Chris’ Tornado Red Volkswagen GTI began its transformation immediately after he bought the car new back in ’09. Within weeks it was taken to Achtuning for performance enhancements, receiving APR’s “Edition 30/S3 Conversion” K04 turbo kit with customized APR quad-tipped RSC exhaust, StopTech’s Big Brake Kit, KONI coilovers, and (at the time) Work VS-XX wheels from Japan. With some custom paint work on the hood, roof, and the addition of a new aero package from OSIR Design the GTI had immediately turned into a local “heavy hitter”. But he didn’t stop there. Chris quickly realized he needed a better way to protect that body work and adjust his suspension easily for his daily driving duties while maintaining a low-to-the-ground stance so he ditched the coilovers for an Air Lift suspension kit, becoming one of the first “bagged” GTIs in the PNW. By the time we finally had a chance to catch up with Chris for this shoot last November the car had received a satin clear coat over shaved body work, a new set of wheels, an amazing trunk set-up showing off the heart of the air suspension and audio, and rewrapped seats.
The two prominent colors you see throughout the car are undoubtedly Chris’ favorite and we applaud him for keeping with a consistent theme. Gloss carbon fiber accents break up the black and red interior while matte carbon accents break up the satin black and red paint outside. Chris left no part of the car untouched.
The incredible list of modifications on this VW GTI took away time and money Chris will never get back but then he can’t put a price on the experiences he has shared with everyone through the years of owning and showing it. Some of us just drive our cars from point A to point B while the rest of us live the automotive lifestyle. Chris is clearly living the “veedub” life and even though this GTI is currently being “parted out” and sold we know it won’t be the last car he’ll take to the extreme. We’ll be sure to let you know when that happens!
(… And let us know if you have an interest in purchasing this car. We’ll be happy to put you in touch with Chris.)
