Waterfest 15 was perhaps the most enjoyable Waterfest I have experienced yet. The number of friendly and passionate people attending this event continues to rise from tuners, racers and project car builders.

I had the opportunity to check out Waterfest’s drag racing for the first time and saw some of America’s quickest Volkswagens including AP Tuning’s 10sec Corrado and Marc Hubert’s Mk3 GTI which ran a 10sec practice pass. The weather was hot, but not like previous years. It could have been unbearably worse. No triple digits this year as the temperature remained in the eighties putting a smile on my face. And I was well protected from the sun thanks to VWoA complimentary suntan lotion.
The crowd was also more relaxed and laidback this year. There was the right amount of everything. I wasn’t running around like a mad man as much making it an overall wonderful event.

Now for the cars… Undoubtedly, air ride is the king. All the top dog show cars ditched their coilover setups for air ride from companies like Bag Yard, Air Ride Technologies and other systems. It’s a trend that has taken over from Mk1 to Mk5 and it was so prevalent walking around the show.

Painted wheels are still popular but not as prominent as in ’08. Three cars caught our eye most. First was a Mk4 Jetta slammed on pink Bentley wheels with matching grille accents and roof.

The next car was a Mk5 GTI outfitted with 19” LMs and boost pipes in dark pink. Finally, I personally loved this silver Mk4 GTI with copper-plated BBS wheels and color-matched lips. Colorful wheels really made these cars standout in a row of show cars but it won’t appeal to everyone.

I was happy to discover several potential feature cars so stay tuned for some hardcore Volkswagen in the coming issues. This includes a pair of Mk2s from MF Automotive of Knoxville, TN. Also, stay tuned for a feature from new shop Phantom Autowerke, as they restored a Mk2 GTI with shaved bay, VR6 swap and much more.
Overall, what a great weekend! Hugs and kisses,
SAM