Volkswagen Golf is hands down one of the most popular European cars that remains in production since the 70s. In some markets like Germany and Austria, it belongs to the TOP 3 best-selling models year by year and there is a reason for that.
There’s definitely something special in the elegant and sporty design of this car. It doesn’t have that brutal in-your-face image like its Bavarian compatriots, but its subtle sleeper-like appearance is hiding some truly impressive performance, and clearly says “I could easily beat you up in no time if I wanted to”.
Golf GTi Build
This awesome-looking GTi is owned by Damian from North Carolina, who decided to highlight the performance nature of his GTi and give it a more unique low-down stanced appearance. The car features a lot of exterior and performance modifications and perfectly stands out from the crowd of other stance projects.
“The car features a lot of exterior and performance modifications and perfectly stands out from the crowd of other stance projects”
Thunder Bunny Body Kit
Some of the first things that draw attention to this 3-door rabbit are certainly the original Thunder Bunny body kit and the contrasting black DV Style carbon fiber hood by Seibon Carbon. The car sits low on a set of 3-piece forged Avus wheels and 3P air suspension from Air Lift Performance.
“But this project is not only about looks”
Performance
But this project is not only about looks. The performance was enhanced with a help of the Integrated Engineering 3″ catted downpipe, APR stage 1 ECU tune, 42 Draft Designs stealth catch can system, R1 Concept rotors, CTS turbo noise pipe delete, Neuspeed P-flo Cold Air intake, and 2.75″ Cat-back.
List of Modifications
Performance
- Integrated Engineering 3” catted downpipe
- Apr stage 1 ECU tune
- 42draftdesigns stealth catch can system
- R1 Concepts slotted rotors
- CTS turbo noise pipe delete
- Neuspeed P-flo cold air intake
- Neuspeed 2.75” cat-back
Exterior
- Volkswagen OEM Thunder Bunny body kit:
– Thunder Bunny front bumper
– Thunder Bunny side skirts
– Thunder Bunny rear bumper - Valeo Euro tail lights
- Seibon Carbon DV style carbon fiber hood
- Avus 3pc wheels
- Airlift Performance 3P air suspension
- Urotuning carbon fiber mirror covers
- Thule aeroblade roof racks
- Atlas roof box
- Teckwrap Ivory Cream wrap
- Camel City Wraps install
Interior
- Corbeau RRX seats
- Blackforestindustries DSG shift knob
- Graveyard Shiftboots Arizona shift boot
- Chobester trunk setup and powdercoat
- DIY Upholstery
- R32 pedals
- R36 dead pedal
- Euro cup holder
- Dash tray
Interview with the owner
Why did you choose MK5 Golf for your project?
– Growing up there was a guy in my neighborhood with a modified Volkswagen Golf mk5. I always liked the GTI platform and seeing that made me want to build a mk5.
What do you love the most about your car?
– I never let clout chasing or trends influence my styling choices for my build. I’ve built this solely because I like the way it looks and I’ve been able to bring my vision to life. That’s probably what I love most about it.
What inspired you to choose this modification style?
– Initially, I was planning on doing more of a track setup. After going to Tuner Evolution for the first time and seeing all the cars there, I decided that I wanted to go for a stanced setup. This was also influenced by the mk5 in my neighborhood.
What challenges did you face while putting it together?
– I’d say my main challenges have been a lack of knowledge and money honestly. I’ve had to learn everything as I went along. I didn’t grow up in a family that worked on cars so jumping into this was definitely a learning curve. A lot of studying YouTube videos and trial and error. Thankfully, through this process I’ve made a few friends that actually know what they’re doing and have been willing to help.
What is your favorite mod?
– Probably my Thunder Bunny kit. It gets a lot of attention from people that know what it is and I really like the styling and rarity of it.
What are your future plans for the car?
– Right now, the plan is to start building and cleaning up the engine bay. I plan on doing a few power mods. Other than that, it’s mostly finishing what I started. I plan on getting an actual trunk setup together and getting a few more interior bits to tie that all up.
Watch the progress and find out more about this stanced Volkswagen Golf MK5 by visiting the Instagram profile of the owner: @tastefullyalive!
Stay tuned for more project reviews on Specs&Mods.com – Follow us on social media, and share this write-up if you enjoyed reading it!
Photography by @tstfl.media
Leave a Reply