Josh Mather's 2001 VW GTI - Sex Machine

Polished calipers are an awesome...

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To match his bike, Josh discovered a set of Kinesis K28 wheels online. The 18x9" front and 18x10" rear wheels were disassembled and finished in ceramic titanium. Then the bolts were dipped in 24k gold, while the lips were polished to perfection. In true Euro fashion, a set of Toyo T1R tires was stretched across the rims.

H&R coilovers had been installed by the previous owner, so Josh didn't have to worry about stance. However, he added H&R sway bars and strut bars for good measure. He still wanted to drive the car everyday, but the suspension setup would surely suffice.

Josh knew the stock rotors wouldn't do, so he picked up some big brakes from ECS Tuning. On the front he used 13.1" two-piece floating rotors. They were supplied with Porsche Boxster S calipers but the red finish wouldn't do. So he had Mag Masters in Santa Ana, CA strip and polish the calipers.

Perhaps the most glorious feature of Josh's ride is the interior, which he summed up best as "straight-up sexy." That's not leather or suede you're seeing. The rare hide in Josh's car is actually lambskin. "It's different, cleans really easy and nobody has it," he said. "I like to do stuff that's out there. You either love it or hate it. People think I'm crazy because I have two kids and they're always in the car, but stains come off easy and the material is durable. It also feels really warm."

Wahls Auto Upholstery in Los Alamitos, CA used seven yards of hide on the dash, door panels, headliner and trunk. Even the C-pillar bar and Wiechers Sport rollcage were lamb-wrapped. Still not impressed? Friend Tony encouraged Josh to implement diamond stitching as well, so the armrest, sunroof, parcel shelf, trunk floor and sub box received the elegant treatment.

Other subtle improvements include matching R32 floor mats, an Anniversary gauge cluster and European air vents, plus Audi TT pedals and shift knob. Not to overwhelm the interior with too much white, Josh fitted a pair of black Recaro Trend seats up front, while the rears remain stock.

Like a Euro treasure chest,...

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Filling the double-DIN pocket in the dash is an Alpine touchscreen deck, running JL Audio mids and tweeters in the doors. In the trunk, the lambskin sub box houses two 10" JL Audio W3 subs, while two amps power the entire system.

We haven't really mentioned the engine as yet, and that's because Josh has kept it close to stock for reliability. The 2.8 VR6 has Euro Sport Accessories cams, intake, exhaust and pulleys for a few more ponies and a distinguished sound. However, Josh reiterated he wasn't out to build a high-speed racer. "I was always bagged-on by GTI guys because I had three New Beetles," he confessed. "So when I built this GTI, I wanted it to be unique but the real work was actually done on my 425whp Turbo S. I wanted to make the GTI look cool and keep it as a daily driver because my Beetle can't be driven because I can't smog it. It's stupid fast..."

For a virgin GTI builder, Josh definitely did things right the first time. It can easily be described as a sex machine. And if you're wondering about his Beetle, rest assured we'll have that feature soon.

His GTI is like Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On". But his Turbo S, is more like a hardcore rendition of Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". Stay tuned...

Tech Spec
2001 VW GTI
Owner: Josh Mather
Location: Yorba Linda, CA
Occupation: Entrepreneur

Engine:
2.8 liter VR6 12v with Euro Sport Accessories cold-air intake, pulleys, 264 cams, 2.5" cat-back exhaust, GIAC software, VF motor mounts, Forge billet and strut caps

Drivetrain:
five-speed manual with Sachs stage 2 clutch and 14 lb flywheel

Brakes:
13.1" ECS Tuning two-piece floating rotors with polished Porsche Boxster S calipers, braided lines

Suspension:
H&R coilovers, 26mm front and 25mm rear H&R sway bars, VF front drop end-links, polished front and rear strut bars, C-pillar bar