Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 i Performance VW

Well, we did a thing! Call us mad, obsessed or slightly deluded, but Jamie Orr - our long-serving American contributor (he’s actually Scottish - it’s a long story) and I have bought the magazine. We’ve both had an unhealthy addiction with PVW for well over two decades now. We were basically fan bois before that was even a thing! I used to read the magazine way before I worked on it and Jamie used to pick up his monthly copy long before he could even drive. Yep, we’re lifers… For the past 20 years as editor, though, I’ve worked with a couple of large publishing houses that never fully understood why the magazine was so popular. Inevitably, as the print publishing industry began to struggle, they chose to cut budgets…

ALTERMANN - IT’S ALIVE! AlterMann is the result of two old-skool VW guys who simply got fed up with the endless search for old-skool parts that simply didn’t or no longer existed. From big brake kits and rear brake conversions for old-skool VW/Audis, to shortened drive-shafts or axles for Mk1 VR6 swaps, these guys have it covered. Its "hardline" of products is constantly expanding and AM also stocks a number of hand-selected brands that produce proven products it has used on its own cars. And a new brand wouldn’t be a cool brand without its own line of merch. "Softlines" include sweet shirts, caps, stickers and plate surrounds. We particular like the ‘GOAT’ and ‘LACKLUSTER’ T-shirt designs. We’ll leave you to work out why. PRICE: T-shirts start at £27.00 CONTACT:…

For anyone who has been following PVW and involved in the VW scene for several years, the name Simon Sweetland - or, StillStatic - will undoubtedly ring a bell. But for those new to PVW and the ever-growing VW scene, here is a bit of background. Simon, 48, an electrical engineer and self-confessed VW obsessive, is the brains behind StillStatic and has been a regular feature on these pages for over 20 years. Simon first started his VW journey after purchasing a Mk2 Golf GTI 16v, which had been repainted in Mallard Green. A trip to his local bodyshop, which at the time was called Premier Vehicle Services in his hometown of Northampton, was where he met Steve Denton and Bill Loraine. From there, his obsession with VWs began, spiralling…

Let’s address the SUV in the room. You might well be surprised to see a Tiguan before you, and it’s fair to say that this is not a “car” that makes regular appearances in PVW, so your confusion is understandable. However, this magazine is all about celebrating the wonderfully diverse world of Wolfsburg’s many offerings, and all are welcome here. And besides, one glance at John Redfearn’s (@vinylimage) Mk2 Tiggy will let you know that this one is just a bit special. John is the owner and director of Vinyl Image (his Insta tag might have been a giveaway, there), which specialises in professional vehicle wrapping, specifically part and full colour-change wraps, along with PPF. More importantly, though, John is a big VW fan and has been for some time…

Symbiosis. That’s what makes the world go round, what keeps reality fresh and vibrant and interesting. Celebrating diversity, and bringing disparate things together for the general enrichment of all involved. Take a look at Southern Florida. Even if you’ve never been there, it’s pretty well documented that it’s a place where you might be able to find an alligator if you were so inclined. Those modern dinosaurs that just refused to evolve are happily grunting about in the bottom end of the Sunshine State… but did you know that crocodiles live down there too? It’s the only place in the world where you’ll find the two species living side by-side in the wild. Of course, most people wouldn’t immediately be able to tell you the difference between the two (particularly…

Forty-year-old Indianabased industrial equipment procurement sales manager, Brock Bickford is from a time when the car was king. His generation grew up with car chases on the TV, the neighbourhood proudly polishing their pride and joys on a Sunday morning, and aspirational advertising across the automotive sphere. Times change though, and the rise in metropolitan living and environmental concerns and the associated knock-on awkwardness around the position of the motor car in the future have led to fewer young people learning to drive for the first time in a generation. Thankfully, 17-year-old Ellie Clouse-Bickford is one of a core of important youngsters keeping the dream alive, and what’s greener than upcycling a car that’s nearly four decades old, right? Brock was shown the world of mini-trucking by his older brother,…

Launched as a performance flagship and equipped with the best chassis and engines in the line-up, the Corrado might just be the most competitive factory racer that Volkswagen never built. This was the era when Mk2 and Mk3 Golfs went rallying and the Polo G40 and Vento VR6 had their own racing series, but it fell on privateers to really give the rangetopping model some motorsport pedigree. From drag strips to Berg Cup stages, it turns out those good foundations were pretty competitive – especially if you’re willing to keep building on them. “The only standard piece left is the windscreen,” laughs Gary Nudd, summing up his car’s 15-year evolution from a mildly breathed-on daily to what you see here. “It’s been a labour of love. The whole car has…

