January 2005

Roland Kahl developed his first links to the VW scene when he was 16 and began sharing his dad’s 1992 Jetta. After a few years of saving his money, Roland bought his very first dub in 2000, which was a 4 door Golf 1.8T. Serious modifications were left out of this car; “I was still in college when I bought it so I had barely any money for modifications” says Roland. As a graduation present to himself, he traded up for a MK4 GTI. Roland wanted a 2 Door, and hated the velour seats that came with the Golf.

The base car began life as a stock GTI, bought new in 2002. Roland added the usual items, such as coilovers, chip, and turbo-back exhaust, and eventually got more into the visual modifications when he added an 18” Axis Spiders and an Oettinger body kit.

Fast forward to 2004: daily driving and stone chips had taken their toll on the front bumper, side skirts and hood. This, combined with the overall condition of the dark indigo blue paint following two winters, helped convince Roland to plan a project with Mike at Eurodesign in Acton.

The initial plan was to smooth out the exterior by shaving moldings, the fender lamps, and the hatch, and then repainting them. Realizing the amount of work which was already involved, Roland and Eurodesign decided to make a “bigger” project out of it.

The finished product is a one of a kind wide body GTI. The color is an eye catching Lamborghini blue pearl, that stares back at you in either dark blue, light blue or violet depending on the mood of the sun. If you look closely, you’ll notice the shaved bumpers, side moldings, hatch, molded Kamei grill and filled hood notch. The front fascia consists of an Oettinger bumper, flared to flow with the widened Oettinger side skirts and the rear valence. The wheel arches hang over two inches wider than stock. Audi A6 flush door handles and Hagus M3 mirrors help complete the smoothly styled exterior.
 

Thanks to Axis Wheels in California, Roland upgraded his 18” Spiders to the 19x8” inch equivalent which are spaced out 30mm in the front and 35mm in the rear. The rims are wrapped with Dunlop SP Sport 9000s, but breaking them loose is a chore even for the beefy 1.8T motor. The ride height is easily adjusted thanks to a Weitec coilover suspension. This allows Roland to adjust the ride height as required.

Inside the car, you will find two-tone seats, with GTI stitched on the fronts, and color-matched door panel inserts done by New Image Interiors. Boost, EGT and oil pressure gauges give the driver additional control, and ensure nothing is out of the ordinary. A 20th Anniversary GTI style black headliner and pillars were customized by Roland using products supplied by Dixon at G&S Dye. Audi TT Pedals and a Lupo GTI shift knob add the right amount of “Euro” for the interior.

Just above the gauges, you will notice a fully motorized Kenwood MP3 head unit. Thanks to the talent at Perfect-Tones, three 10’’ JL Audio W6 subwoofers, powered by a Fusion 1700W RMS amp, are encased in fiberglass and painted to match the rest of the car.

While “show” has obviously been the major route this project car has taken so far, don’t let the major cosmetic modifications fool you. Roland’s GTI is equipped with a Eurojet front mount intercooler, allowing cold air to go through the 1.8L turbocharged 20 Valve motor. The brains of the computer have been upgraded to a GIAC-X chip, which pushes the wheel horsepower to 200. Air is brought in through an EVO 3” cold air intake. Just to prove this car has more than looks, the HKS SSQ blow-off can be heard before the car is seen, letting everyone know that this Golf comes with a turbo. Exhaust gases are expended through the Brullen 2.5” turbo back.

Roland says there is still much he would like to do, and he’s always busy working overtime and saving to customize his pride and joy. Be sure to check out Roland’s GTI at Waterfest 11, summer 2005.

Words: Luke Niebylski , Roland Kahl
Photographs: Paul Sveda
Editor: Harry Scanlan