GOBLIN WORKS BMW E30: SECOND COMING

When the Goblin Works Garage crew told us they were coming back for a second season with a BMW E30, we were excited to see what they’d do with it. But none of us expected a work of god-like genius like this…

Feature taken from Fast Car. Words Dan Bevis Photos Chris Frosin

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

The peril of the difficult second album is something that’s dug its claws into the very concept of creativity for generations. It took The Stone Roses five years to come up with Second Coming, and some people really didn’t like it. And there are countless examples of bands bursting onto the scene with a stellar debut, then struggling to follow it up with something of similar impact; The Strokes, The Clash, Franz Ferdinand, Elastica… it’s a broader condition, known as ‘the sophomore slump’, whereby the second bite of the cherry can lead to disaster; a footballer’s second season, a student’s second year at college, movie and videogame sequels, it’s all-pervading.

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

It’s also a load of absolute cobblers. Second outings are an opportunity to up the ante; Nirvana’s Nevermind was better than Bleach, Die Hard 2 was better than Die Hard – and if the excitement of the Goblin Works Garage crew is anything to go by, their second series (airing right now on Quest) is set to be far bigger and better than anything that came before.

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

The first series was undoubtedly impressive, serving up a broad variety of artfully modified gems, but this time around the guys have winkled out a bigger budget, done more research, spent time at SEMA, picked the brains of the world’s greatest tuning heroes, to enable them to build some truly world-class projects. And the car you see here is solid-gold proof that they’re not messing about.

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

“We’ve definitely levelled-up with our projects this season,” beams Helen Stanley, going all heart-eyes-emoji at the outstanding modified BMW she’s spirited into being, “and this build is a great example of pushing boundaries in a very short space of time to create something exciting. This series our builds will continue to divide opinion, but as long as these cars get people talking, encourage, motivate, inspire and entertain then we’re doing something right.”

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

So why an E30 this time? Well, it helps that they’re bang on-trend, with values and interest rising exponentially in recent years. The first car Helen ever drove at 17 was her dad’s 3-Series, so there’s more than a little emotion in this build. The team knew they had to find one, the idea was ticking boxes on every conceivable level.

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

“This E30 belonged to a mechanic I knew; it was for sale so I nabbed it,” Helen explains. “As it turned out, this car is an earlier one than we thought too, it’s registered as an ’87 model but it was actually born in ’85. When we got it, it looked terrible – covered in the dreaded BMW lacquer peel, along with rust holes, a leaky sunroof… it needed love. Also it was a 318i auto, so it was pretty lacklustre throughout.”

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

The perfect candidate for rebirth, then! Helen had a vision for how the car should be, a sort of ‘dystopian hellion’, and she twisted the arms of fellow Goblins Ant and Jimmy to let her vision run wild. It was to be their biggest-budget project yet, and given the tight time constraints, temperatures and pulses were rising all the time. “There were moments when I regretted this build, because it was so expensive and full-on and the deadline wasn’t conducive to the amount of work needed to realise the design,” she grimaces. “Building this car as well as filming nearly sent me over the edge – I don’t think I’ve ever been so stressed. But looking at it now, it was worth it. I love it.”

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

Naturally the car couldn’t have stayed as a 318i auto under the skin, that would have been far too lame. So the wheezy old four-pot has been ousted in favour of a 3.0-litre straight-six from an E46 330ci, along with an E46 M3 manual gearbox. Far more fit for hijinks. And with the heart and lungs taken care of, it was time to address the biggest and most complex element of the build: that outrageous exterior. The idea here was to harness the widebody trend and infuse elements of Japanese culture and race-inspired aesthetics, along with a scary streak of Mad Max, to create something post-apocalyptic that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi movie or a video game.

