Less is More

Watching the current trends in the automotive industry, it seems people are still taking the "bigger is better," approach, even though they may change the meaning slightly.  People are going with bigger turbos, bigger motors, bigger shots of nitrous for more power and lower ETs.  Others are going lower, wider, more stretch, more camber, aiming to be the next feature on Hellaflush or Stanceworks.  I am guilty of it, no denying that.  My IS300 is torn apart for a newer, bigger setup, and my LS400 got the low and wide treatment.  I stopped and thought about it today, remembered the days when 300hp was more than enough, coilovers were all you needed, and you didn't need to bust out the tape measure and slide rule to figure out your next set of wheels.  What happened people?  What happened to simple cars?

Erik Anderson's 98 VW GTI is a breath of fresh air in today's scene.  It's simple, it's clean, and a whole lot of fun to drive.  It's amazing how clean the car is given it's his daily driver and he racks up the miles and uses the car to its potential too.  Gosh, isn't that what this game is all about?  Building a fun car AND using it?  Man, where did I miss the plot?

Funny thing is, Erik, while not a new-comer to the scene, hasn't been in it too long, but taking a look at his car, one would think otherwise.  I've known Erik for a number of years, we went to high school together, and hung out with the same circle of friends.  Odd thing is though, back then, he never showed any interest in cars.  It was a shock to find out years later that this clean GTI that I had always had my eye on belonged to him.

I think the first thing that everyone notices about this car is the stance.  It's on point; low, wide, heavy rake, and always rocking a set of fresh wheels.  That's one thing about Erik, he's a self-confessed wheel-whore, with more sets than he can count.  Keep an eye out of some killer setups about to adorn the arches of  his MK3.  Despite the killer stance, this setup is all functional.  Oh yeah, you function & form haters can put out your torches, this little MK3 gets tracked and auto-x, hard, and brings home the hardware too.  The last event Erik attended, which was MAP's Proving Grounds up in Brainerd, he not only took home Best Euro, but also won his class in the auto-x.

The next area of the car that stands out, or flies below the radar is the exterior.  With it's fair share of Euro-flare, this GTI definitely fits into the OEM+ category.  Nothing flashy here, just clean, subtle mods that play into the whole look of the car.  One thing many notice is the air-vent grafted into the passenger fender that is, you guessed it, 100% functional.  The interior is also pure business; simple and to the point.  Corbeau buckets with matching harnesses hold the driver and passenger in place while the driver is treated to a Momo steering wheel.  The 12v, 2.8L VR6 follows suit as well with a few choice mods.  No crazy turbo setups or anything here as power isn't the goal, but the polished intake manifold is definitely a highlight for me.

Now, the real treat for me, is over the last few weeks, this car has been in my care.  Erik had to leave for two weeks for drill as he is in the US Army.  He gave me complete freedom to drive the car and enjoy it for what it was built for.  Now, I didn't put it through its paces like Erik does, but I certainly got well acquainted with this GTI.  My thoughts?  Easily one of the most fun cars I have driven.  It made me really miss having a simple car.  I spent many nights standing in my garage, looking at the GTI sitting next to my IS300 which had been sitting on jack-stands all torn apart, just thinking about why I had gotten so carried away with my own car.

It was really a revitalizing experience, taking me back to the good old days of my car modding career.  I reconnected on so many levels and realized that sometimes the extreme is not always the best.  This GTI taught me that less is indeed more and just how simple can create such a big impact.

Gallery:  Photos by Kaien