Volkswagen Brasilia: A 1974 Icon from Sweden

When you think of Brasilia, you probably picture the Copacabana, the giant Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro, and tiny bikinis. But the Volkswagen Brasilia rarely tops my list of Brazilian trivia. Yet this 1974 example flips that perception on its head. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this example on the beaches of Brazil but inside the Tuning Experience hall at the Essen Motor Show.

The VW Brasilia itself is a fascinating chapter in VW history. Born in 1973 as Volkswagen do Brasil Ltda, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in Brazil, answer to the Beetle’s limitations. It was designed to offer more space and modern styling while keeping the beloved air-cooled simplicity.

Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R Tuning Masterpiece

The Essen Motor Show has always been a playground for automotive dreams, but this year one car stole the spotlight. There are cars that define an era, and then there’s the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34, a machine so iconic it’s practically our halo car. But what happens when you take one of these legends and decide to tear it down to its bones, rebuild it better than new, and do it all in just fifty days? That’s the madness that unfolded inside the JP Performance workshop leading up to the Essen Motor Show.

The story begins with a car that’s seen more stamps in its passport than most people. It cruised through Tokyo, sat in an Australian shop, and then spent months in limbo before finally arriving in Europe. The plan was simple on paper: restore, repaint, and reassemble the R34 to perfection in time for the Essen Motor Show. In reality, it was a high-wire act with no safety net.

Renault Espace F1: The Ultimate Racing Van

Back in the mid-90s, Renault decided that celebrating the tenth anniversary of its Espace MPV wasn’t enough with balloons and cake. No, they wanted fireworks, so they built a minivan with the heart of a Formula One car. The result was the Espace F1, a machine so outrageous it still feels like a fever dream.

This wasn’t a tuned-up people carrier. Underneath its carbon-fiber body panels sat a bespoke monocoque chassis and, bolted in the middle, a 3.5-litre Renault RS5 V10 engine straight out of the Williams FW15C that dominated the 1993 F1 season. That meant nearly 800 horsepower screaming to 14,000 rpm, funneled through a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox to the rear wheels. Forget school runs, this thing could hit 100 km/h in under three seconds and top out at over 310 km/h. In a van.

The interior was just as mad. Four racing buckets, the engine visible through clear panels behind the rear seats, and absolutely no concessions to comfort. It was a family car only in the sense that four people could technically fit inside, if they didn’t mind sitting next to a V10 with ear plugs in…

Falken Mercedes EVO II Dominates Essen Show

This year’s Essen Motor Show didn’t disappoint. Among the new kids on the block and the usual suspects, one car stood out like a neon sign in a sea of chrome: a jaw-dropping Mercedes-Benz 190E that’s been making waves online for months. So now I finally had the possibility to take a closer look at this build and see all the details that make this car special.

The starting point was a humble 1991 190E. But owner Nic Stubbs didn’t just restore it, he transformed it into a full-blown EVO II tribute, complete with the iconic Falken livery. Under the bonnet sits a snarling V8 M113 engine, nestled in a meticulously cleaned and painted bay.

Suspension? Air ride, of course, paired with adjustable XLO dampers, camber tops, bespoke air bags, and custom control arms. The trunk houses the compressor and air tank in a show-ready install.

JP Performance Rauh Welt Begriff Porsche 911

You don’t just build an RWB Porsche. You join a waiting list, whisper your intent to the gods of speed, sacrifice a set of factory fenders, and prepare for the arrival of the high priest himself: Akira Nakai-san.

In 2019, German car enthusiast and TV personality JP Kraemer experienced this transformation firsthand. His Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (964), a base model that needed a lot of work, was reborn into a tire-shredding, street-slaying beast. Under the hands of Nakai-san, who flew in from Japan armed with nothing but a cutting wheel, a pack of his favorite Winston cigarettes, and a vision.

The metamorphosis starts with the signature Rauh-Welt Begriff widebody kit. Nakai-san works with surgical precision, chain-smoking and vibing to punk rock as he bolts on the flared fenders that define RWB’s unmistakable silhouette.

The Lighter, Meaner, Faster Mercedes EVO II

Some cars are rare. Some cars are special. And then there’s this: number 23 out of just 502 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16v EVO IIs ever made. But before you start polishing your monocle and muttering about “investment grade classics,” let’s get one thing straight this isn’t just any EVO II. This is the EVO II that snuck out of the factory, hit the gym, and came back 300kg lighter than its siblings.

While the standard EVO II tips the scales at 1,340kg, this one weighs in at a featherweight 1,030kg. How? By going full track-day hero: the interior has been stripped bare, leaving only two racing bucket seats and a roll cage. No plush carpets. No sound deadening. No back seats for your friends. Just pure, unfiltered motorsport.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t a show pony for concours lawns or a garage queen waiting for the next auction. This is a car built to be driven hard. Forget about investment portfolios and collector bragging rights. This EVO II is a full-on track tool, engineered for apexes and adrenaline, not velvet ropes and champagne.

Cresta GX71: Japan’s Spirit on German roads

When you can’t go to Japan, you bring Japan to you. That’s exactly what the owner of this Toyota Cresta GX71 did. And no, he didn’t just import a pristine example from the streets of Osaka. He built it. Himself. In Germany. On home turf. With grit, style, and a whole lot of mechanical wizardry.

If you didn’t know, you’d swear this thing rolled straight out of Tokyo Auto Salon. But no, I found this example in the Pace Museum that is run by JP Performance. First thing that I noticed was the stance, it is chef’s kiss. Low, aggressive, and very much Japanese. But here’s the kicker: there are no off the shelf airride kits for this car available. So if you want it low, you’ve got to get your hands dirty. And that’s exactly what happened.

A Frankenstein’s mix of parts found their way onto this Cresta to get it sitting just right. The result? Perfection. The car nestles into its fenders like it was born there, riding on SSR Speed Star MK3 wheels. 15″x9J up front and 15″x9.5J in the rear.

DP Motorsport’s Porsche 911 “Black Champ”

If Darth Vader ever gave up the Empire and took up track days, he’d drive this: the DP Motorsport 911 WTL “Black Champ” 3.6. A black-on-black symphony of wide arches, race exhaust, and pure, unfiltered Porsche aggression.

This isn’t your average 911 with a body kit and a dream. No, the “Black Champ” is built using a factory fresh Porsche WTL chassis from 1994. WTL stands for Werks Turbo Look meaning it’s got the wide hips of a Turbo, but without the actual turbo. It’s like dressing like a heavyweight boxer and still being able to dance like Muhammad Ali.

DP Motorsport, the mad geniuses from Overath in Germany, have draped it in lightweight glass fiber panels, including a bonnet and rear spoiler inspired by the Porsche SC/RS from 1984. It’s lean, mean, and looks like it’s about to punch a GT3 in the face.