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

Obviously an off-the-shelf bodykit wasn’t going to cut it here, so the craftsmen at Fat Fender were drafted in to crack out the magic markers. This is one of the only companies in the UK who still create bodykits using the old-school foam-sculpting method, and their artisanal creation sublimely fuses Manga styling with Touring Car aggression. “We used the existing lines and angles on the car to enhance the body, making it wider, lower, and meaner,” says Helen. “It’s got a real DTM vibe. Moulds were made, and the fibreglass panels produced and bonded onto the original body. I wanted the kit to look like an extension of the car rather than something visibly added on, and together I think we achieved that. Fat Fender also painted the E30 for us; I think all cars look good in grey so we went with a mid-grey similar to Nardo on the exterior, then added a pastel mint colour to the engine bay. Ant and Jimmy hated the sound of it initially but came round to the idea when they saw it!”

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

What’s interesting to note is that this bodykit is now available to the public to buy; initially crafted as a one-off, the Goblins and Fat Fender are sharing the fruits of their endeavours with the modding public! But they weren’t done yet, not by any means. The rusty sunroof was welded up and smoothed, and Helen didn’t want a fuel filler ruining the body lines so the petrol tank was removed, the spare wheel well welded up and a fuel cell fitted in the boot. The headlights are a cool detail too – look closely and you’ll spot that the inners have functional air intakes in the centres, surrounded by LED angel eyes. “I made these myself,” says Helen. “I found some intake pipes and funnels to fit the E30 which came all the way from Reno, then I recessed the angel eyes into them. They don’t exist as a concept so it was a pain in the arse – but I wanted them, so I made them!”

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

The next vital element to address was the way the thing sits. 3SDM pitched in to make some custom wheels fat enough to fill the massive new arches (see boxout), and Air Lift Performance were tapped up to enable the lows. “I met the Air Lift guys at SEMA, and when I talked to them about the project and my ideas, I knew it was the right way to go for this build,” Helen enthuses. “It’s the coolest thing to see a car slam to the ground on air – the noise it makes is awesome too. I’ve never used air suspension before so I can’t get enough of it; to me it makes the car seem like a Transformer.” It is unquestionably very cool, and this angry wideboy looks mean as hell when it airs out. So, the Goblins had addressed the oily bits, the shiny bits, the up-and-downy bits… but perhaps the most important part of all is the interior. After all, these guys are hard drivers and every GWG build is crafted first and foremost to be a hoot to helm. You’ve got to have a nice place to sit, haven’t you?

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

“The original dash and console were repaired and covered in anthracite grey Alcantara with a mint contrast stitch,” say Helen. “The doorcards were dyed black and also have Alcantara inserts with a mint stitch to match – this was all done by Brett at Alpha Auto Concepts, he’s an interior genius. He also made a custom carpet in black with the same contrast stitch, re-covered the steering wheel, and installed a custom black headliner. I wanted to keep the old dials as well; it was important to strike a balance between originality and modernisation with this car. Too much one way or the other wouldn’t have worked.”

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

The front sports custom-stitched Corbeau RS2 recliners, which tilt to provide a perfect view of the rear, where the bench has been binned and replaced by a custom air install with every element of the mechanicals proudly on display. And quality audio was imperative, so Helen insisted upon a Pioneer smartphone receiver headunit, TS-A speakers in the front and slimline Class D active subwoofer in the back. The interior vibe is a balance of form and function, blending the 1980s design with a variety of tasteful modern upgrades.

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

“I’m especially proud of this car,” Helen smiles. “It’s a little out there, but it’s usable. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily 100-percent practical because it’s a fair bit wider than before, but it’s been built to be fun to drive. It’ll certainly drive you out of trouble when the apocalypse comes, and look good doing it.”

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

You see, that ‘difficult second album’ vibe was all total nonsense. The Goblins have absolutely killed it with this E30, it’s an astonishing creation that takes its cues from the 2019 scene and throws in a fresh retro-futurist vibe that only they could create. A dystopian hellion indeed, and proof positive that this team has very much upped the ante.

