I don’t know about you, but ever since I saw Jeremy Clarkson hooning the sheet out of the original V8 version of the Audi R8 Typ 42 on Top Gear (remember that one kids?) and singing its praises, I always wanted one. The idea of owning an understated supercar you could drive daily really appealed. Well, while I’m still saving my pennies, as prices have dropped to the right side of £40k a few lucky fellas have already beaten me to the drop. Okay, so I’m still quite some way off but it would appear more than a few people share my obsession with this car; however, for some, the subtle factory specification is just a bit too understated!
How times change. Back in the day if you had a Mk1 Golf on ITBs or a 16v G60 you were cutting edge, the talk of the town, at shows like Wörthersee. These days, well, things are certainly different. Before Volkswagen turned it into a place to debut its latest performance production vehicles and wacky concepts, the Wörthersee Treffen in Austria was originally started for good old fashioned fun. Don’t worry, the real VW modifying fans are still there; they just arrive early to showcase their own homegrown builds.
Understandably as the numbers of people attending the classic Austrian show have increased over the years, Wörthersee soon earnt itself a reputation of being the car catwalk of Europe for anybody into or obsessed with VWs. These days, as the VW/Audi following has grown in line with the crazy amount of makes and models that fall under the VAG umbrella, Wörthersee is now globally recognised as the place to show off your latest kit.
I remember the first time we attended over a decade ago and seeing the occasional modified Porsche 911, which would kind of trump a lot of the VAG hardware on show, whether owners of Wolfsburg’s finest would admit it or not. Over the last ten years there’s almost been an ‘anything goes’ feel to the show where tuned 911s have become a common sight. You’ll occasionally see a Lamborghini of Ferrari cruising the streets, too, and a couple of years ago we even saw a pretty heavily modified R8 – just one, though. Fast-forward a few years, however, and I don’t think anybody expected the streets of Reifnitz and the roads surrounding the lake to be swarmed by them! Not that we were counting (okay, maybe we were) but this year we spotted at least ten of them, all modified in one way or the other and after some serious scouting and calling in some favours we managed to bag four of the finest for your viewing pleasure. I know, we’re good! Even better still, we’ve put the owners of each car on the spot with a quick fire Q&A session answering all you need to know!
ROTIFORM WIDE-BODY ‘BOSS’ R8 V8 BRIAN HENDERSON (ROTIFORM CO-FOUNDER , USA) Audi R8 Typ 42 Rotiform driven
DRIVE-MY: So Brian, how the hell did you afford to not only buy an R8 but also modify it?
Brian Henderson: All I will say is it would never have happened without the help of all our partners in this project: Prior Design; HP Drivetech; AccuAir; Cobra Seats; Falken; Dubkorps; and Blackbox Ritcher.
DRIVE-MY: Do you remember the first time you saw an R8? Can you recall what your first impression of the car was?
BH: Honestly, not in great detail. I remember seeing pictures of it floating around in 2006/07 and thought it was crazy Audi was building a socalled ‘supercar’.
DRIVE-MY: Describe how you ended up owning this car? Were you in the market for an R8 or was the purchase a bit more impulsive?
BH: The project was always planned with Prior Design in Germany. After last year’s Rocket Bunny E36 Wörthersee project, Prior Design contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in building a project with them for 2015. They dabble primarily in exotics so after reviewing their catalogue and upcoming unreleased kits we agreed the PD GT850 wide-body R8 Typ 42 kit would be the most fitting for Rotiform and Wörthersee.
DRIVE-MY: So, is this the first supercar you’ve been lucky enough to own?
BH: It depends on your definition of ‘supercar’.
DRIVE-MY: What was the standard car like to drive, presuming it was stock when you bought it? BH: Quite boring actually. I think the R8 was really hot when it came out in 2008 but now seven years later its lost it’s edge. Unfortunately I couldn’t afford to cut up a V10!
DRIVE-MY: Did you carry out the modifications in stages or one hit?
BH: All in one hit. The car was built in two weeks. It was a waiting game for parts to show up then the last two weeks of April was a mad dash to get the car assembled and finished.
DRIVE-MY: In what order did the car come together and who was involved in the build?
