VWt Issue 100

Eight years ago, James Peene, the then editor of VWt sat here (well not here as I work from home, but you know what I mean!) and said: “Hello and welcome to the newest VW mag on the planet. If you’re reading this, you’re obviously into your modern water-cooled vans and, hopefully, have been impressed with the selection of vans we’ve gathered for VWt’s big debut”. Well, it seems impressed you were. In fact, I think even our bosses were shocked at just how big a success VWt was back then, let alone now. The water-cooled Transporter scene was certainty growing when we launched, but now it’s gigantic, you only have to go to a few shows (remember those?) to see that. And, as we see even more T’s take…

It’s impossible to know how many vans you’ve personally read about. If you have been with us for the last 100 issues, it has to be around 600 or so. It’s with almost granite-like certainty that I can say you’ve never read a background like this one. You take one look at this van and probably make the assumption that the owner has sat down with the fantasy of building a Lamborghini styled T5, mapped it all out and rinsed that theme to within an inch of its life. But as we all well know, life is never that straight forward. Would you believe this Raging Bull of a van just evolved? Not from a burning desire to conflate the vanity of a supercar with the deference of a Transporter,…

As a big fan of the elusive Banksy, Eddie has paid tribute to him in the form of some beautifully airbrushed replicas of some of his most famous pieces on the engine cover. Massive props go to artist, Steve Ross at Tamworth Airbrushing for the exquisite finish giving yet another area of this van that is a treat on the retinas. All the hard work won’t be in vain either as the whole thing has been protected with a clear hydro-dip by Tamworth Hydro-Dipping Services.…

The interior really is a work of art and testament to the skills of Luke at Spartan Automotive Upholstery. When you see the lines of the original stitching on the Lamborghini seats and compare that to Luke’s stitching on the panels and the dash, there really is no perceptible difference. Taking inspiration from the Y pattern in the seats, Luke has replicated that from the front to the back, and with some subtle indirect lighting thrown in around the design on the roof, just as you would expect to find on a high-end luxury car being produced today. Amazing! Check out @spartanupholstery on Insta to see more of their work.…

MODIFICATIONS: Engine: 2.0TDi, decat, DPF, straight-through Miltek exhaust, Pendle remap to 180bhp Chassis: Accuair suspension, Bilstein shocks all round, ABP bags, 3-piece split Rotiform ZRH wheels 9x20 front 10x20 rear, front 225/35/20 rear 245/35/30 tyres, Forge 6-pot front calipers, 4-pot Forge rear calipers Exterior: Abarth grey respray, 6.1 front end gloss black and de-chromed by Paintworx, engine bay cover airbrushed with Banksy art, Loughborough Paintworx fuel cap delete, rear plinth delete, numberplate recess kept, side bars, Travelinlite rear spoiler Interior: Genuine brand-new Lamborghini Hurracan front seats in Alcantara with orange and black stitching and details, Alcantara dash and door cards, Lamborghini emblem stitched orange and black roof lining, Alcantara sun visors with Lamborghini badge, halo roof lighting, full width RnR bed trimmed to match front seats, three headrests with Lamborghini…

CALIFORNIA BEACH RETURNS Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is reintroducing the Beach model to the already awesome California 6.1 range. A decision made, due to the surge in interest in campervans as more people look set to ditch travelling abroad and holiday in the UK. The California 6.1 Beach will feature two variants, the Camper and the Tour. By extending the California 6.1 range, VW aims to make the California line-up more accessible for larger families and to those who need a more flexible MPV in their lives. The California van has been the campervan of choice for many over the years and provides the ideal van to explore the UK. The addition of the Beach to the line-up makes the range even more comprehensive and allows potential new Cali owners to…