KW has been a stalwart supporter of the British modified car scene for decades now, and our commitment to this, one of the most innovative car communities on the face of the planet, shows no sign of slowing down any time soon!
2017 has already seen the KW Automotive circus pitch up at GTI International in Rockingham, while last weekend saw us head a few miles further north to Donington, home of VAG Tuner Live. VAG Tuner Live has grown to become a fixture of the British VW Group scene, blending expansive trade areas with immersive club displays, not forgetting the spectacular setting.
Donington Park is easily one of the most demanding circuits in the country, one which offers balls to the wall commitment corners (Craner Curves and Old Hairpin, we’re looking in your direction), plus the Fogarty Esses, an area of the track that demands excellent stability under braking and a not inconsiderable amount of good old fashioned bravery! Our kind of venue!
Away from the track, VAG Tuner Live’s trade area was its usual bustling self, groaning under the weight of stands selling pretty much anything you could ever want or desire car-wise. Our own stand was seldom without a throng of eager customers, and our staff were on hand to advise and to explain the differences between key models in the KW and ST range.
Best of all, with our current Summer Sale on, we were kept flat out with enthusiasts looking to get the best, with a little off! You didn’t have to look especially hard to spot KW hardware at VAG Tuner Live either, much of it being well and truly put through its paces out on track.
Indeed, the high regard in which the KW brand is held in by those that appreciate the benefits of excellent suspension engineering was plain to see, proving that the KW brand is now intrinsically linked with on track success.
Of course it wouldn’t be a KW show without us putting our money where our collective mouth is, so to speak, which explains why eager visitors to Donington could ogle two of our own development cars; the KW Audi S1 and Golf GTI Clubsport.
One of the most complete cars at VAG Tuner Live (and that really is saying something when you consider the calibre of some of the cars there on the day), our recently completed Audi S1 was seldom off track, and its barking engine note could be heard bouncing off the walls of the valley that forms the iconic Craner Curves section of the track.
Marc Kemp was once again the man charged with getting the most from our Clubsport-shod weapon, and he wasted little time in getting to grips with the task at hand.
In this he was undoubtedly aided by the 2-way Clubsport coilovers found fore and aft, a kit underpinned by industry leading race valve technology which permits 16 different rebound adjustments to be made, not to mention a further 12 adjustment clicks to enable precise adjustment of the low-speed dampening. Add in its newly upped power output thanks to an Awesome GTI turbo swap and Forge intercooler, and it suddenly becomes clear why this innocuous looking little Audi caused such a stir at GTI International.
When Marc wasn’t wringing every last shred of performance from our S1, he was doing the same with the other KW car in attendance, the Clubsport Golf.
Shod with incredibly grippy Nankang rubber and once again sporting a Clubsport suspension package, the Golf was a sight to behold out on track, able to carry more speed through the flowing corners which make up the far side of the track than many of the all-wheel drive opposition.
3-way Clubsport suspension enabled Marc to toggle the car’s setup to take Donington’s unique layout into consideration, and the result was one of the most planted cars there on the day.
If that wasn’t enough, we also had our full RaceRoom simulator experience set up in two pit garages, allowing all guests to try their hand at a hot lap or three, completely free of charge, without venturing from the comfort of their race seat.
With the hyper-realistic rendering of the Silverstone GP circuit providing the challenge, we were packed all weekend as hopefuls tried to out-do each other to set the fastest time.
Joining forces with our good friends at Nankang, we had some superb prizes on offer to the quickest pilots – and judging by the skills on show, several of these guys should have been out on the real track!
