Lauri Clemens found the allure of the car show scene too seductive to overcome. When she found full-time work this past year and saw her disposable income grow, the siren song of loud bass and exhausts drew her wallet back to more exotic car modifications.
» Engine: 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
» Wheels: 18 X 8.5 Miro STP1 (front) 18 X 10 Miro STP1 (rear)
» Performance: AEM cold air intake, APR turbo-back exhaust, APR 93 Octane software, APR front-mount intercooler, Samco Sport turbo inlet pipe, Stage 2 clutch, Nitrous Oxide intercooler spray bar, Audi TT short shifter, Forge strut bearing caps, FK Silver Plus X coil over system, drilled and slotted rotors, rear sway bar
» Interior: R32 floor mats, R32 shift knob, R32 pedals, Autometer boost gauge, Euroswitch, Eclipse AVN5495 head unit, (3) Eclipse PA4212 amps, Kicker SS component speakers
» Exterior: 20th AE front lip and side skirts, shaved moldings, smoked headlights and tail lights, Kamie badge-less grille, headlight eyebrows, smoothed/painted rear bumper
Clemens recalls a young indoctrination into the world of custom cars. When Clemens was 8 years old, her older brother bought a 1996 Volkswagen Golf. The European design of the modest Golf coupled with the VW fan base made alive in her brother helped to hook her own interest. By 16, she followed in her brother’s tire treads and purchased a 1997 Volkswagen Jetta. But just three years later, the need for speed began to harass her easygoing Jetta. Not willing to sacrifice love of the marquee for muscle, she sold the Jetta and upgraded to the peppier 2005 1.8T GTi.
At the time of her purchase, Clemens was three years into the car show scene and felt that her interest was waning. But the GTi purchase breathed new life into the hobby. Her inaugural upgrade was no less than a complete stereo upgrade. Three Eclipse PA4212 amplifiers occupy the truck and orchestrate the power for an MB Quartz subwoofer and Kicker SS aftermarket component speakers. Multiple Eclipse crossovers ensure that any sound distort is kept to a minimum by equalizing the signal over the sound spectrum. Her husband, who used to work for a local audio store, enclosed the trunk and wrapped it in suede, giving a factory appearance, which Clemens moved to the interior, adding upgraded floor mats, pedals, an Autometer boost gauge and a performance shift knob.
At the time of her purchase, Clemens was three years into the car show scene and felt that her interest was waning. But the GTi purchase breathed new life into the hobby. Her inaugural upgrade was no less than a complete stereo upgrade. Three Eclipse PA4212 amplifiers occupy the truck and orchestrate the power for an MB Quartz subwoofer and Kicker SS aftermarket component speakers. Multiple Eclipse crossovers ensure that any sound distort is kept to a minimum by equalizing the signal over the sound spectrum. Her husband, who used to work for a local audio store, enclosed the trunk and wrapped it in suede, giving a factory appearance, which Clemens moved to the interior, adding upgraded floor mats, pedals, an Autometer boost gauge and a performance shift knob.
The exterior was treated to a two-tone purple and black paint job, while Clemens had all the moldings shaved, which meant removing the handles. The tail lights were smoked, and the windows were tinted. Clemens also upgraded the pale yellow headlights to high-intensity discharge lamps. The car also received a partial body kit from 20th AE, which includes a new front lip and side skirts.
Though the GTi improved upon the performance-starved Jetta engine, Clemens still wanted to go one better. Squeezing out as much horsepower required more tweaking. An AEM cold air intake was installed to suck in more oxygen, while an APR front-mount intercooler ensured the temperatures were kept low. Clemens plans to add a Nitrous Express intercooler spray bar in those instances when pressing the pedal to the floor isn’t enough.
For now, though, the setup that almost didn’t happen is a car that can compete on both looks and performance any day of the week.
What do you drive? A 2005 Volkswagen Golf GTi.
Why do you drive it? I love Volkswagens and I wanted something faster than my first Jetta. I also loved the look of the GTis. I only drive this car to shows now.
What makes this car so special? It stands out. My favorite colors are purple and black, and I’m so glad I got my car painted this way.
What is your most memorable driving experience? Riding to the car shows with my club back when I was younger. We would have about 20 cars in a line driving together. It was pretty exciting.
What was the first vehicle you owned? A 1997 Volkwagen Jetta.
What music are you currently listening to in your car? Linkin Park is always playing in my car.
And your first ticket? What was it for? I probably was pulled over five times for not having a front tag on the Jetta. I really wanted to shave the license plate off the front of the GTi, but the memory of being pulled over all the time kept me from doing it.
