If there’s one factor that overlaying automotive tradition in Japan since 2008 has taught Speedhunters, it’s that the Japanese know the best way to construct a handsome modified automotive. We’re not simply speaking about Japanese fashions from home producers like Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. Among the greatest modified European vehicles we’ve featured through the years have been conceptualized after which created by Japanese outlets and people. Typically, these vehicles are in-built a ‘JDM’ fashion utilizing components from Japanese producers, with spectacular outcomes.
Ten years in the past, Dino featured a really cool Mk2 VW Golf Cup automotive with various JDM design cues. Let’s revisit that 2014 function for this week’s throwback put up…
2014 Characteristic
In all my years spent taking pictures and writing about vehicles in Japan and all through the world, I’ve come to understand that low doesn’t essentially imply a number of compromise. With the correct consideration to element, cautious planning and exacting execution, you can look good when parked up at a meet or present and nonetheless have the performance and efficiency and drivability to make use of each day. Case-in-point, the Voomeran Volkswagen Golf Mk2 from Euro Magic in Osaka.
When envisioning their most excessive automotive but, Euro Magic needed little trade-off when it got here to trip and luxury. After years within the Volkswagen tuning scene, they know a factor or two about making VWs sit good and look good, however the base for this mission was a bit totally different to what they’ve began with prior to now.
That’s as a result of, earlier than this Mk2 was highway registered it was initially a Cup automotive raced in Japan’s one-make Golf sequence. Regardless of being far more uncooked than the late-model Volkswagens that Euro Magic has efficiently constructed, it was the proper platform to launch their new line-up of Voomeran-branded merchandise.
The plan was to additional emphasise the Golf’s roots – but preserve it as user-friendly as a race automotive for the road might probably be. This meant tying all of it in with a good dose of stance with out impacting on its capability to be enjoyable and quick by the corners. To complete it off, the automotive wanted these all-important JDM touches.
The very first thing was to wash the automotive up and prep it for a couple of contemporary coats of child blue. Then the Voomeran additions adopted, beginning first with the kyusha-like bucktooth entrance lip spoiler to provide the Mk2 a extra ground-hugging look up entrance. Particulars just like the grille had been sprayed black, and yellow headlights and Hella fog lights added for additional distinction.
The look achieved by the removing of the entrance bumper works completely with the pièce de résistance within the Voomeran ensemble of components: the overfenders. The JDM Works look is sweeping by automotive tradition on world scale, and as Hideo Hirooka of Euro Magic defined to me, it was at all times a part of the plan right here.
The one-piece entrance overfenders improve the Golf’s width by 35mm on both sides and sport a satin black end for added impression.
Irrespective of which angle you view on the automotive from, the very first thing you discover is how far the wheels sit out from the unique bodywork.
The Golf rides on a set of adjustable Euro Magic coilovers set as little as they go. Regardless of their firmness, nevertheless, they nonetheless supply a compliant trip for the road.
After which one other JDM contact adopted. It might have been far too predictable to suit the automotive with outdated reversed-rim mesh BBS and even Porsche wheels so common in VW scenes in Europe. Hideo scourged wheel catalogues and stumbled on a recently-released wheel designed and manufactured in a collaboration between Tokyo-based Star Street and Work Wheels in Osaka. The 15-inch wheels, which had been created to be used on outdated Japanese classics like the Fairlady Z and Skyline that Star Street is known for, had been simply what he was after.
They’ve that cool old-fashioned look about them, but are produced to the best fashionable requirements for two-piece forged wheels, and naturally had been an uncommon alternative for a Golf. The wheels measure 15×10-inch in any respect corners, however to get the look good the fronts run a zero offset and backs a -3 in order that they sit higher with the +40mm rear overfenders.
The result’s as aggressive as I’ve ever personally seen on a Mk2, particularly given the static suspension setup we’ve got right here. The stretch on the tyres is fairly wild – and it must be as a result of operating something over 205/45R15s would have generated method an excessive amount of grip and killed that great liveliness this technology of Golf is thought for.
Hideo spent a very long time getting the small print good. Take the screws that maintain the flares onto the steel inventory fenders beneath as an example – these had been particular order, copper-plated objects that value as a lot as a few these Glow Star rims! However it’s the small issues that at all times are likely to make the largest distinction.
With its bumper-less look, the rear finish has a uncooked enchantment too. It’s totally different and contemporary – one thing that’s fairly arduous to realize in a scene that’s consistently evolving.
Lifting the inventory bonnet reveals the 1.8L eight-valve 4 banger that powers the entrance wheels. To liven it up a bit Hideo fitted a warmer cam whereas retaining the race ECU these Cup vehicles had been fitted with.
Efficiency ignition leads and an entire overhaul assure reliability and a contact extra energy than the 112hp it could have generated from inventory. It may not sound a lot at the present time, however let’s not overlook that the automotive weighs lower than 900kg and its foremost goal is to deal with nicely and be a enjoyable steer.
To maintain the entrance finish doing its greatest work doable Hideo added a Voomeran tower bar to the struts tops, earlier than cracking the five-speed gearbox open to modify the ultimate drive, and match an LSD to permit him to get on the loud pedal earlier when exiting corners.
Granted there’s no bumper, however protruding a great distance from the physique work the Voomeran straight-through exhaust undoubtedly has a contact of bosozoku about it. It sounds fairly buzzy, even at idle, not permitting you to overlook that this can be a race automotive in any case.
Upon seeing that the Speedhunters #FeatureCar decals are precisely the identical hue of blue as his Golf, Hideo didn’t waste a second making use of one to the rear quarter glass.
The inside is just about as you’d count on a Cup automotive to be, and that’s straight-out uncooked. There’s no carpeting, trim, or further seating – solely a bolt-in Okuyama roll cage to maintain the outdated chassis from twisting an excessive amount of.
Every thing is centred across the driver and the entire driving expertise, which is as unspoiled as you may probably get. A lot so in actual fact, that it kind of makes an actual fanatic miss the outdated days the place vehicles weighed nothing, engines didn’t have an excessive amount of energy, and you actually needed to work arduous to extract velocity and efficiency in your favorite stretch of highway.
When he drives his Golf, Hideo will get to sit down in a pleasant and supportive edirb seat, which regardless of sounding a bit European is definitely extra Japanese than you assume. Right here’s a touch – learn the identify backwards!
Apart from a contemporary CD head unit there’s nothing to spoil the simplicity of the dashboard, all the pieces being stored because it was in the course of the automotive’s racing years.
It doesn’t actually matter in the event you aren’t into the VW scene or the entire stance motion, it’s arduous to not respect how Euro Magic have give you an idea that succeeds on many ranges.
The automotive seems as aggressive as hell on the road and stood out like a sore thumb as we went for a fast drive proper by Osaka’s Itami Airport.
Regardless of the outside being very looks-oriented, this Mk2 has misplaced none of its chuck-ability. In truth, it’s far more throwable now given the rise in entrance and rear observe, making it deal with even higher and permitting it to hold extra velocity by corners.
It doesn’t matter what the make or mannequin is, the place it comes from or what kind of tuning fashion we is perhaps taking about – the Japanese proceed to impress for the best way they’ll take a automotive, and with easy modifications make it look its greatest. There are in fact various ranges right here, however seeing that Euro Magic needed their Voomeran Golf to make an announcement and stand out, I’d must say that they’ve nicely and actually completed that objective. I’d love to listen to what you assume.
Do you want JDM’d Euros?
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