build-up and provide clean airfl ow through to the inlet manifold. The new PCV block also incorporates a beautiful billet oil fi ller cap – not only pleasing to use, but ensures no more oil 'weeping' from the factory plastic cap. The Catch Can itself is constructed from extruded aerospace-grade 6061 aluminium, then CNC machined before being coated in a unique ‘Liquid Titanium’ anodised fi nish. For more details head to the website below. PRICE: £779.99 CONTACT: www.racingline.shop Our old mucker Gary French at GDF Steelworks (we’re guessing his middle name is Dave) just sent us details of his latest product. Yes, you guessed it. These anodised billet aluminium adapter brakes are designed to directly bolt to a Mk1 Golf platform and allow for easy fi tment of a Mk2/3 Synchro rear beam. Priced at £636.00 the kit includes mounting brackets, straps, bush bolts and strap bolts (bushes sold separately). Please note additional mounting hole will require extra reinforcement plate to be welded to inside of chassis rail for third bolt/stud. Also, modifi cations are need to the fl oor to accommodate Synchro hardware. For more details of what’s needed and all the other cool products head over to www. gdfsteelworks.co.uk PRICE: £636.00 CONTACT: www.gdfsteelworks.co.uk

HERITAGE Mk2 GOLF REAR PANEL Mk2 GOLF REAR PANEL

Is the back end of your Mk2 Golf letting the side down? Perhaps it’s sporting a few dents or has started to rust. Whilst we know original is best, sometimes you need to take the bull by the horns and fi x the problem before it gets any worse, and that’s where these guys come in.

Pressed in Europe, the panel extends to the top of the rear lights, takes in the badge plinth below and drops to include the lower valance too. It is suitable for big and small bumper cars but sadly isn’t suitable for Jetta models. Priced at £152.95 you can fi nd them online at www. heritagepartscentre.com PRICE: £152.95 CONTACT: www.heritagepartscentre.com

WHAT'SNEW

EUROS ON THE CAPITOL

Back in May last year (I know, we’re a bit late to the party with this one), Scott Sayers of Deutschwurx fame, out of Eldridge, Maryland, decided to throw a little GTG at local Capitol Raceway and Europe on the Capitol was born.

With over 180 cars attending the maiden event, it’s safe to say this event was just what the local area needed. And despite an over cast day, thankfully the rain held out till after all awards had been given out. Despite the ‘Euro’ branding, the event was predominantly open to all VW, Audi and Porsche vehicles which were parked in either and air-cooled or water-cooled area.

While the main sponsor was Unitronic, plenty of other companies supported the show including Liquimoly, ECS Tuning, Animated Car Audio, Lindsay Volkswagen, Solowerks, Braum, Parts Authority, Auto tint king, Hurricane racing tours, CTS turbo and Techtonics tuning, and All About the Bounce (All about the what? – Ed).

There was a great array of cars in display including a Golf Rallye, Polo Harlequin and a wicked Mk1 Rabbit off-roader. “We had 5ft and 3ft tall trophies for Best paint/wrap, Furthest Driven, Best Audi, Best water-cooled and Best air cooled, Scott told us. They also awarded top 25 plaques for top Water- and Air-cooled cars. “We had planned to have all car winners complete a parade lap down the drag strip, but sadly it rained,” Scott said. Despite the late downpour, the event was a massive success which Deutschwurx hope to repeat in 2023.

“I’d like to thank Dennis Rice, Elam Morales, Jeff Custer, Megan Stickell, Jonathan Klipa , Don Miner, Tim Keys, Larry Wentzel, Andrew Ridgeway of Quickshot Photography, and my children Cailin and Kenzie for judging the kids colouring contest and always encouraging me. Special thanks to our sponsors, friends and clients for the continued support of Deutschwurx. We will continue to have a bigger and better show every year.” What’s left to say? Enjoy the photos.