A big diesel saloon makes for a sensible family car, there’s no question of that. But Cirk Robinson doesn’t really do sensible. Which is why this former BMW E60 520d is now a V10-powered dystopian terror…

Feature taken from Fast Car magazine. Words Joe Partridge Photos Ade Brannan

Bravery is an intrinsic part of innovation. It’s often said that a short-cut is a short-cut because otherwise it’d just be the way. But it’s when we go in the other direction, deliberately taking the long way round in order to determine whether we can find or create something better, or more unusual, or more interesting, that the real magic happens. Naturally you have to be brave to step off the beaten track, as you don’t know what sort of thorns or poison ivy or angry bears will confront you – but life’s too short not to try it, right?

Now, regular readers will probably already know that Cirk Robinson is a man who enjoys guzzling brave pills and stepping into the unknown. We featured his Corsa a couple of years ago and it’s just about the most mental Corsa you’ve ever seen: custom pickup conversion, heavily modded Nova wide-arch kit, sodding great turbo, the works. This fella is no shrinking violet. So perhaps it shouldn’t raise your eyebrow too high to learn that the bruising wide-arch M5 you see here isn’t actually an M5 at all… he’s just turned it into one through sheer brute force, 500bhp V10 motor and all.“The build on this car started with no intentions of touching it at all,” he assures us. Yeah yeah, heard that one before. “I’d worked my arse off at a little bodyshop, and I’d seen the BMW and instantly wanted it. I thought it’d be a lovely family car, and I wouldn’t touch it as I had the rear-engined Corsa I built to mess about with. So I enjoyed the standard silver M-Sport 520d for all of four weeks… before I bought coilovers.”

Things certainly took a significant turn at this point, as Cirk hadn’t realised just how beautifully comfy the 520d had been before he’d bought the coilovers – nevertheless, he’s not the type to take a backward step, so he forged ahead. Snapping up a set of 20-inch Y-spoke X6 wheels, he was soon happy again, and the car continued to evolve over a variety of different looks and setups; wheels, spoilers, the usual minor mods.

“Then came the stupid decision to make a custom Rocket Bunny-style kit for it, and a full colour change to Mazda Candy Red, with a great big spoiler, wide wheels and dragging on the ground,” he laughs. “Oh, how I thought this was cool is beyond me.

“I enjoyed the car like that for about two years, until a speedy drive one night rushing to pick my kids up on time led to the build you see here… I was driving to get to collect my kids; I went round a roundabout, exactly as I did every other night, the car went into a drift, did a 180 onto the verge, and I was going backwards looking through my rear window shouting ‘Nooooooooo, Monicaaaa!’ I went backwards into a lamppost. The car cut out and I thought ‘Oh shit, please drive…’”

Impressively, the car was not only driveable, but had in fact sustained only minor damage to the corner of the bumper, the spoiler, one taillight, plus a tyre had popped off the rim. An easy fix, and Cirk started collecting together the necessary parts… when what should he find for sale, but a written-off M5. Interesting. The floor was creased from a side impact and the shell was junk. But immediately the cogs in his head started to spin. Wouldn’t it be fun to transplant the M5 running gear into his 520d?

Since we’re on the subject of bravery, it’s worth pointing out that the act of fitting modified BMW’s iconic and famously troublesome 5.0-litre V10 to a project takes a pretty sizeable pair of trouser potatoes. This is an engine utterly fabulous if it’s a good one, and a one-way ticket to the poorhouse if it isn’t – and the fun part is that there’s no way of knowing which way yours is going to go. It’s all pot luck.

BMW’s first production V10 engine, it’s a formidable power unit by any standards – a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre with DOHC, 4-valves per cylinder and double-VANOS; the block and heads are aluminium, it has individual electronically-actuated throttle bodies, aluminium oil-cooled pistons and a forged crank along with a quasi-dry-sump setup. All of this technical wizardry delivers a nice round 500bhp and 384lb/ft – and, crucially, it revs to 8,250rpm. This engine is, in short, an absolute animal. A masterpiece, if a reputationally flawed one.

We recently quizzed marque experts Munich Legends about whether or not these engines are as scary as reputation suggests and they very honestly replied that it’s 50-50. Half of these motors will be essentially trouble-free for many, many miles, while the other half could eat themselves at any moment without warning; big end shell failure is a particular issue, and you don’t get any notice short of a brief EML flicker before you’re suddenly sat in a cloud of smoke and clutching a £10k rebuild bill. All part of the fun though, isn’t it? And Cirk’s always been one to roll the dice. The mighty potential of 500bhp and 10 high-revving cylinders is more than enough trade-off for any perceived risk. Besides, once you’ve come up with an idea like this, there’s no going back. Your entire life would otherwise become a massive what if and no-one wants to live like that.

“So I bought the smashed M5, collected it, and stripped it down with the help of two friends,” he grins. “Bagging and tagging every nut, bolt and screw so we knew what was what, we worked three weekends on it – stripping the M5 on the first weekend, and then stripping and rebuilding my E60 on the next two.