Goblin Works BMW E30Goblin Works BMW E30

TECH SPEC: BMW E30

Styling:
Custom one-off bodykit by Fat Fender, custom mid-grey paint, engine bay painted pastel mint, OE fuel tank deleted (replaced by fuel cell in boot) and spare wheel well welded up, sunroof welded, custom inner headlights with LED angel-eyes and functional air ducts, satin black dechrome, windows tinted by Dave at Zonkey Wrap

Tuning:
M54B30 3.0-litre straight-six (from E46 330ci), Pipercross air filter, E46 M3 Direnza radiator from Japspeed, Porsche 944 servo and master cylinder, custom-modded exhaust system, E46 M3 transmission with short-shift

Chassis:
9.5×18-inch (front) and 11×18-inch (rear) custom 3SDM forged wheels in satin black, Toyo Proxes R888-R tyres, V-Maxx E30 325i BBK, E30 325i Sport rear beam with disc brakes, EBC grooved discs and YellowStuff pads, Venhill braided lines, custom Air Lift Performance suspension setup

Interior:
Stock dash and console restored and trimmed in anthracite grey Alcantara with mint contrast stitch, doorcards dyed black with Alcantara inserts to match, custom carpets, steering wheel retrimmed, custom headlining, OE E30 dials, rear seats removed, pastel mint painted rear roll bar, custom-stitched Corbeau RS2 front recliners, grey TRS harnesses, Pioneer SPH-10BT smartphone receiver headunit, TS-A speakers, slimline Pioneer Class D active subwoofer

Thanks:
“Special thanks to Fat Fender UK, Air Lift Performance, 3SDM, Toyo Tires, The Performance Company, V-Maxx, EBC Brakes, Pipercross, Venhill, Corbeau, Panda Racing, Alpha Auto Concepts, Pioneer, Compbrake, Japspeed, Paul Bailey, Project Three, and Zonkey Wrap.

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Survey says: Millennials and Gen Z care about classic cars after all

It’s a common assumption that Millennials and members of Generation Z are less interested in cars than previous generations. But according to Hagerty survey results released last week, these younger drivers are more likely—not less—to want to own a classic car than their parents or grandparents.

Of the 10,000 United States drivers surveyed, Gen Z and Millennials were most likely to report currently owning a collectible or classic car. One quarter of Millennials surveyed said they owned a classic car, as did 22% of Gen Zers surveyed. They were followed by Gen X (19%), Baby Boomers (13%), and the so-called Silent Generation (11%).

In addition, members of the Gen Z and Millennial generations who don’t already own a classic car expressed more interest in owning one than older generations. Of the Millennials surveyed, 57% expressed interest in owning a classic car, and so did 53% of the Gen Zers surveyed. About half of Gen Xers (49%) also showed interest in classic cars, while numbers for Boomers (33%) and the Silent Generation (19%) were much lower.

Hagerty said these findings were consistent with previous data. Since 2017, Millennials and Gen Xers have sought classic-car insurance quotes and valuations at much higher rates than older generations, according to the company. Hagerty didn’t provide any details on what constitutes “classic” or “collectible” for the purposes of its surveys, but the past few years have seen cars from the 1990s and early 2000s—those most likely to trigger Millennial nostalgia—attract more attention from collectors.

More broadly, the survey found continued enthusiasm for driving across all generations.

Nearly three of four Americans (73%) surveyed said they enjoy driving, regardless of generation. In addition, 38% of survey respondents described themselves as active “driving enthusiasts,” defined by Hagerty as belonging to a car club, taking part in off-road or track driving, and attending car shows or auctions.

Attitudes toward driving by generation (from Hagerty 2020 Why Driving Matters survey)

Attitudes toward driving by generation (from Hagerty 2020 Why Driving Matters survey)

“Much of the ‘death of driving’ handwringing by the media in the wake of the Great Recession was based on data showing younger generations were getting their licenses later, buying their first vehicles later, and buying fewer vehicles compared to previous generations at the same age. That conflated buying power with demand,” Ryan Tandler, the survey lead, said in a statement. “The recession hit younger generations harder and delayed a host of major purchases and life milestones.”

