If there’s one thing Speedhunters has learned about car culture in Japan since 2008, it’s that the Japanese know how to build a good looking custom car. We are not talking only about Japanese models from domestic manufacturers such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda. Some of the best modified European cars we’ve featured over the years have been imagined and then made by Japanese shops and individuals. Often these cars are built in ‘JDM’ style using parts from Japanese manufacturers, with spectacular results.
Ten years ago, Dino presented a very cool Mk2 VW Golf Cup car with more than a few JDM design cues. Let’s revisit that 2014 feature for this week’s throwback post…
2014 Feature
In all my years of photographing and writing about cars in Japan and around the world, I’ve come to realize that low standards don’t necessarily mean many compromises. With the right attention to detail, careful planning and exacting execution, you can can look good when parked at a meeting or show still have the functionality, performance and drivability for everyday use. An example of this is the Voomeran Volkswagen Golf Mk2 from Euro Magic in Osaka.
When dreaming up their most extreme car yet, Euro Magic wanted to make few compromises when it came to handling and comfort. After years in the Volkswagen tuning scene, they know a thing or two about making VWs sit nice and look good, but the basis for this project was a little different than what they’ve started with in the past.
That’s because before it was road registered, this Mk2 was originally a Cup car that raced in Japan’s one-make Golf series. Despite being much rawer than the recent Volkswagens that Euro Magic has successfully built, it was the perfect platform to launch their new range of Voomeran branded products.
The plan was to further emphasize the Golf’s roots, but still keep it as user-friendly as a street racing car can be. This meant we had to combine everything with a good dose of attitude, without compromising its ability to take corners fun and fast. To top it all off, the car needed those all-important JDM touches.
The first thing was to clean the car and get it ready for a few new coats of baby blue. Next came the Voomeran additions, starting first with the Kyusha-style bucktooth front lip spoiler to give the Mk2 a more ground-hugging appearance at the front. Details such as the grille were painted black and yellow headlights and Hella fog lights were added for even more contrast.
The appearance achieved by removing the front bumper fits perfectly with the piece of resistance in the Voomeran ensemble of parts: the overfenders. The JDM Works look is spreading throughout the world through car culture, and as Hideo Hirooka of Euro Magic explained to me, it was always part of the plan here.
The one-piece front fenders increase the width of the Golf by 35mm on each side and have a satin black finish for extra impact.
No matter which angle you look at the car from, the first thing you notice is how far the wheels stick out from the original body.
The Golf rides on a set of adjustable Euro Magic coilovers that are positioned as low as possible. However, despite their strength, they still provide a smooth ride for the street.
And then came another JDM touch. It would have been far too predictable to equip the car with old BBS upside-down rims or even Porsche wheels that are so popular in VW scenes in Europe. Hideo scoured wheel catalogs and came across a recently released wheel, designed and manufactured in a collaboration between Tokyo-based Star Road and Osaka-based Work Wheels. The 15-inch wheels, which were made for use on old Japanese classics like the Fairlady Z and Skyline that Star Road is known for, were exactly what he was looking for.
They have that cool, old-world look, yet are produced to the highest modern standards for two-piece cast wheels, and were of course an unusual choice for a Golf. The wheels measure 15 x 10 inches at all angles, but to get the look just right, the fronts have a zero offset and a -3 on the rear to better match the +40mm rear overfenders.
The result is as aggressive as I’ve ever personally seen on a Mk2, especially considering the static suspension we have here. The stretch on the tires is pretty wild – and it has to be, because running anything higher than 205/45R15s would have generated far too much grip and ruined the great liveliness this generation of Golf is known for.
Hideo took a long time to get the details just right. Take, for example, the screws that hold the flares to the metal fenders underneath – these were special-order, copper-plated items that cost as much as a pair of those Glow Star rims! But it’s the little things that always make the biggest difference.
With its bumperless look, the rear also has a raw appearance. It’s different and fresh – something that’s quite difficult to achieve in a scene that’s constantly evolving.
Lifting the standard hood reveals the 1.8-liter, four-valve, eight-valve engine driving the front wheels. To liven things up, Hideo installed a hotter camshaft, while retaining the racing ECU that these Cup cars were equipped with.
High-quality spark plug wires and a complete overhaul guarantee reliability and slightly more power than the 112 hp it would have generated from stock. It may not sound like much in this day and age, but let’s not forget that the car weighs less than 900 kg and its main purpose is to drive well and steer with pleasure.
To let the front end do its best possible job, Hideo added a Voomeran tower bar to the tops of the struts, before breaking open the five-speed gearbox to shift the final drive, and fitting an LSD so he could get on the loud pedal sooner . corners left.
Granted, there’s no bumper, but the Voomeran straight exhaust sticks well out of the body and certainly has a whiff bosozoku about it. It sounds quite lively, even when idling, which makes you remember that this is a race car after all.
When I saw that the Speedhunters are #FeatureCar decals precisely the same shade of blue as his Golf, Hideo didn’t waste a second by adding one to the rear side window.
The interior is pretty much what you’d expect from a Cup car, which is downright raw. There’s no carpeting, upholstery or extra seating – just a bolt-on Okuyama roll cage to keep the old chassis from twisting too much.
It’s all about the driver and the entire driving experience, which is as pristine as possible. So much so that it makes a true enthusiast miss the old days when cars weighed nothing, engines didn’t have much power and you really had to work hard to achieve speed and performance on your favorite stretch of road. .
When he drives his Golf, Hideo gets to sit in a beautiful and supportive Edirb seat, which despite sounding a bit European is actually more Japanese than you think. Here’s a hint: read the name backwards!
Apart from a modern CD head unit, nothing detracts from the simplicity of the dashboard, everything remains as it was during the car’s racing years.
It doesn’t really matter if you’re not into the VW scene or the whole stance movement, it’s hard not to appreciate how Euro Magic has come up with a concept that succeeds on many levels.
The car looks so aggressive on the street and stood out like a sore thumb when we took a quick drive near Osaka’s Itami Airport.
Despite being very focused on looks, this Mk2 has lost none of its clawing capabilities. In fact, it’s now much more castable, given the wider track front and rear, making it even easier to handle and allowing it to get more speed through corners.
It doesn’t matter what make or model it is, where it comes from or what kind of tuning style we employ – the Japanese continue to impress with the way they can take a car and, with simple modifications, make it look the same. to see. best. There are different levels of course, but considering Euro Magic wanted their Voomeran Golf to make a statement and stand out, I’d have to say they well and truly achieved that goal. I’d love to hear what you think.
Do you like JDM’d Euros?
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Dino Dalle Carbonare
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dino@speedhunters.com
