Welcome to this week’s FC Throwback, where we take a look back at some of our favourite previous feature cars. This week it’s Yorben’s velvet VW Scirocco from way back in 2014…
Some folks feel the need to go that little bit further in order to stand out from the crowd. Yorben de backer is one of these people, with a Scirocco you certainly won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
In this crazy day and age, it’s harder than ever to make a lasting statement about yourself that others will take away and remember. Aside from getting a Mike Tyson-esque tattoo across your face, or growing a beard down to your knees and dying it Kawasaki green, it’s probably safe to say that no one’s gonna look twice at you as you’re walking down the street. And while most of us are perfectly happy with this anonymity, others, such as our man Yorben here, aren’t content with sitting around feeling invisible to the world, especially when it comes to his motors.
Up until recently, young Yorben could be seen cruising the streets of Belgium in an unassuming silver Kia Cee’d. Whilst being a very respectable first car, this wasn’t going to win him any awards at the Euro shows which began tickling his fancy a few years back. Stepping up his game and ditching the Kia for a VW Scirocco was certainly a move in the right direction, but Yorben knew that it was the mods that came next which would determine how people judged him, both at shows and out on the street.
“After checking out hundreds of show pictures online, I began thinking that a crazy vinyl wrap was the way to go,” Yorben explains, promptly arranging an appointment with legendary wrappers B&C Designs near his hometown of Brussels. After a quick chat with the guys at this well-respected garage, it became clear that Yorben’s imagination was the only limit as to what the team were capable of doing to the Scirocco’s bodywork. Sounds like a very dangerous predicament to be in…
It’s probably best to explain here that Yorben is a pretty dapper fella. Like most of the guys at FC Towers, he’s the kind of dude who puts everyone else to shame at parties with an impeccably well-fitted suit. And this attitude clearly rubbed off when he made his final decision for the Scirocco’s wrap. Because Yorben eventually gave the (slightly confused) team at B&C Designs a brief of wrapping the car in a luxurious purpley-red ‘Bordeaux’ velvet, arguing that if it looks good on his favourite suit, why not give his car the same treatment?
The results speak for themselves. The velvet has been fitted immaculately well, leaving Yorben with a car which is definitely no longer going to get lost in the crowd. The silky smooth material succeeds in adding a massive dollop of class to the already cool-looking ride, and never fails to turn heads: “The first reaction from most people is that it doesn’t look real!” Yorben says “They usually either love it or hate it, and I’m not bothered what they think, because I adore it!”
Yorben had to think long and hard about parts that would be special enough to fit with this unique finish. German company Wheels & More, who are used to supplying lavish rims for exotic supercars, came up trumps with a gorgeous set of bronze-centred 19in TS1s, which offer the perfect stance when combined with the KEAN airbag suspension setup. A few other subtle tweaks and the build was complete, with the Scirocco’s sexy lines being shown off in an entirely new way, stealing the show as a result.
There are many things which look better with some fur on ‘em. Cute kittens, David Hasslehoff’s chest, and a ‘70s pornstar’s crotch, for example, just wouldn’t be the same without a bit of fuzz. But a 2010 VW Scirocco? We’d never have thought it would work until we saw Yorben’s fantastic pride and joy fresh outta the garage earlier this year. Sure, there’s gonna be some haters out there, but having the man-nuggets to do something different is what it’s all about, we reckon.
Tech Spec: Velvet VW Scirocco
Styling:
Full Bordeaux velvet wrap, brushed metal badges, de-chromed front and rear, tinted rear windows, custom exhaust tips
Chassis:
8x19in (front) and 9x19in (rear) Wheels & More TS1 rims, bronze with polished staggered lip, Falken 215/35×19 (front) and Dunlop SportMaxx 235/35×19 (rear) tyres, full air-ride system by KEAN Suspensions
Interior:
Standard leather Scirocco interior with air suspension controls on dash
Tuning:
1.4 TSi engine with stage 1 induction mods, chipped to 137bhp