Millennials are now catching up and, as the nation’s largest generation, they could become the collector-car hobby’s biggest group in the near future, Hagerty predicts. That is, if the economic fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic doesn’t put them right back where they were a decade ago.

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VW LUPO R: WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE

Built as a fitting tribute to his late father, Ray van de Berg’s brought together one of VW’s most potent powertrains with its very smallest of city cars to create this rather insane VW Lupo R.

Feature taken from Performance VW magazine. Words: Sam Preston. Photos: Ron V

How did you first get into the car scene? Our early tales of automotive obsession are all bound to vary wildly, but there’s something that will ring true about a large proportion of them – most will involve your equally-as-passionate old man somewhere down the line.

Whether your father took you to watch your very first BTCC race or even helped you buy your inaugural motor after you passed your test, it’s fair to say more than a few of us wouldn’t be where we are today without taking at least a small chip off the old block.

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

For Netherlands-based Ray here, though, this father–son connection was taken a step further altogether; the duo successfully creating and running the incredibly popular J&R Cardesign wheel shop that ran for over two decades before closing just a few years back.

With Ray’s dad sadly passing away back in 2017, he thought it was only right to mark the immensely strong bond the two were lucky enough to share – especially when it came to their love of VAG metal – by taking ownership of his father’s final car and immortalising it in the most memorable way physically possible. The result is this unassuming-looking VW Lupo GTI here that’s guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on you as you learn more about the frankly unbelievable secrets it now holds…

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

Ray is no stranger to a big modified project. In fact, he’s now the main man behind Stolen Concept – a tuning outfit that thrives on realising some of the craziest automotive ideas the country’s colourful scene can throw at it. He himself has owned his fair share of one-off builds in his time, too; ranging from a 16v KR-swapped Mk1 all the way through to a Polo G40 Genesis, all of which were more than worthy of magazine features of their own.

The story of this unlikely VW Lupo R, however, begins back in 2007, with Ray’s parents snapping up the relatively sporty micro-hatch to perform their day-to-day duties in – a task it carried out faultlessly for the following decade. “I used to drive Lupos back in the day, but every time I drove this go-kart-like GTI I was impressed with its sportiness and maturity from such a small package,” Ray reminisces.

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

Following the passing of his father, it was a no-brainer for Ray to take over the reins with the beloved Lupo rather than see it being sold on to someone else. “I decided I’d keep it as a lasting memory of that connection we shared,” he puts it.

The plan was never to merely maintain the car in its pristine original condition (which his father meticulously stuck to throughout his ownership) – Ray already had much bigger ideas formulating in his head by the time he picked the little GTI up. “I never had much luck with turbo conversions or built engines in the past, so knew if I wanted to add more to the car, it would have to come in a more OEM-style format,” he explains, with engine conversion plans soon littering his desk at work as this rather epic project began to take shape.

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

But what motor would best suit this tiny hatchback? Soon settling on a variant of the winning 2.0-litre TSI lump used in several sportier VAG-group cars over the years, it was then simply a case of choosing exactly which version to go for. “It was much easier to find a K03-spec GTI engine, but I knew that I’d always just end up regretting not going all-out if I did that,” Ray keeps us up-to-speed, eventually sourcing a beefier, K04-adorned unit from a SEAT Leon Cupra R to get the ball rolling with.

Both car and engine were then promptly taken over to Germany-based tuner, Car Creativ, for the custom conversion to be performed. Following a plain-sailing job by the company’s talented team of getting the substantial new unit sitting pretty in the bay, Ray soon got to work whipping up bespoke parts like a custom exhaust system and driveshafts to suit this rather unusual application once the VW Lupo R was back in his workshop.

