For me it happens to be an auto that unfortunately never made it’s way to the U.S. during it’s campaign. It began in the late 80′s. Carrying itself on wider box flared panels, G60 powerplant and double the price of your standard GTI made this car a monster in it’s day. It’s not the Corrado(iconic on it’s own terms) it’s the Golf Rallye. I remember the first time I saw one in person. It was the NGP car back in like 2002 while the founding members of LOA were on a cross country trek to Waterfest for a weekend filled full of madness and a wooden cut out of Dorthy from the “Wizard of Oz”(don’t ask). We cruised partially through the mountains with this built green monster until a breaking point came and it smashed down the loud pedal and pulled away like I had just pulled the E-brake and downshifted to 1st at highway speeds. I had only seen pictures of such a machine until that point; it was truly amazing. Since then I have seen the car multiple times along with a very small handful of other Rallye’s. ICONIC is all I can say and I drool every time I see one.

It was an era where the engineers and manufactures were competing against not only function and design, but each other. So many amazing European cars were unleashed in the late 80′s(190e 2.3, E30 M3, Ford Sierra RS, etc…) It was an era that pushed envelopes of function and design; many auto manufacturers were extremely successful, others failed miserably with their releases(Nissan S12). The “Rallye” is a car I can see my self cruising in 20 years from now. The harsh realities of it keep me from making a move on one though.

On to some pics of my favorites.

Peter has spent countless hours polishing bits, cleaning up wiring and making eyesores more attractive to the eye. His engine compartment is boasting some subtle details that all add up to what you see here.

Daily status height, GTF:22.5″. A very respectable height to map the earth. He’s rocking Vmaxx suspension and has refinished his BBS RS’s(17×8.5 et25 & 17×9 et15) to give them their glow. Peter has put a lot of solid work into this car, inside and out. Keep up the work!

-Keith Osborn

It’s finally here! Check out the new Top Gear USA. Click the link above to view the full episode on www.history.com and set yourself up for the first season of 10 shows.

One of the UK’s most popular series since 1977, Top Gear now brings its high-adrenaline action entertainment to America. The series tracks the colorful history of the automobile and showcases an offbeat celebration of the art of driving, featuring super-cars, extreme stunts and challenges, car reviews and celebrity interviews, as well as the eccentric adventures of its hosts with Top Gear’s customary wit and humor. Hosted by comedian and car buff Adam Ferrara, champion rally and drift racer Tanner Foust and racing analyst Rutledge Wood, Top Gear explores the history of America, one lap at a time.

Every few shows this car goes through changes; it’s an evolution in the making. This past season has seen some of its biggest changes; Jeff made the change from static to pneumatic. It went through 2 different setups before he was finally content with not only how it sat, but how it rode and reliability.

This car is one of those if you aren’t familiar with B5′s; then you wouldn’t see all the minute differences that give this car an overall look and appeal. Smoothed rear valance, shaved side markers, slightly different base coat etc…The list keeps going, subtle is the key with his build. All of these small changes pulls this entire build together and makes it what it is.

Winner of multiple shows, this car does not disappoint.

-KO

Official Wörthersee 2010 Video of the Low-Familia from Thomas Diewald on Vimeo.