BH: It started with JJ, Dubkorps and myself working on the concept. JJ laid out the wrap design on a rendering of the car. Then Prior Design stripped the car to the bare chassis. The only body panel left on the car was the roof. The guys from HP Drivetech made an overnight trip up from Austria to fit the freshly completed suspension based on Bilstein Clubsports. Then we installed the AccuAir E-level air management system and sensors. Prior Design then handfabricated the R8 GT-spec exhaust and bolted in the Cobra seats and frames. They then moved on to the body kit install. Then the guys from Blackbox-Ritcher showed up to wrap the car. We finished it on 30 April, bolted up the wheels and started off on our journey across Europe.
DRIVE-MY: Other than the chassis alterations, are modifications mainly cosmetic or have you touched the engine? If so, what’s been done? BH: Other than tuning it and the exhaust, the motor is all stock. There’s really not much to do on a V8 R8 unless you’ve got the pockets to supercharge or twin-turbo it and make it a proper supercar.
DRIVE-MY: So, tell us about the suspension. Audi obviously put a lot of time into developing the stock setup; have you gone for coilovers or bags and how has that affected the overall driving impressions of the car?
BH: I hope Audi didn’t put too much time in, as the stock suspension is nothing to brag about. It’s probably the harshest stock Audi suspension I’ve experienced. As for the new suspension, this R8 now has the best suspension I’ve driven out of stock, coils or air! No caveats here. Eddie and the crew over at HP Drivetech knocked it out of the park with this one. They started with a Clubsport-spec set of Bilstein dampers with remote reservoirs. Then they fully disassembled them, shortened them, valved them, then added their in-house machined bag brackets and caps. The end result is a much smoother driving suspension than stock; then simply add a few clicks and add a little pressure in the bags and you’ve got a full-on race suspension. AccuAir’s E-level system controls the air and keeps things in check. The E-level system is a height based setup, which is much needed when running tight fitment as it makes sure everything stays where it should be. The whole system performed flawlessly over the several thousand-mile trip. That and the AccuAir ‘eXo Mount’ setup mounted everything in a tight, clean package perfectly in the base of the R8s’s ‘frunk’.
DRIVE-MY: We appreciate wheels are a major part of the car and a way of life for you guys, so did you build the car around the wheels or were the wheels spec’d specifically for the car? BH: Wheels were spec’d for the car. That’s what we do!
DRIVE-MY: Talk us through the wheel design, the exact fitment you’re running and also the tyre solution you’ve opted for?
BH: They’re Rotiform CCVs, 9×20” and 13×20” (ET0 all-round). They have a flat-profile, are threepiece forged wheels featuring a step lip with exposed hardware. The centres were first high lustre polished then powdercoated with a matte clear, giving it a very strange effect in direct sunlight. They have polished outer lips, matte black barrels and matte black hardware. We could have gone concave but as I’d never seen an R8 with large lips and with the Prior Design kit I thought this was a good opportunity to try it.
DRIVE-MY: There’s no doubt it’s a killer looking car, but do you prefer driving it or looking at it?
BH: Looking at it.
DRIVE-MY: Clearly it turns a lot of heads, but who does it most appeal to: guys, girls, older or younger people?
BH: Young kids loved the wrap!
DRIVE-MY: As well as attention for the right reasons, have you had any bad reactions from the general public or interest from the police? We know there are a lot of envious people out there. BH: I only got pulled at Wörthersee once. He definitely wasn’t impressed but I showed him my California driver’s licence and was let go ticketfree. Though I have got a pile of speed camera tickets… they weren’t quite as nice…
DRIVE-MY: What’s your favourite part of the car in terms of modifications and tell us the best experience you’ve had from owning it so far? BH: The wide-body; the way it toughens up the R8 just does it for me.
DRIVE-MY: Is it true, does the R8 make the perfect daily driver supercar?
BH: No. The V10 might though.
DRIVE-MY: Where do you go from here? More work on the R8 or something different?
BH: The R8 is already sold. Now it’s time to decide on what to do for Wörthersee next year.
DRIVE-MY: And finally, do you think you could every go back to modifying/driving something like a Golf and get the same kind of kick?
BH: Absolutely. The fun is in the build, not the status of the car.
The car was built in two weeks. It was a waiting game for parts to show up then a mad dash to get the car assembled and finished.
FELGEN OUTLET HLS-EQUIPPED R8 V8 ANDREAS GROßŐHME (FLGNTLT MEDIA MARKETING , GERMANY)
DRIVE-MY: Please tell us a bit about the company and your demo car history.