Holland has hosted a number of seriously good modified water-cooled shows over the years. A few of you will be old enough to remember the legendary Club GTI Holland Treffen at Baarlo or more recently the incredible MIVW Event. Sadly, both of these have fallen by the way side and just hold great memories for those that attended. While Holland still has a few beautiful events here and there, increasingly the Dutch have to travel to Eastern and Southern neighbours for a really good event. Thankfully, Dutchman, Dennis Geluck decided to create the VAG Legends to put the Netherlands well and truly back on the map! Firstly, he reached out to Next Level Cars in the town of Waardenburg and was able to use their showroom for the exclusive, invite-only…

DAVID STORZ Age: 31 Location: Switzerland IG: @elpatron_b5 CAR: VW Mk8 Golf GTI Clubsport Edition 45 years PURCHASED: Bought it from the VW Factory in 2021 Because of COVID, there was a huge delay at the VW Factory, so the wait for my new car was long. In fact, during the time I waited had already bought all the parts to modify it. The car finally arrived and it was amazing - well worth that wait. It looked great in the Kings Red Metallic Colour and came with some cool features from factory like the Akrapovic exhaust and some ’45’ badges in the interior. After less than 1000kms I started the build and kicked off by fitting some KW Gepfeffert V3 coilovers along with a set of 20” OZ Futuras.…

Retro-Modern Line (RML) was the brainchild of OG fifteen52 founder, Brad Beardow and, in his words, is a philosophy where iconic OEM wheel designs are re-imagined to suit today’s more modern aesthetic. In layman’s terms, these guys create larger-sized version of some of the most iconic and classic OEM designs, but with a unique twist. These stunning over-sized Snowflakes are the perfect example of what RML is all about. Following the success of its dished 15 and 16” Snowflakes (that were popular with early Golf, Jetta, Scirocco and Corrado owners), these larger diameter wheels have the unique features that made the OE 14” Snowflake so popular way back when, but with a slightly more modern, flat-faced twist to suit later generation cars. Available in both 18” and 19” diameter, the…

The Gravitational Force of the VAG. How I came back to my water-cooled roots Two years ago I bought a Ferrari. A tarted-up 360 Modena, with an N-GT aero package… big ol’ carbon-fibre wing and all. Imagine your typical, overly ostentatious Prancing Pony, but three-times less subtle. And you better believe it’s coloured mid-life-crisis red. Some expensive tubular fruits of metallurgy extend the rumble from the high-revving, mid mounted V8 out past the back of the car’s diffuser, making it one the the most beautiful sounding machines I own. It absolutely screams at the limit. The downshift noise is utterly addicting. But most days, I walk right past this rolling symphony for the wheezing hum of the carbureted 1.5-litre 8v that propels my 1975 Mk1 Rabbit. Blame nostalgia… In 1997,…

It all started when my son (Haani) got hold of a Blue Mk2 Golf Hot Wheels car and said, “Daddy, this is like your car, but it’s not red.” It was at that point I thought to myself, there must be a red one available, but having searched online for ages all I could find were yellow and green examples. Most people would have stopped at that point, but I then set out to buy some red paint and thought I’ll just paint the blue one. Do that and we’ll be good to go but no, why go through all that effort for a tiny Hot Wheels which would eventually get lost under the sofa? I remember seeing some bigger scale die-cast model cars online during my original search, so…

The 80s were a wild time for performance VWs. Tuning firms such as Oettinger were creating monsters out of fuel efficient econoboxes and preheated hatchbacks. While German companies no doubt had a home field advantage, the US market sprouted its own blue ribbon fair winner in the form of Ely Reeves Callaway III and his Callaway Cars company. What started in his garage in 1977 with an aftermarket turbocharger for BMWs eventually turned into becoming a specialist constructor for GM products. By the time the Rabbit GTI was introduced in 1983, Callaway had been turbocharging cars for a while. An old interview recorded him saying he chose cars to turbocharge based on their reliability. VW’s eight valve 1.8L was deemed adequate to receive Connecticut’s finest forced induction. Callaway didn’t do…

What makes a great car collection? For us, it’s not always a case of big money builds or accumulated horsepower. We’ll take the considered approach every day of the week and, for Steve Pound and his vision for the perfect line-up, it’s been more than just a pipe dream. Having been active in the VW scene for decades, many will know Steve as the Managing Director of Milltek – the renowned exhaust specialist that’s been making VWs and Audis sound great for over four decades – but outside of work, he’s also known for practicing what he preaches. The proud owner of six VWs at the time of writing, his growing collection has everything from classic OEM+ style, supercar baiting performance to family-friendly practicality. Like many of us, Steve’s VW…