Built to leave you breathless
He has been pimping cars on paper from when he was just ‘n kannetjie, acknowledged as being awesomely passionate about cars and often referred to as “that big wheel guy”. The most innovative element of his pimping style is the subtlety with which everything is done. He is a trendsetter - his name, Clarence Aiyavoo, the owner of Elcar Panelbeaters in Mbombela.
Clarence owns the most wicked Golf GTi I have ever been privileged to be introduced to. It is not your average robot-to-robot drag racer – in fact it is not a car to play with in town – one would need at least 200 metres of clear road and you will probably run the quarter mile with spinning rear wheels over the total distance. And here’s the truth – despite all of the above – it is actually impractical to do all of the above as the car was simply built to show what is possible if you put your mind to it, indicated Clarence.
“When one decides to individualise your car, it always, in my book, starts with fitting a set of larger wheels – preferably 18 to 20 inches plus. I can with certainly claim to be the one who started the larger wheel trend in Nelspruit many years ago. Wheels bring out the real character of any car and also set the tone for further work on the car,” says Clarence. All his cars, and a small fleet at that, is kitted with 20-inch wheels. This scribe have come to realize too, that science, as much as art, certainly contributes to fitting the correct wheels to a car. The Golf is also kitted with an air-suspension (first and only one on the Lowveld) which allows for a 100mm drop – totally radical I tell you!
“The next style element is to keep things as simple and subtle as possible.” The GTi, apart from the wheels and the widening of the body, looks as if it has just left the factory floor. However, even when one drives “quietly” – I really mean “no-mess-no-fuss” quietly through town, the sound of that turbo dump valve will leave you with no doubt as to the fact that there is a spitting cobra under the hood. Clarence has cut his pimping teeth by working in the mechanical, tyre, under-car, parts, audio sound and other environments of the motoring industry before starting his own business. One of the most important lessons learnt, was “not to burn your bridges”, he says. And, as a matter of interest, he can speak as many languages as there are elements to pimping a car. Quite a colorful guy… this Clarence!
Although he wants to be at the top of the class… “It’s not about the ego, it is about realising a very clear vision for a particular vehicle and my customers have come to trust my judgement and the workmanship of the Elcar team on every project.”
Says Clarence: “When I was younger I had a Golf and four different sets of wheels. I would attend soccer games, go home intermittently and every time arrive back at the game with a different set of wheels fitted to the car. I am older now – not that extreme anymore, but still pushing the boundaries. Its about individualisation – not about keeping up with the Joneses but competing with self and the possibilities.”
“At Elcar things get done according to and beyond what we agreed to and this creates success,” concludes Clarence.
Yes, I know you are dying to know all the specs, so here it is:
Sound
It is fully equipped with a Rockford Fosgate system offering crystal-clear sound
2 x 12-inch subwoofers
2 x amplifiers
4 x tweeters
2 x midrange
2 x midbase
1 x cross-over
1 x capacity
1 x extra battery
1 x touch-screen radio
Boot fully customised.
Suspension
The vehicle is rolling on 20-inch 10J customised wheels with 245/30/20-inch tyres.
Air suspension, with a 20-litre tank, 2xViair 400cc compressors, remote control management system to raise or lower the vehicle from outside. (Only air ride in the Lowveld).
Almost a 100mm drop.
Body
Wide body kit which is the only Golf 6 GTi in South Africa (completely done by Elcar Panelbeaters).
Custom pearl paint
Custom side sills
Custom bumpers front and rear
Custom bonnet
De-badged grille.
Engine
• 2,0-litre turbocharged
• KO4 with Borg-Warner billet turbo-power upgrade, CTS turbo-boost tap, mechanical dump valve, cold-air intake and a water-meth (The devil’s own) injection kit
• R8 Coils, injectors, wotbox (for traction control) , R8 injectors, LSD gearbox (the DSG gearbox cannot handle the torque) and ceramic brake pads
• Now producing a radical and totally brutal 263kW (at the wheels) and 557Nm – an increase of 75% from the standard set-up.
PS: No wonder then that this Golf has been featured twice in the Speed and Sound magazine.
