VWGuy4Ever (Ronny)

I've been a "VW guy" since I bought myself a new '85 GTI when I was 18. The years passed and a few cars in between, I found myself in the posession of my sister's '86 Jetta coupe in 1997 which she purchased new and I maintained all those years. I quickly added a few things like front brakes from the B3 Passat, Corrado G60 master cylinder, s/s lines, Neuspeed springs and front & rear sway bars as well as an H&H rear bar bolted into the axle beam, wheels, euro headlamps,exhaust,etc. Needless to say I was hooked. After a brief stint at a VW dealer in early 2000, I fell in love with the B5 Passat after taking an Indigo Blue/Tan leather 5 speed GLX home for the weekend. I purchased the identical car in November of that year - a 2001, last of the B5s. Not so long after, that car got the same treatment: suspension, Porsche brakes,HIDs,etc. I loved that car.

Then a little birdie dropped a line telling me that an "8 cylinder" will be in the 2002 Passat. Admittedly up to a short time before hearing that, I was not too crazy about the B5.5. It took a long time to grow on me. I drove a 2002 W8 with the Tiptronic trans and was impressed with it's highway manners. It was no sprinter but a long-legged highway cruiser which was where I spent most of my time driving. That same "birdie" also told me that a 6 speed version would go into production in July of 2003, so I decided to wait. I even drove a 2003 Tiptronic version with the Sport Package and almost bought it but as a die-hard manual trans guy, I decided to wait. Imagine my surprise when I saw a Blue Spirit 6 speed W8 at the New York auto show in April of 2003 and the VW rep on hand tells me they're sitting at the port in Delaware. Then the saga begins.

Monday morning I called my salesman and he continues with the "it goes into production in July" story but agrees to makes some calls. I did the same, to 14 VW dealers within 100 miles of me. "Whats a W8 ?" "The W8 was available with a 6 speed in limited numbers last year. It will not be available this year" and "We need a $5000 deposit to order one" were just some of the answers I got. Two days later, my sales guy calls me: "I can get you one of two: Silverstone Gray with black or Pacific Blue with gray, a new W8 exclusive color. And it looks like you'll get the first 6 speed delivered on the east coast." Sight unseen I choose the Pacific Blue. Five days later my car arrives and I dash to the dealer to drive it. Still "shrink-wrapped", I take her for a drive and fell in love. Gone were the indecisions about that 540i 6 speed with 40K on it. Two days later, after returning it to stock condition, I drove my 2001 GLX back and drive home in my W8. Wasting no time, the euro headlamp switch from my GLX and a Beetle eyeglass holder were installed within 10 minutes of hitting my garage that evening. A week later, the stock Michelins and springs were ditched in favor of Dunlop 9000s and H&R Sports. The XM unit was installed shortly after that.

Now, 18 months later, sporting 18 inch BBS wheels and Magna-Flow mufflers, I love the car even more. Sure there are other cars in the price range or even cheaper, making the same horsepower numbers. So what. There's nothing like the sound of 8 cylinders coming down thru those four chrome tips and the bank-vault solidity the car has. Those things keep me in the drivers seat, not navigation systems or Blouetoothe technology. The only other things I may add are a brake upgrade and an M3 spoiler to the trunk, unless HPA can fit 2 turbos under that mess.. For now, the compliments and thumbs up I get from fellow VW owners, owners of other makes and even the "law", are just cool. Thanks to all involved in choosing my "heavyW8" for B5 of the month.

Mods

• H&R Sport Springs
• 235/40R18 Dunlop Sport MAXX on BBS RE Wheels
• Magna-Flow Mufflers
• Wett W8 Chip
• XM Radio
• Alpine 6 Disc Changer
• PIAA Hyper-White High Beams & Fog Lights
• PIAA LED City Lights

Future mods:

• Waiting on Bilstein struts
• M3 Spoiler
• Waiting on Stop-Tech BBK

Other oneB5s

B5one is a licensed club of Volkswagen