Summer is car show season, but some events have a more specific focus than your average parking lot show ‘n shine. Waterfest celebrates the best from Audi and Volkswagen and the 19th edition, held this past weekend at Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey, was no different.
Given that the venue was a racetrack, and that these two brands have produced an impressive array of performance cars over the years, from the GTI hot hatch to the R8 supercar, there were obviously a few cars doing what they do best on the drag strip and autocross circuit.
However, the cars attracting most of the attention were parked. Rows of Golfs, Jettas, and A4s sat hunkered down on air suspension systems with flashy custom wheels and paint, awaiting the scrutiny of judges and ordinary car enthusiasts.
The average Volkswagen doesn’t attract much attention, but that just shows what can be done with a few modifications.
Compared to customizers of American and Asian marques, Euro enthusiasts (which, in this country, basically means followers of German brands) exercise relative restraint. The most popular modifications involve a car’s stance (which is why so many cars at Waterfest scraped the ground with air ride), wheels, and interior. Fast & Furious-style body kits are rare.
That’s how an ordinary Jetta can be transformed into a show car capable of stealing attention from the high end sports cars and racecars that were also on display. We’ve gathered the best in the photo gallery above. Tell us which ones are your favorites in the comments.
