The Wagons Of Wörthersee

Wagon. Estate. Touring. Avant. Combi.

Whatever they are called, there’s no escaping that more often than not they make for the perfect car. If you could only have one car for the rest of your life, one car that has to do everything, then I challenge you to find something more versatile than a fast wagon.

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Maybe it’s because I was paying more attention to them this year, but there certainly appeared to be a much larger wagon presence all around the lakes in southern Austria. Audi’s RS variants were certainly top of the food chain and by far the most common model in attendance. From new RS6s and RS4s right back through the ages to the original RS2, with the B5 RS4 being a particularly common sight, too.

Das Der neue Golf 7 and 7.5 R in estate form was another frequent sighting. With 300+hp and AWD in a package that has become renowned for its tuning potential, the Golf has essentially become a baby RS4. The often overlooked cousin of the Golf, the Škoda Superb Combi, can be specced with the same engine and driveline of the Golf R, but in a far more unexpected package. It’s one of those secret European cars that not really many people know about.

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It’s not surprising then that the VW Group cars ruled the roost at Wörthersee; it is a celebration of all things VAG after all. That wasn’t to say that other German marques weren’t welcome, far from it. Mercedes-Benz and BMW were well represented, the former with several AMG models floating around between the small lakeside towns. BMW don’t make any proper M-specification tourings anymore, but they should. The world isn’t the same without the option of an M3 or M5 wagon.

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One thing that appeared to be common amongst all types of cars at Wörthersee, be they wagons or otherwise, was the perseverance of owners and builders to drive their cars as low as possible. It’s quite an interesting phenomenon; not content with their cars just being low while parked, many will run air systems in a manner which only offers the slightest hint of lift or just stay static and embrace all that comes with it. It might not appear to make sense to an outsider, but when you see something rolling down the street at an almost impossibly low ride height, it does make you smile. If not scratch your head on occasion.

Despite being home back in Ireland a few days, and still catching up on things, Wörthersee is still happening right now. I guess that’s as good a reason as any to continue our coverage for another few stories at least, right?

Paddy McGrath
Instagram: pmcgphotos
Twitter: pmcgphotos
paddy@speedhunters.com

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1

Nice euro wagons!
Sadly the JPN culture doesn’t do as much
Datsun 510 wagon is the good stuff!

Author2
Paddy McGrath

Nothing wrong with an Evo wagon or a Stagea either :)

3

Yes! love my stagea, there's also legnum/gallant, legacy, forester, civic/accord aerodeck, mazda 6, for some reason jap wagons just don't seem to get the attention they deserve.

4

Or an Impreza, Legacy or Forester. Or a Crown Athlete. Or or or :)

5

Wagonhunters!
That old passat tics all the boxes.

6

Thought exactly the same, can't be many of these left especially if it left the Factory as a VR6 Synchro version, used to drive a Taxi with same paint so I've made an attachment to this shape!

Author7
Paddy McGrath

I only noticed the VR6 badge later...

8

There's a vr6 Passat sedan half wrecked about two houses down from me. It's a damn shame lol.

9

With all these new cool wagons available these days, I'm changing my pre-judgement of this vehicles class but still can't hold it: did you find any grandpa's Volvo wagon attending the event?

Author10
Paddy McGrath

No Volvo wagons that I can recall, but there was a couple of old sedans which looked great.

11

I had an old volvo sedan... It is now someone's drift car.

12

A car with Bulgarian registration on Speedhunters is a joyful sight and one to be remembered.
Greetings from our country and keep up the good work!

13

Awesome pictures as always. My Impreza wagon would certainly be out of place among all the VAG cars there :P

Author14
Paddy McGrath

Not at all, it's a very open minded community down there.

15

That's brilliant. Big fan of fast wagons and the bit you mentioned about having a 300bhp+ AWD package that does everything is exactly what resonated with me buying my car. Missed out on meeting you in person the last time you were at Stone Motorsports with the lads for the dyno day and would love to have a proper look at your own car sometime. Think you might find my Subaru running the water methanol system as a daily slightly unconventional lol

16

Gutted my little wagon didn't get included, not quite on par with the RS model's I saw down there. But it is small enough to hide in the pedestrian tunnels over at Villacher Alpenstaße.