Andrea Großöhme: The FLGNTLT all started in Germany, by two friends with a passion for automotive tuning. In a small garage they built a custom wheel and tyre business (Felgen Outlet) transforming German cars into unique tuning machines. In terms of projects, we’ve had a few project cars now, including: a BMW 7 Series; an Audi A7; two Audi TTs; a Porsche Cayman; and a Mercedes Benz C300. We decided to build an Audi R8 because, three years ago, you didn’t see a lot of those cars at shows so we thought it could be something interesting to do.
DRIVE-MY: When was the first time you saw an R8? What was your first impression of the car?
AG: I first saw it when I worked for a company called Auto Bild in Hamburg, while I was doing the video work for its Auto Bild TV channel. I actually got the chance to film one of the first Audi R8s in Germany. It was my first video-shoot and with a brand-new, never-before-seen car on German streets. My job was to film how the people reacted to it in the city. Everybody stopped, literally everybody, including women, kids, and old people!
DRIVE-MY: What was the standard car like to drive, presuming it was stock when you bought it?
AG: It was okay, but we modified it really quick as we don’t want to drive stock cars.
DRIVE-MY: Did you always intend to modify it?
AG: Sure. We purely bought the R8 to modify.
DRIVE-MY: Was it modified in one hit?
AG: Yes, everything was done in one hit. The concept was ready before we got the car.
DRIVE-MY: In what order did the car come together and who was involved in the build?
AG: Car-Art, a company based in Dresden, installed the suspension, Capristo modified the exhaust system and the wheels are by Messer.
DRIVE-MY: Outside of chassis alterations, are modifications mainly cosmetic or have you touched the engine?
AG: We didn’t touch the engine other than the exhaust. We changed the front and the rear, to the face-lift look, following a big accident on the way to Wörthersee two years ago.
DRIVE-MY: Did you go for coilovers or bags and how has that affected overall driving experience?
AG: We went for KW V3 HLS coilovers (the low version from Gepfeffert), which have transformed the drive. It’s a very low car now so you have to pay more attention to the road but having a lift option up front is useful.
DRIVE-MY: Did you build the car around the wheels or were the wheels spec’d for the car?
AG: Messer made the wheels specifically for the car. We wanted something unique.
DRIVE-MY: Talk us through fitment you’re running and also the tyre solution you’ve opted for?
AG: The wheels are 8.5×20” (ET42) and 11×20” (ET50) Messer ME03 TurboFans running 235/30 ZR20 and 285/25 ZR20 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo rubber respectively.
DRIVE-MY: Do you prefer driving it or looking at it?
AG: It’s still an Audi R8, so I would say driving it.
DRIVE-MY: Clearly it turns a lot of heads, but who does it most appeal to?
AG: Younger guys and old men. Ha!
DRIVE-MY: So what’s your favourite part of the car in terms of modifications and what is the best experience you’ve had whilst owning it so far?
AG: The sound of the exhaust system is great. We don’t use the radio that much because we love to hear the awesome sound; every tunnel is our friend!
DRIVE-MY: Is it true, does the R8 make the perfect daily driver supercar?
AG: Yes, I think so (although we don’t drive on the Messer wheels daily). There aren’t many R8 haters in the world, so you don’t need to be afraid to park it car in the middle of the city unlike, say, a Ferrari.
DRIVE-MY: Where do you go from here? More work on the R8 or something different?
AG: We are looking for another project car now.
DRIVE-MY: Finally, could you ever go back to modifying/driving something like a Golf and get the same kind of kicks?
AG: Sure. In fact, we’re looking to get more into the performance side of things and think that a tuned Golf can be great fun!
ROYAL PERFORMANCE STATIC R8 V8 DANIEL GLASER (ROYALPERFORMANCE,GERMANY)
DRIVE-MY: Before we talk about the car, please tell us a bit about yourself and how you could afford to buy and modify an R8?
Daniel Glaser: I’m 24 years old, live in east Germany and work for VW Germany. My first modified car was an Audi TT 8N 3.2 V6 with airride, many different sets of wheels. It was clean, with a really loud exhaust and a custom interior.
DRIVE-MY: When was the first time you saw an R8? What was your first impression of the car?
