Name: Brooke Burmester // Age: 20 // Location: Christchurch // Occupation: Sales
NZ Performance Car: Hi, Brooke. Tell us how you got into cars?
Brooke: Hey, NZPC. Since I was young, my dad has always had nice cars, motorbikes, and jet skis — basically anything with an engine. So it has always been a part of my life.
And what made you want to buy the Golf?
I used to own a BMW 120i, which was terrible! I wanted to buy another European car that had a bit more performance and also looked nice. The Golf definitely stuck out in that regard.
What was the initial plan after purchasing it?
Well, it was going to stay stock and just be my everyday get-around car. There was no intention of modifying it.
So it didn’t really stay to plan then, huh?
[Laughs] No, it didn’t. I decided to modify the Golf to my taste, not caring what others thought about it. I wanted it to be sleek and understated.
Do people expect it to be as built as it is?
A lot of people are generally stunned, thinking it’s just another small hatchback. I didn’t want something that was overdone, or too over the top. I wanted it to fly under the radar and not draw a huge amount of attention, but have the performance when required.
With such a strong Japanese presence here, did you find it hard to modify a Euro?
In a way, yes. Thankfully it’s massive overseas, so a lot of the products are available from America and the United Kingdom. It’s just a matter of getting them to New Zealand.
Not many people go as far as reupholstering the interior, especially in a newer car; why was that important to you?
It just adds that little extra to the car that a lot of people overlook. You spend a lot of time inside the car driving, so I wanted it to be a nice place to be when on the road!
Do you have any plans for the future with the R?
There’s always things to do. My partner and I are constantly thinking of things to add. Next on the list is a water-meth injection system to push it a bit further!
Cool stuff, Brooke. Thanks.
2011 Volkswagen Golf R
Engine: Volkswagen EA888, 1984cc, four-cylinder turbo; R420 034 Motorsport turbo, Integrated Engineering intake, Integrated Engineering intake manifold, Integrated Engineering high-pressure fuel pump, Integrated Engineering billet engine cover, three-inch X-Force exhaust system, Integrated Engineering intercooler, ECS intercooler charge pipes, Integrated Engineering coil upgrade, Integrated Engineering catch-can, 155bar high-pressure fuel-pump relief valve, CTS engine mounts, carbon-fibre battery box, carbon-fibre fuse box
Driveline: Seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, Integrated Engineering DSG tune, 034 Motorsport upper dogbone mount, 034 Motorsport lower dogbone mount, 034 Motorsport diff mounts, six-pot 18Z Porsche Cayenne front calipers, 350mm Mercedes-Benz GL450 slotted-and-drilled front rotors, four-pot PB rear calipers, 330mm floating rear rotors, Mk4 R32 braided brake lines
Interior: Custom carbon-fibre steering wheel, piano black interior panels, reupholstered in leather and suede with blue stitching and embroidery
Exterior: Carbon-fibre side skirts, carbon-fibre rear diffuser, carbon-fibre front lip, aftermarket tail lights with sequential indicators, aftermarket sequential mirror indicators
Wheels/tyres: 19×9-inch (+38) Niche Misano, 235/35R19 Bridgestone RE003
Suspension: BC Racing coilovers, Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) delete kit, Whiteline sway-bar end links
Power: 308kW
Fuel type: NPD100
Tuner: Integrated Engineering / A little Tuning Co