The Westside car club should need no introduction to fanatical followers of the VW scene. Based in West London, England, this group of friends established one of the most influential VW clubs in the world. Very few can join, but I’m happy to count the original members as friends from my days on Performance VW Magazine. Back then, as now, everybody anxiously awaits the completion of the epic Westside builds – epic because they often take years to complete and sometimes are never shown in public!
For years, Westside organized its own informal gatherings. These used to be held in local parking lots for members to simply meet and compare notes on the next project. However, the group’s notoriety spread to where non-members wanted to take part.
Over the years, the gathering has grown to the size of its 9/11 meeting at Chalfont Park in the village of Chalfont St Peter. The green grass and pleasant surroundings encouraged VW enthusiasts to converge from across the country.
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Abbas Anwar’s Ferrari-themed Corrado 1.8L 16v with stripped and painted interior, flocked
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Parm Bhambra’s Tornado red Rallye I.8T with stripped, caged interior on Porsche Design 90
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Shaz Chugtai’s Mk1 GTI with 305hp 16v KR turbo, tuned by Jeroen Dik from JD Engineering in
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VW R32 dropped on 19" Helios Phaeton wheels by air-ride
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Mk3 VR6 with de-badged Vento front-end, BBS RS wheels were painted to match rollcage
In addition to the VAG crowd, there were a handful of BMWs, some Mercedes and even a Lambo made it onto the field to draw admirers. However, everybody had come to see the infamous Westside VWs and Audis.
Famous for their elegance and lowered stance, these guys have always been about getting the car to sit right, but also know how to ensure every element can stop you in your tracks. They’re also not afraid to add power, whether it’s the classic Mk1, Mk2 and Corrados they became known for, or the later Mk4s and Audis; they make it look effortless.
The group isn’t immune to the infectious spread of air suspension, but traditionally they do it with coilovers, old-school wheels and perfect paint.
Check out westsidevw.co.uk for news of the 2012 event and expect to see more Westside cars on the pages of eurotuner over the coming months.
If you want to see the last Westside car we featured, check out Sukh Pui’s 380hp Corrado VR6T in Porsche Iris blue with extended fenders from et 12/10 or at www.eurotuner.com – a flawless car, 10 years in the making that captures the essence of Westside.
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Slammed cream-colored Audi A3 2.0T three-door with color-matched Porsche wheels and engine
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TT from Car Audio Security with 20" RS4 wheels powder-coated white with orange barrels to
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Jay Mac’s 250hp Mk2 had a G60 motor in black wrinkle-finish with gold accessories and 16"
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Keith Mitchell’s VW Lupo 16v in grey with fuschia accents and matching leather
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Sextons’ Mk2 VR6 in grey metallic with 17" Rotiform BLQ and red leather interior
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