DG: When I first saw an R8 it was clear that it was my dream car. The curves and shape impressed me immediately, although it wasn’t low enough!
DRIVE-MY: How did you end up owning this car?
DG: My buddy wanted to sell it and I wanted one, so one thing led to another.
DRIVE-MY: What was the standard car like to drive, presuming it was stock when you bought it?
DG: When I bought the car it was already on H&R coilovers, had a Hermann exhaust, Vossen CV3 wheels and a V10 rear bumper.
DRIVE-MY: Did you carry out the modifications in stages or one hit?
DG: All in stages. First on were new carbon parts by Royal Performance, a Royal Performance logo design on the rear and Messer Turbo Fan Wheels (2014). For 2015 I wanted to make the car more discreet and put more emphasis on details, so all stickers came off and even more new carbon/Alcantara parts went on. I then added the new Messer Motorsport wheels, modified coilovers by K-Custom, the custom exhaust, and more power with software mods by Royal Performance.
DRIVE-MY: Are mods mainly cosmetic or have you touched the engine? If so, what’s been done?
DG: We added the custom exhaust and flashed the ECU to 450bhp. That’s it for now.
DRIVE-MY: So tell us about the suspension, have you gone for coilovers or bags and how has that affected the ride?
DG: It’s static. It’s really hard; not too hard, though, like a go-kart. It sits nice and low but is great in the curves and on new streets. As it sits, the car is too low for daily driving. I have already demolished the V10 rear bumper twice; that’s why I’m currently running the original V8 item.
DRIVE-MY: Did you build the car around the wheels or were the wheels spec’d specifically for the car?
DG: The Messer Motorsports (and also my previous Messer Turbo Fans) were made for the R8. The nice thing about a black car is I can run all manner of different coloured wheels.
DRIVE-MY: Talk us through the wheel design and the exact fitment you’re running?
DG: These are the first design in the Messer Motorsport series and the only set on earth. I think the design is amazing. I love the thick edge. They’re 8.5×20” (front) and 10×20” (rear).
DRIVE-MY: There’s no doubt it’s a killer-looking car, but do you prefer driving it or looking at it?
DG: The best is to see the car while driving when it is reflected in a store window.
DRIVE-MY: As well as attention for the right reasons, have you had any bad reactions from the general public or interest from the police?
DG: With the previous Turbo Fans there were a couple of haters but only on the internet. I built my car for me and not for others. I’ve not had any problems with the police so far; when they see me they just smile.
DRIVE-MY: What’s your favourite part of the car in terms of modifications and tell us the best experience you’ve had since owning it so far?
DG: The custom exhaust is amazing and loud, especially in the tunnels. Ha!
DRIVE-MY: So is it true, does the R8 make the perfect daily driver supercar?
DG: I would say, yes, but only with stock suspension or bagged.
DRIVE-MY: Where do you go from here? More work on the R8 or something different?
DG: I will rebuild the rear completely to face-lift it in a few weeks; then the car will be sold and I’ll start a new project next year.
DRIVE-MY: And finally, do you think you could ever go back to modifying/driving something like a Golf and get the same kind of kick?
DG: Of course. It may not be the same kind of kick but it’ll be another beautiful type of kick!
BS CARSTYLING WIDE-BODY R8 V10 BUNI SEFERI (BS CAR STYLING CO-FOUNDER, SWITZERLAND)
DRIVE-MY: Before we talk about the car, tell us a bit about yourself and how you could afford to buy and modify an R8?
Buni Seferi: I’m 27 years old and work independently at BS-Carstyling (BSC) together with my brother Bekim and my homie Roland. For the last 12 years I’ve been a car painter by trade. My first car was a Opel Astra, then I had a low VW Passat 3BG with 20” AMG wheels, and then a red BMW Touring (which people may know!). The R8 belongs to our firm BSC and we do all the work ourselves, except things like the wheels and the suspension components.
DRIVE-MY: Do you remember the first time you saw an R8? What was your first impression?
BS: I thought it’s a cool car but after buying one I couldn’t imagine how to incorporate a really cool fitment. The widest wheels it runs without adaptions are 11.5×19” (ET37). Because the car is made of aluminium people don’t play with the bodywork as it’s not easy to weld aluminium. Our R8 is the first wide-body in aluminium, though.