“We got it all built up with only one issue: it started, but the excitement was short-lived as the car wouldn’t rev past 1,500rpm and it wouldn’t go into gear. We plugged it in and scanned it for an hour or two and found nothing. The head-scratching started and so did the interrogation, asking and blaming one another, ‘Did you plug everything in?’ and so on. After a full weekend of searching, one of the lads said ‘Pass me the driver’s seat’. So we plugged it in, and bam – it started and revved all the way and went into gear, finally!”

So it had worked. Cirk had successfully transplanted the V10 drivetrain into his sensible family car! Not so sensible now, eh? And with that achieved, he set his mind to the bodywork. Ordering a set of one-off WORK wheels, he knew exactly what sort of girth he needed to fill his custom wide-arches, which he then made from scratch before embarking upon the involved task of grafting a 1M bumper into the E60’s nose to create a startling hybrid of aesthetic styles. A set of unique vents, inspired by the E46 GTR, were grafted into the bonnet, and the whole shell was bare-metalled and prepped for primer.

“Finally, with hundreds of hours spent on the body alone, it was ready to paint,” he recalls. “After a lot of back and forth with colours, I chose Range Rover SVR Estoril Blue, with a blacked-out roof full of metalflake. And so the one mod left to do was to make the exhaust system; I ordered what I needed and set to, making a 2-into-1 4-inch system. The car has the factory manifold cats on and one silencer at the back, and it sounds like utter hell at full throttle!”

All of this custom work and innovation has created something unique and, frankly, terrifying. Sure, there have been a few bumps in the road, but no-one said being a pioneer was easy. The SMG-III transmission has been particularly meddlesome, to the degree that Cirk’s now a world-record holder in getting the gearbox out quick-smart to swear at it and whack it with spanners. But this is all just part and parcel of being a trailblazer. The results more than make up for the pitfalls.

“The car was built with all the anger I had in me from losing my dad, so without the massive loss of my hero and best friend I may not have built the car into how you see it now,” Cirk explains. “Finally, I can simply enjoy it. Seeing people stare at it as I drive by is fantastic too, it makes the hard work worthwhile.”

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. And Cirk’s certainly cooked up something delicious here – a mouth-watering fusion of stylistic ingredients, garnished with plenty of tasty brave pills.

TECH SPEC: BMW E60

Styling
Hand-built and home-made wide arches; custom 1M front bumper; Range Rover SVR Estoril Blue paint; blacked-out metalflake roof,; E46 GTR-style custom bonnet vents

Tuning
S85 5.0-litre V10, custom exhaust system; 7-speed
SMG-III transmission

Chassis
11x19in ET-40 (front) and 11.5x19in ET-33 (rear)
WORK Emotion wheels; 275/30 (f) and 285/30 (r) tyres;
BC coilovers, M5 brakes

Interior
Full custom red and black interior with carbon fibre trim

Thanks
I’d like to thank my amazing Mam firstly; my hero/Dad; my two mates who helped with the M5 conversion; Davy for keeping me company on those long nights; and of course myself!

Seasoned modifier Aaron McMahon has a new ride on the scene – a tuned Audi RS5. Resplendent in Military Green, it’s already torn down to Austria and blown Wörthersee apart, and now it’s on the hunt for fresh conquests…

Feature taken from Performance Audi. Words Dan Bevis Photos Mike Crawat

Some people have a natural affinity for modifying. We’re all into it, that goes without saying, but there’s a certain rarefied strand of DNA that exists within a chosen few individuals which means that they’ve got a good eye for a quality mod, the tenacity to carry it through to completion, and the eagerness to keep pushing on past what other people might see as perfection and a job done.

In the case of Aaron McMahon, this all manifests itself within the new-wave VAG stable; this Belfast-based enthusiast already has a string This one, however, is the big one. The crowning glory of his automotive adventures thus far, the RS5 is a mighty base to begin with when you’re tackling a project. After all, it’s a pretty bloody incredible thing in standard factory spec: you get a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 kicking out 444bhp, an 8-speed ZF ’box mated to the revered quattro system, and a frankly unnecessary 174mph speed limiter, which is surely just Audi themselves showing off. All the RS options are in place, from the sporty diff to the tuned suspension, plus there’s the option of Dynamic Ride Control and oodles of carbon fibre bits… how can this possibly be improved upon?

Ah, but Aaron has form here. He’s been doing this stuff since day one. “I’ve always had a passion for cars and modifying, from a very young age,” he assures us. “When I was sixteen I got my first car, a SEAT Léon which I slightly modified, and this was followed by a Mk5 Golf which was the car that introduced me to air-ride! Having sold both of these I upgraded to a Volkswagen CC, which ended up on 20” Rotiform splits and a full four-way hydraulic setup as well as a bunch of other custom mods. I attended a couple of indoor shows with the CC, but at this stage I was still only new to the whole modifying world…”

He was certainly building a head of steam though, there’s no denying that. Next in Aaron’s constantly shifting crosshairs was a brand new Mk7 Golf R; he was only planning a few minor mods to begin with, but we all know how that goes… fast-forward a couple of weeks and it was already exponentially changing; in the end, it was wearing a full C7 RS6 front brake setup with huge 395mm waved discs, along with 365mm RS7 waved rears. Also involved were a set of 20” Signature three-piece wheels, H&R Ultra Low coilovers, full custom retrim, a whole world of carbon fibre, and the thick end of 400bhp. So you’re starting to get an idea of Aaron’s modus operandi, right? This dude goes in all-guns-blazing, no half measures, and gets the job done.

