Performance VW

For all the fame it’s amassed since, the Golf GTI has humble roots. This was a product born of engineering curiosity, as a skunkworks project in Wolfsburg exploring the untapped performance potential of the Mk1 platform, and its most ground-breaking descendants are rooted in a similar thought process. When the Mk7 Clubsport S set a Nürburgring lap record in 2016, it was leaning on a package of small changes working in harmony rather than brute force. The engineers behind it would find some familiar thinking woven through Stuart Wood’s flawless – and very rare – GTI. For Stuart, that approach comes naturally: “I’m an aircraft engineer by trade, and we try to make things perfect,” he tells us. “In an aircraft, everything needs to be tidy, with no squeaks, rattles or…

ONLY $199.99 Forget expensive coilovers and air suspension, Integrated Engineering’s premium lowering link kit delivers any ride height you want, from sporty to ridiculously low for your Audi C7 and C8 (inc RS6, RS7, S6, S7, A6, A7, or E-Tron) but at a fraction of the cost. Right, and left-hand threads allow you to fine-tune every corner of the car without removing the link - it couldn’t be easier. As if that wasn’t enough, IE’s lowering links are 100% compatible with the factory air ride system and, better still, no reprogramming is required meaning no computer issues or bypassing. The links feature stainless hardware, aluminium bodies, and greased/sealed ball ends which offer beyond-OEM reliability with maintenance-free operation. Easily dial in your perfect stance for a stunning look that separates your Audi from the…

APR 2.0T CARBON ENGINE COVERS It’s fair to say that the 2.0T EA888.4 found in the MQB EVO/MK8 platform has possibly the most underwhelming engine cover to grace the 2.0T since its inception. Some vehicles even came with no cover at all due to the fact the flimsy and floppy factory cover could pop off and fly away. APR has fixed this with a new ridged carbon fibre cover that’s available in Gloss Carbon Fibre Twill (£511.80) and Exotic Gloss Forged Carbon Fibre (£639.76). These covers match the overall shape and theme of the factory cover, but ooze aesthetic appeal thanks to the carbon fibre materials, plus the red and black accents. Simply plug and play, no tools necessary! PRICE: From £511.80 CONTACT: www.goapr.com RACINGLINE CARBON CERAMIC REAR DISCS At last, a carbon ceramic rear…

As calculated risks go, an outdoor car meet in Wales during one of the wettest months of the year was always going to be a bit of a gamble. But the team at Brentacre Insurance must have known they were onto a good thing when, despite being faced with the greyest, mizzle-soaked April weather Bridgend could deliver, their first Cars and Coffee event was pouring into the overflow car park 20 minutes before it was due to start. They build ‘em differently this side of the border. Swansea-based Brentacre isn’t your typical insurer. Owner John has an impeccable long-term Mk2 Golf Rallye project on the go (though sadly not at the event…) and it’s staffed by enthusiasts who know their stuff when it comes to modified cars. So, not surprisingly, word…

So, in the City of Philadelphia, there is a man who, by day, walks catwalks building high rise buildings and by night… well, he builds his racecar! The man, Esher Lutzo, is a union carpenter who lives life on the edge, high in the air every day with no fear, building the skyscrapers you love to stare out of towards the horizon. While he is a carpenter by trade and by no means a mechanic or engineer, the machine he’s built here is an adrenaline pumper that more than gets the job done. Esher has had VAG gear oil in his veins since a child. His father and uncle were fans of Stuttgart and Wolfsburg’s finest, so it sort of rubbed off. His dad was a Porsche guy and racing…

Wokingham-based Gerald ‘Gez’ Mortem has been a petrolhead since he was in short trousers. With an engineer father and a car-loving mother, it was inevitable that the now 48-year-old would catch the bug. As a child there were often cool cars on the drive including his mother’s Fiat 124 Coupe and then later an Opel Manta GTE. By 12 Gez was racing motocross and by 14 he had bought his first car. “I took Motor Vehicle Studies at school. They had a Vauxhall Chevette in the department. When I got wind of the fact that they were thinking of selling it, I managed to buy it myself.” The Chevette was sold on after Gez fixed a couple of issues. In 1992 when he passed his test at 17, his first…