Housed in the practical, if not uninspiring, grounds of the Telford International Centre, which straddles the border between England and Wales, the weather for Ultimate Dubs 2009 was dismal. With rain pounding down, it was a relief to be indoors. However, the popularity of the event suggested it may need to find a new home. Traffic around the venue led to gridlock, with insufficient parking forcing show-goers to abandon their cars by the side of the road and walk to the event.
Another 35min wait to access the halls was a further indication of the popularity, but as we stepped into the venue the stress of the traffic, rain and waiting around melted away. Row upon row of perfectly polished and pampered metal awaited us.
The first ride to grab our attention was Linsey Sharp's VW Lupo. It was clean, smooth and decked-out in custom Porsche gear. Polished 16" Porsche D90 rims gleamed under the venue's lighting, and with the little Lupo lowered on FK coilovers, the stance of this tiny hot-hatch looked brilliant. Powered Boxster seats and a re-spray in VW Harvest Moon finished this classy ride.
Moving on, we found a Beetle with an identity crisis. Bugs are meant to be the adorned with flowers and sprinkled in pastel paint, but one fanatic had taken his Bug down a different route altogether, adding a carbon hood, gunmetal paintjob and Japanese-style wheels. The hard-edged treatment looked great on the Beetle's curves but the orange and grey interior was the icing on the cake.
Another more imaginative Beetle sported a giant key on its rear hatch, suggesting the car was a clockwork toy. With its rusted hood, round rear windows and roof rack full of cargo, it definitely challenged convention.
The majority of projects were Mk4 Golfs, but the whole VW family was out in force, from ultra-clean Mk1s, to the current Mk5. Even VAG marques like Seat and Skoda were represented at this increasingly popular event.
The invasion from the European continent was a further sign of the show's prestige. A crew of Belgium enthusiasts made the 600-mile trip to show off their rides. With many European governments making it harder for tuners to fettle their engines, the Belgians make up for their lack of power with crazy styling.
It was great to see the UK Dub scene expanding and thriving, especially when every other automotive headline is doom and gloom. However, Ultimate Dubs must capitalize on its popularity and seek a new venue for 2010. Whatever happens, we can't wait for it to roll round again!
As typically happens, we can't squeeze all the quality rides onto these pages, so you might want to check out the Ultimate Dubs pages on www.eurotuner.com for a bigger selection of cars from this great British event.