The Golfs Of Berlin Klassik

It’s a Saturday at the tail end of summer, the sun is out, the grass is green, and the only item on the day’s agenda is looking at the finest European cars the Toronto area has to offer.

The European car community in Ontario, or all of Canada really, is one we’ve yet to really dive into here on Speedhunters. The snub wasn’t intentional of course, it’s just with so much going on around the globe it’s hard for us to make it to everything. Make no mistake though, Canada is lockstep with the global Euro car tuning scene.

Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - A Saturday Round of Golf - Berlin Klassik 2018-6334

Playing host to the cars in this post is Berlin Klassik. Berlin Klassik is a two day event held in Guelph, Ontario, and is one of Canada’s premier Euro-centric automotive events. It caters to everything European, but everything European is hard to fit in one post, so Keiron and I are going to break the coverage up into manageable installments.

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The first post, if you haven’t guessed, centers around a car that has been popular in every iteration, the Volkswagen Golf.

Fix Your Divots

If Volkswagen owners are known for anything, it’s their love for a complete lack of ground clearance. Bagged or static, they’re going to push the limits. No matter how many times I hear that air ride and BBS wheels are played out, I can’t help but enjoy cars like the two above. They’re clean, they’re simple, and they work.

Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - A Saturday Round of Golf - Berlin Klassik 2018-6246

Zipping forward from 1992 to 2016, Romel Reyes’ Mk7 Golf R was hard to miss with its Emerald Green wrap and ample-wide BBS wheel-based sign board.

Tucking wheel at all four corners thanks to Air Lift Performance air suspension, the interesting rear window visors encouraged a closer look at the inside of the car, not just the outside.

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Peeking through the window revealed a diamond-stitched blue and cream interior. The color combination was originally done before the car was wrapped (it’s a factory blue car), but it works surprisingly well with the green.

Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - A Saturday Round of Golf - Berlin Klassik 2018-6301

Introduced in 1991, the Volkswagen VR6 motor was a fairly instant success. They’ve got a distinctive sound, make a respectable amount of power stock, and hold up to boost quite well. Over the years they’ve come in a plethora of different models and variants, which means they are quite plentiful. Their durability also makes them a great candidate for modification and an equally good candidate for swaps, both Volkswagen-based and non.

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Many of the cars with their hoods popped at Berlin Klassik had a VR6 on show, but one car that managed to stand out among the impressive field was the GAB Eurosport-built Mk2. Box flares and turbofans? Be still our nostalgic hearts.

Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - A Saturday Round of Golf - Berlin Klassik 2018-6231

In regards to this car, the VR6 is the icing on the top of a very nice, very white cake. Purists don’t fret, this is a Rallye style build, so a supercharged G60 hasn’t been removed from this car in favor of the contemporary VR.

Keiron Berndt - Speedhunters - A Saturday Round of Golf - Berlin Klassik 2018-6232

A winter project for the GAB Eurosport crew, the car was clean enough to eat off of inside and out, and carried with it many of the OEM+ touches Volkswagen builders are known for.

Hopefully ending with a car of this caliber gives you a taste of what more is to come from Berlin Klassik 2018. Be certain there are plenty more spotlights to come.

Dave Thomas
Instagram: stanceiseverythingcom

Photography by Keiron Berndt
Instagram: keiron_berndt
Keiron Berndt Photography

Cutting Room Floor
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1

I think the Jettas could be added, from my point of view it's a sedan Golf (at least the previous models not the current).
Lowering springs and a set of BBS is all what you need for a Golf, but the 0 clearance....
I believe the majority are driven during summer only, how much it's practical lowering a car in a snowy country?

2

The Jetta began it's life when VW glued a trunk onto a golf. It's not quite that literal in following generations, but it was in the early ones.

Author3

I drive my car (air) all year, however in most cases it's preferable to have a winter beater

4

Well, if it's on air, you can always lift it to reasonable height and drive around like that. As for static, well... It's not practical even during summer.

5

mk2 coupes put a grin on my face

6

Vape Nation11

7

I love it! Before I had a car I was into the vw scene, at least online.
I am in the market right now, and a mk6 gti is looking mighty good to me after seeing this post.

As for the vr6; it would be cool to see some in depth features on how people have modified and applied the motor over the years. There have got to be some wild builds out there that deserve attention much like anything with an rb/jz/ls that's been built and featured here. I'll have to hit the archives.

8

Love the vr6 growl, got one in my golf mk3 (the car look like shit, but the engine is solid) :) Got something for it in the future, but like project idea 102 sooo... we will see. Have to complete the current ones first!

9

Mk3's are underrated visually in my opinion.
Honestly though, I feel like time is nigh for me to hop into a vw.
I need a doug demuro video to convince me tho. Paddy's project car makes it all look simple lol.

10

Give it a couple of years and people will agree, right now I find it too boxy for the "modern" lights (I'm a sucker for the round mk1/2 headlights). Besides of that, it's an old daily beater and when I bought (CHEAP), the paint were falling off, driver side rear view mirror is attached with zip-ties and similar visual deviations.
I replaced the timing chain and confirmed that the mechanical parts of the car are ok, will have fun with the syncro when the winter arrives :D

11

surprise twist! good luck my man

Author12

I'd be cool with exploring vrs more. I love the sound and people are starting to use them in Fr cars too.

I'll keep them in mind for the future!

13

I can't remember if it was a Golf or Jetta now, but up near the stage there was one synchro-swapped with a turbo the size of my head. Wish it could have popped on the dyno in the pavillion to see what it was making. (Aside from it being only a 2WD roller, of course.)

14

Although now judging from the photos, this might have been the Saturday. Sunday was pretty damned bleak.

15

It was Saturday. Sunday was cold.

16

Hella trill scene, fam

17
https://bit.ly/2xxZEax

where will my little cabrio golf with which I fell in love with my wife ...

18

"If Volkswagen owners are known for anything, it’s their love for a complete lack of ground clearance."
Truer words have never been spoken.

It's getting out of hand a bit though, I've more than once met owners who said they don't like the look/feel/drive of their "slammed" car, but "had to do that" since they drive a Golf and want to be part of the community.

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