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Author17
Paddy McGrath

Didn't even see it, sorry!

18

I want a S4/RS4 B5 so bad . The right wheels and a bit lower . Just perfect

19

Nice article!

If the third paragraph is supposed to start German than "Der neue Golf 7 and 7.5 R ..." would be more correct (instead of "Das neue Golf 7.."). If it is another witty language mix I don't understand I am sorry.

Author20

Scheisse.

21

Haha. Well, there are so many articles in the German language, it can be confusing when to use which.

Nice that you changed it!

22

Don't get me started on articles in German. It's THE most irritating thing about learning the language besides actually memorizing the vocabulary.

23
Anthony Chang

VAG theme is strong here. (That two-tone VR6 Passat looks GREAT)

24

Hot damn, those are nice! I love me some wagons.
Is there some van culture out there?

Author25

A little, mostly VW Transporters and the old buses.

26
Codrin Stefan

God, the RS6 Avant is just way too sexy.

Author27
Paddy McGrath

It's my lotto car.

28

BTW, how come you have never done a Article on Jon Olsson's Audi? That thing is a beast. Would make for some good publicity too I think(as long as he is down).

29

I'll take one too if you win. ^^

30

Why can't my fellow Americans be into wagons?

Oh no - we want fucking crossovers.

A Crossover is to a Wagon what a Lawsuit is to Revenge - sort of the same thing, but with all traces of satisfaction surgically removed.

31

These photos are just porn to my eyes, specially the Vr6 B3 Passat Variant...

32
Dino Dalle Carbonare

My heaven! Only two B7s though...need inspiration!

33
Jordan Butters

B5s are peak Worthersee right now – give it a few years and it'll be all B7s.

34

I... good god I dunno what to do with all these wagons <3 even an E63!

35
Graeme daily_dose27

Damn Paddy between your damn B5 RS4 posts and Trevor's supra posts i doubt ill get out the other side of this week alive...

36
The poor french carguy

I dream of owning a B8 Audi RS4 Avant, it's the perfect combo : Wagon + AWD + NA V8, and it looks so damn good ! It's the only German car that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Now I only have to find 80k€...

37

I drove the new B9 RS4 recently and it's maybe the best car I've ever driven.

38
The poor french carguy

I'm sure it is, but to me, the twin-turbo V6 won't be as good as the NA V8, just for its sound !

39
Cohen Baggerly

I want to know what that little blue car is in the last picture!

40

It's a VW Lupo :)

41

Probably running 8 & 9x14 if it's doing the Old Skool look, maybe with the Seat Arosa taillights, especially when Seat is also a Volkswagen Group vehicle!

42

All these wagons! You're making it hard to pass up an old Saab 9-5 Aero wagon I looked at last weekend.

43

The Superb really isn't the cousin of the Golf. The Fabia is comparable to the Golf, the Octavia is comparable to the Passat, and the Superb is basically an "upscale Passat"/poor man's Audi A6.

44

Technically, Fabia / Polo, Octavia / Golf & Superb / Passat. They're still all part of the same family and mostly based on the MQB platform.

45

Yes, they are part of the same family and platform, but the Superb isn't in any way a counterpart to the Golf. They aren't the same category of car and you wouldn't cross-shop a Golf and a Superb.

46

To be 100% correct, the Superb (what's in a name) is in fact the closest to the elongated Chinese VW Passat. Those Chinese guys want extra legroom in the back, so every brand make longer versions of all their models. A grey Superb RS wagon without logo's on it. Just to annoy the others.

47

Damn! Those are really pleasing the eyes by just looking at them wagons. A bit sad there is no Volvo there. Not even the 850r!

48

Damn the B5 Avant cover shot!

49
Jordan Butters

Good GOD. How did I miss this story?

50

SKODA FTW!

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