Waterfest 14 ended a few hours ago and we’re already compiling our major online gallery that should be available at www.eurotuner.com before the end of the week.

However, we thought we would bring you some of the vehicle highlights in this blog to whet your appetite.

At the top of the list has to be the W12 GTI 650. This incredible vehicle was built in Germany by Volkswagen AG to show what’s its Mk5 GTI chassis was capable of, and to thank loyal VW enthusiasts for their continued support.
With its 650hp Bentley-derived bi-turbo W12 motor mounted behind the driver, the rest of the car’s architecture was modified to suit. First, they widened the track to allow wider tires to deal with the enormous power. They also created extra cooling into the rear compartment by reshaping the roof and rear glass.
Unveiled at the Wörthersee festival in Austria this year and taken to GTI International in the UK, VW AG had no plans to bring the car to the US until VW of America’s Andres Valbuena intervened. He obtained permission to bring the car to Waterfest and intends to take it to H2Oi later in the year before the car returns to Germany in November. We have to congratulate him for delivering this car to US enthusiasts and for his persistence in finally getting it here.
Having heard the W12 roar and seen the car run briefly, it lives up to its awesome reputation and it was definitely worth waiting to see it in the flesh. Despite it’s multi-million dollar price tag, the W12 GTI 650 was one of the most talked about vehicles at Waterfest.

We also loved Mike Melbert’s Mk4 GTI 1.8T finished in Lamborghini paint and boasting chromed 18” TSW Holsten wheels. The car also had a red leather interior retrim and a slew of engine mods. We’ll have a full feature in a future issue of eurotuner magazine.

Another car we liked was Jonathan Buttero’s Mk5 GTI because he had taken it further than most. The exterior featured a badgeless R32 grille and bumpers, painted GTI side skirts, a shaved tailgate and brushed aluminum mirrors. However, these modifications were simply a diversion from the racer green 18” Forgeline ZX3R wheels – the color is based on the Takata harnesses mounted to the back of the red leather seats. Along with a number of other mods, Jon’s GTI drew plenty of attention.

No car show would be complete without eye-candy, and Lacey from Falken tires braved 100deg temperatures and stupefying humidity to represent the brand. We commend her stamina but question who thought plastic was a good choice for clothing in July!
Of course, Waterfest wouldn’t be complete without eurotuner magazine, and our booth featured a number of machines throughout the weekend. Pride of place went to Rafael Melo’s Jetta 1.8T from the cover of the July 2008 issue. Since our feature, he’s added a set of 18” Porsche wheels that transformed its appearance.
We also displayed a Jetta GLI fitted with VW race parts. This car was originally disguised as a TDI Cup racer at last year’s SEMA show and still wear’s the Ronal wheels, Bilstein PSS9 suspension, “Thunder Bunny” front spoiler and exhaust system of the race cars. It shared booth space with an Audi A4 1.8T from Florida-based fifteen52 and you can expect a full feature on this one in a future issue of eurotuner magazine.