“I just love the idea of completely revamping cars into something custom,” he grins. “After visiting and enjoying many shows in the Mk7 R, including Wörthersee, I decided it was again time to upgrade. There’d been another few cars on my mind, like an F80 M3, but after seeing the B9 RS5 I just fell in love with the shape! I started inquiring at the local Audi garage – Belfast Audi – and, after deciding on the full spec I wanted, I placed the order. I’ll be honest, it was the longest wait of my life – but it was well worth it.”

The spec he’s gone for is really quite impressive; as well as ticking the box for the Dynamic Ride Control, this RS5 is packing about £15k of factory options, including the full interior and exterior carbon fibre packs. An incredible package… but of course, this was just the beginning for Aaron. A man clearly unafraid of cocking a snook at his warranty in favour of killing the scene with yet another big-spec build.

“Again, much like with the Golf, my initial plan was to just do a few minor mods, nothing too crazy,” he says, fooling precisely no-one. “However, I was soon approached by Plush Automotive, who were interested in developing an air-ride system for the new RS5 platform and wanted to use my car as a prototype.” This was rather an involved process, as you’d expect of a fresh system being developed for a new-to-market car, and the RS5 ended up being over in England for around five months as the setup was finessed. What resulted was an air install featuring custom Bilstein shocks, AccuAir e-Level management, and integration of the Dynamic Ride Control system, which gets the car sitting pretty as well as working hand-in-hand with Audi’s own tech.

“The mods didn’t stop here,” he smirks. Of course not. By this point, we wouldn’t expect anything less. “I bought a set of 21” Rotiform OZT three-piece wheels, and had them rebuilt with all new barrels and hardware and refinished by the famous Wheel Unique – the best company about. I also added a custom valved cat-back exhaust system to really help that V6 find its voice.” Following this, Aaron turned his attention to the exterior; while the OEM carbon pack added plenty of accents in the lightweight weave, he wanted more – so into the mix were stirred a carbon front grille, ducktail spoiler, rear diffuser extensions, side extensions with spats, and a front splitter (which has now been smashed to bits on the autobahn – collateral damage, it’s all just battle scars). The clever Matrix LED headlights were also gutted by EM Tuning and de-chromed, then modded to incorporate changeable demon eyes and DRLs.

“These lights attract serious attention,” he says. “And as if the Nardo Grey paint I’d specced wasn’t cool enough, I decided to change it up again, bite the bullet and get a full wrap in 3M Matte Military Green. I’m extremely happy with the colour choice, and the quality of the work completed by VSM Graphics is top class! It’s my favourite mod on the whole car.”

It certainly takes a lot of chutzpah to go balls-to-the-wall on a brand new, high-end ride. But we’re now well aware that Aaron is very much of the mindset that you only live once, life is for living, and the brief flicker of time we have on this earth is way too short to drive boring cars. And we also know that he doesn’t just build his hot VAG to look pretty, he’s got high-octane fuel in his blood and there’s a reason for all this horsepower. Besides, the natural home for an RS Audi is on a derestricted section of the autobahn, isn’t it? Road trips are baked right into cars like this.

“I drove the Audi down to Wörthersee 2019, and to be honest with the standard of cars out there I was shocked at the amount of heads it turned – it was a big hit,” he smiles. This is testament to his vision as much as the quality of the build; the second-gen RS5 still isn’t a particularly common sight on the road, let alone one that’s been so extravagantly reimagined. “I have a few further mods planned for the car, including more graphics, more carbon, and some engine mods, but other than that I just plan to enjoy it from now on.”

You can read the subtext there, naturally. The enjoyment here comes as much from the modifying as the driving. And when this stuff’s in your blood, when you’re naturally compelled to do it by forces far stronger than logic or reason, there’s really only two ways this will go: reinvention, or rebirth. Either way, Aaron’s someone we ought to be keeping an eye on.

TECH SPEC TUNED AUDI RS5

Engine & transmission:
EA839 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, custom valved cat-back exhaust system, ZF 8-speed auto, quattro.

Chassis:
21” Rotiform OZT three-piece wheels with textured black faces, wet gloss lips and black chrome hardware, 265/20 Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, ABP (Air By Plush) suspension with bespoke Bilstein shocks, AccuAir e-Level and DRC.

Exterior:
Wrapped in 3M Matte Military Green (original colour: Nardo Grey), black decals and badges, carbon fibre front grille, custom carbon front splitter, side extensions with spats, rear diffuser add-ons and ducktail spoiler, OEM exterior carbon pack option, Matrix headlights de-chromed inside – customised with changeable demon eyes and DRLs.

Interior:
OEM interior carbon pack option, steering wheel finished in carbon and Alcantara with red stitching, carbon seat side inserts, red seatbelts, custom Plush boot build.