DRIVE-MY: Describe how you ended up owning this car? Were you in the market for an R8 or was the purchase a bit more impulsive?
BS: Actually we first thought about modifying a C63 AMG but the problem was that the brakes are too big to fit 18” wheels with stepped lips. Roland liked the R8 much more so we decided to then go down that route. The second reason was we had to kill the game at Wörthersee and, because it’s still mainly a VAG event, there are limits with a Mercedes-Benz.
DRIVE-MY: Is this the first supercar you’ve owned?
BS: Yes, it is.
DRIVE-MY: What was the standard car like to drive, presuming it was stock when you bought it?
BS: We didn’t have enough time to do any test rides with the standard car. It was straight in for the chop.
DRIVE-MY: Probably a silly question, but did you always intend to modify it from the start?
BS: Definitively, yes!
DRIVE-MY: Did you carry out the modifications in stages or one hit?
BS: We took around a week to talk about the modifications before the car arrived and after that we started to do everything in one hit because we were running out of time. We built this car within two months.
DRIVE-MY: What order did the car come together and who was involved in the build?
BS: We built the car mainly by ourselves, but HP Drivetech was involved, too, as well as Messer Wheels. That’s it. Now and then we posted some pics on Facebook or Instagram, but only pics that didn’t give too much away.
DRIVE-MY: Outside of chassis alterations, are modifications mainly cosmetic or have you touched the engine? If so, what’s been done? BS: No we didn’t touch the engine, except the exhaust system and the air filter.
DRIVE-MY: So tell us about the suspension. Audi obviously put a lot of time into developing the stock setup; have you gone for coilovers or bags and how has that affected the overall driving impressions of the car?
BS: It’s a custom-made Bilstein Clubsport setup (the same suspension as the Audi LMS) by HP Drivetech, with AccuAir E-level/I-level. It’s way better to drive than the original suspension (ask Brian at Rotiform).
DRIVE-MY: We appreciate wheels are a major part of the car and a way of life for you guys, so did you build the car around the wheels or were the wheels spec’d specifically for the car?
BS: Messer built the wheels with the dimensions we wanted to ride and we did the body modifications. But the first time we put the wheels on the car was at Wörthersee, so we didn’t have the wheels before to see if they fitted. While we were doing the bodywork we had to use custom spacers (front 48mm and rear 68mm) and cardboard stencils to simulate the Messer wheels!
DRIVE-MY: Talk us through the wheel design, the exact fitment you’re running and also the tyre solution you’ve opted for?
BS: They are Turbo Fan 2.0s, mainly designed by Messer (with a touch of BSC input). Fronts are 9.5×19” (ET17) and rears are 12×19” (ET07) with 225/35 and 275/30 ZR19 respectively.
DRIVE-MY: There’s no doubt it’s a killer looking car, but do you prefer driving it or looking at it?
BS: It’s hard to say, it’s always a special moment to ride it but just look at it…
DRIVE-MY: Clearly it turns a lot of heads, but who does it most appeal to? Guys, girls, older or younger people?
BS: I’ve never known impact like it. Everybody looks – guys and girls, of all ages!
DRIVE-MY: As well as attention for the right reasons, have you had any bad reactions from the general public or interest from the police? We know there are a lot of envious people out there.
BS: We had no problems with the police so far. But the other thing, there are always people with different ideas of what a car should be; you can’t make everybody happy. There were a few people who questioned some of our modifications but generally the reactions were very positive.
DRIVE-MY: What’s your favourite part of the car in terms of modifications and tell us the best experience you’ve had since owning it so far?
BS: The most challenging thing was widening the aluminium body. The best experience is having achieved our goal and we now have a advertisement for our firm, BS-Carstyling.
DRIVE-MY: Is it true, does the R8 make the perfect daily driver supercar?
BS: It’s not easy to say because we had nothing to compare to but our R8 itself is absolutely cool to drive.
DRIVE-MY: Where do you go from here? More work on the R8 or something different?
BS: Well, the last thing we’re going to do is get some new wheels for the R8. Currently there are no decisions to start something new.
DRIVE-MY: And finally, do you think you could every go back to modifying/driving something like a Golf and get the same kind of kick?
BS: Yes, of course. In fact, it’s even better as you’re not so worried about cutting it up!
Because the car is made of aluminium people don’t play with the bodywork as it’s not easy to weld.
