Rob Goodwin’s amazing stanced Audi A4 B6
Every modified car has a story to tell. From look-a-like plaster stickers openly declaring a fall-out with a wall, to fond recollections amongst friends of all nighters in the garage before a show, it’s all part of car culture. This Audi A4, though, is only half of a truly epic tale of inspiration – turning a living hell into modified heaven.
Owner and lifetime petrolhead, Rob Goodwin, had a horrific motorcycle accident in the summer of 2010. But he used the pain and weeks of downtime to begin planning the car of his dreams, coming up with this super sexy take on his 1.8T B6 Audi A4.
“It was pretty nasty – I broke my pelvis in three places, I’ve got metal in my legs and had to be resuscitated a couple of times. It was touch and go,” our star man recalls with little emotion.
Rob, otherwise known as Starkey, had stints of 21 weeks followed by another ten weeks in hospital, but inspired himself to turn the internet upside down in his quest to find the best A4 out there.
“It got me to a point of self motivation through the pain,” he says. “I saw what was good and what was bad, and eventually came out of hospital with the objective to build the best B6 A4 on the planet.” Has he done it? Hell yeah he has – and then some…
Rob’s ‘sensible family car’ started out as a stock, silver 1.8T, which quickly turned to the dark side with a full-on murdered out look for 2010. Before long though, the buzzword was candy red, inspired by, well, just about anything. “The Alfa 8C, Arsenal, a kettle and toaster in Morphy Richards – everything at the time just screamed candy red to me,” admits the chatty Londoner.
While on the mend, Rob hooked up with Stylehaus legend, Steve Denton, who completely overhauled the car in our man’s favourite red shade, accompanied by meatier S4 body garms for some serious presence on the road.
A smoothing of the front bumper and a blacking of the famous Audi hoops and grille surround help to round off the B6 A4’s lush bespoke exterior credentials.
If you think the outside of this VAG is the nuts, things are about to get a whole lot more hectic when you take a gander inside.
Rob had already shelled out on an RS4 interior a while back, so the biggest decision on the road to recovery was deciding what shade he should get the lot retrimmed in. He then came across a Bugatti Veyron with orange insides on a motorsport website, and not long after that, the deal was sealed.
“The colour has a custom/hot rod feel to it, which is a bit of me,” is his explanation of the lairy leather. “I was also drinking a bottle of Fanta Twist at the time and realised the colours were pretty much the same – so I thought why not?” Fair play.
After a quick chat with the esteemed MJ Interiors, Rob decided to get a full – and we mean full – retrim in only the finest cow skin around. “I didn’t want just parts of door panels done; I wanted full skins from the sills down. Every single plastic piece had to be orange apart from the carpets,” says our man who admits he went OCD on the car. “Basically, I told MJ to build the best interior they’d ever done.”
And the result? “Ha,” laughs Rob, “My cockpit is so comfortable – I love being in traffic jams now!” How’s that for an answer!
Rob originally had the car decked on KW V2 coilovers, but after his accident, getting inandoutoftheAudiwasa real issue. “The car at the time was actually lower than my wheelchair!” chuckles the Cockney geezer, who had the impressive AirLift air-ride kit installed to help him slide out of the quad-hoop beaut in no time at all.
As for wheels, well, you don’t need these words to tell you the man’s a proper wheel whore. While taking time out, Starkey watched overseas suppliers go big, which in the cover car champ’s own words was ‘right up my street.’ “I really wanted the Cali thing going on,” he says, pointing to the convexed and flat selection of Rotiforms that grace the Audi’s arches as a hark back to his old man’s US custom car days.
The rollers on for the FC shoot are the monoblock Rotiform NUE’s, but no matter what shoes the A4 is running on, Rob’s Audi is the undisputed car of the moment over here, and is the jewel in the candy red crown of a humble bloke who turned a whole lotta pain into all-conquering modified pleasure. Rob, we bow down to you, good sir!
TECH SPEC Audi A4 B6 1.8T
TUNING
Full Milltek stainless steel exhaust; ATP downpipe; ATP GTR28RS turbo; Stage 3 plus remap, currently limited at 300bhp.
INTERIOR
Full RS4 B7 cockpit upgrade including flat bottom steering wheel, pedals, gear knob etc; full interior retrim in Bugatti Veyron Orange from stainless steel trim down; RS4 orange piped mats; CS Recaro seats; rear of seats and parcel shelf in black Alcantara.
STYLING
Factory fitted S4 bodykit, ultra sport front and rear bumpers (front shaved); full colour change silver to Alfa 8C Competizione candy red; all trims, sills, grille exhaust tips finished in satin black; all round light window tint.
CHASSIS
8.5×19-inch all round Rotiform cast NUE rims with 215/35×19 Falken Tyres; full Air Lift air-ride system; Easy Street autopilot bespoke console fit; dual compressors, five-gallon tank (candy red to match car); spare wheel well set up.
AUDIO
Factory fitted BOSE multimedia system including sat nav, sub and amplifier; custom boot build in black Alcantara.
