Citi makeover brings out the inner beast

I’VE ALWAYS maintained the VW CitiGolf is a veritable Ferrari for the working class.

In some instances, the car has been transformed from a local “runabout” to a very capable quarter-mile pace-setter.

Moreover, the Citi is a car that inspires driver passion through its virtually unlimited scaleability potential.

This week we feature yet another of the growing number of local performance motoring enthusiasts. Suhana Balrajh has a passion for all things automotive. In particular she is a huge fan of the VW marque.

Her passion for VWs has seen her become one of only a few female members of the locally run VW Illest car club.

Balrajh is 21 and lives in Phoenix, north of Durban.

While her 2005 Citi Golf is by no means a dragster, it boasts the right kind of stuff to set it apart from the hordes of generic-looking local clones.

Mechanically, while her car is still kitted with the standard 1.4-litre carburettor-fed motor, it has been custom fine-tuned to deliver an optimal performance output.

The car has a four-into-one branch with a 50mm stainless steel performance exhaust system ending in dual tail pipes.

The suspension has been customised to accommodate a 40mm drop all round.

A set of Velociti mag wheels mated to Dunlop 195/50/15 rubbers aids road adhesion and bolsters cornering ability.

The exterior of this crimson cruiser reflects form and function through a Webasto sunroof with a customised black roof and bonnet.

For the interior, a complete Velocity interior retrofit was commissioned, along with the installation of a decent sound system comprising a Jensen head unit that powers a pair of 6-inch mids, 4x6 speakers and twin tweeters.

There is also an XL Audio amplifier, which powers an XTC 12-inch subwoofer and a pair of 6x9s.

It was not disclosed how much money was spent on this upgrade. SERVICE PROVIDERS: • Sound Lab • Auto Style • Midas