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

Since the conversion, the BWJ-coded engine has gone on to produce just shy of 350bhp thanks to some more subtle breathing mods that’re all tied together with a custom remap. The six-speed manual ‘box that’s attached to it has also been adapted to help the Lupo become as driveable as possible, with a Quaife LSD and longer gears to match the car’s dinky rolling radius; all of which adds up to a machine that’s unsurprisingly all sorts of hilarious to pilot.

Talking of wheels, some matte black 17” Rota Recces now prop up each corner thanks to Ray’s five-stud hub conversion all-round. This also allows him to run the much beefier braking system from a Beetle RSI – a vital upgrade now the car has well over double the power it’s used to. The chassis is topped off with KW coilovers and some sumptuous Wiechers carbon fibre strut braces that give it the handling characteristics of something much larger and more grown-up as a result.

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

This grown-up approach continues as you enter the Lupo’s cabin, which has steered clear of the uncompromised, stripped-out vibe that could’ve been justified with the savage powertrain it now boasts. Instead taking another leaf out of his father’s tasteful and reserved book of car modifying, the interior is a beautiful blend of various components from other VWs in the range that work together to create an extremely tasteful and reserved package.

It all revolves around the plush leather and Alcantara reclining buckets taken from none other than a Mk6 Golf GTI Edition 35, which themselves are complemented with a modern Polo GTI steering wheel and Mk7 Golf GTI gear knob. Ray’s even incorporated the ambient lighting system from a range-topping Passat that forms the icing on the cake to what has become one of the classiest interiors for miles around. “It’s surprisingly comfortable now,” he gleams. “I wanted to strike the balance between performance and luxury – two things you wouldn’t expect from a VW Lupo.”

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

Retaining a largely stock black GTI body aside from the aforementioned girthy rims, Ray certainly has something of a sleeper on his hands these days. “Unsurprisingly, it’s insanely fast, but does it all in a predictable and effortless manner,” he enthuses. “It’s caught more than a few people off-guard…”

Now proudly wearing its trick VW Lupo R engine cover atop of its potent TSI lump that looks like it was always designed for this car, it’s clear Ray has undoubtedly succeeded in developing the very ultimate incarnation of his father’s beloved run-around VW Lupo GTI.

Not content with merely dropping in a much more powerful engine, he instead used this as a starting block to carry out a raft of further work that would ensure he was left with not only a fast VW, but one that would make you feel special whenever you go anywhere near it…

VW Lupo RVW Lupo R

Tech Spec: VW Lupo R

Engine:

2.0-litre TSI engine conversion (BWJ-code with K04 turbo from SEAT Leon Cupra R), Injen cold air intake, custom 70mm stainless steel turbo-back exhaust system, Forge Motorsport coolant hoses throughout, Forge Motorsport oil catch can, ECS Motorsport throttle pipe, custom ‘Lupo R’-adorned Audi TTS engine cover, Audi R8 coil pack and oil/coolant/power steering caps, 02Q six-speed manual gearbox (from Mk6 GTI) with custom longer gearing, Quaife limited-slip differential, uprated shifter bushings

Chassis:

8×17” Rota Recce alloy wheels in matte black, 195/45/17 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo tyres, full five-stud hub conversion, KW V1 coilovers with Silver Project adjustable top mounts, Powerflex bushes (all-round), H&R front sway bar, Whiteline rear sway bar, Wiechers Sport carbon fibre strut braces (front and rear), Beetle RSI brake conversion with 312mm (front) and 256mm (rear) discs, Audi RS3 brake ducting

Exterior:

Factory black GTI body, custom side skirt lips/spats, pop-out rear window conversion, Polo 6R stubby aerial

Interior:

Mk6 Golf GTI Edition 35 leather/Alcantara interior (with retro-fitted heater function), Polo 6C GTI steering wheel, Polo 9N GTI handbrake gaiter, Mk7 Golf GTI gear knob, Passat W8 ambient light conversion, 320km/h speedo, digital monitoring system for oil temperature/oil pressure/exhaust temperature

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