It Runs in the Family - Eugene and Edmund's Golf Mk IV & V

What defines family? In my opinion, you don't have to be blood-related to somebody for that person to be part of your family. What really defines this term is, I believe, the heart, and it's with this definition that Eugene and Edmund consider themselves as family, as father and son, even when they are not blood-related.

Get to know these two men, and you will see just how alike they are, especially in their tastes for cars: Edmund's four-wheeled love is a Golf Mk IV while Eugene's heart beats for his Golf Mk V.

Edmund's story started 11 years ago, when he saw this rare (for Singapore roads) manual transmission Mk IV, and after asking Eugene and his friends whether he should get it, he was greatly encouraged to do so, especially since the Golf was in pristine condition.

He then fell deep in love with the Volkswagen and, after respraying the beauty in a BMW silver gown, asked help from Eugene and his performance garage, RS Tuning, to make it even better. This is how the spiral of modifications that any car enthusiast out there knows about started for the Mk IV.

Braking power was upgraded with a 4 pot Rotora kit for the front while the rear wheels were equipped with Audi TT rear brakes. To complete the handling performance, the Golf saw Bilstein PSS9 coilovers replace the stock suspension, which greatly improved the car's nimbleness while making it stick to the road like a leech.

With the upgraded control, RS Tuning had more room to play with to get more power out of the four cylinder engine and the larger intake manifold and Pipercross Air Induction system now make sure the powerplant breathes properly. In addition to this, a high-pressure fuel pump came to complement the updated injectors to make sure the engine doesn't starve on fuel.

Singapore's hot weather around the year makes it very unfriendly to engines' heat management, especially turbocharged ones, so the Golf was upgraded with a Nishimoto radiator and Mocal oil cooler to make sure overheating is not to be feared. Finally, a Milltek exhaust system was fitted to let the Mk IV expel the exhaust gases more freely and sing her sweet melody.

For the sound-off, Eugene has complemented Edmund's Golf's build with a Custom Code Phase 3 ECU tune which makes all the upgrade components work together as one.

The love Edmund has for his Mk IV is even more obvious when sitting inside, where the 11 year-old interior doesn't even give a hint of its age with very well maintained leather upholstery. A Golf Mk VI steering wheel has been retro-fitted along with a Momo gear knob for a greater driving comfort. What lies under the hood is hinted by the three Defi gauges that help Edmund keep the water and oil temperatures and turbo boost in check when he lets the playful Golf express herself on the road.

The Mk IV is a car that not only looks good, but also drives amazingly well, even better with the upgrades done to it and after taking it for a quick spin, I totally understand why Edmund cherishes it so much: the steering is firm and responsive and the car is just waiting for you to tickle the right pedal to jump forward and dance nimbly through traffic on a rhythm given by the involving manual gear shifting.

Edmund works as a parallel importer of continental cars, specialised in Mercedes, BMW and Audi, and thus has the opportunity to drive and own quite a wide range of cars, but out of all his choice, his heart only beats for one car and his hands always reach for the Mk IV's keys.

Eugene, on his side, has owned his Mk V GTI for 5 years, and after he bought it new, he proceeded to apply RS Tuning's magic on it. RS Tuning is specialised in German cars, with a particular affinity for Audi and Volkswagen, and Eugene's Golf now breathes through a DBilas Dynamic air intake system and features brand new engine internals such as a new set of con rods and pistons, a high-pressure fuel pump and a more performant Owen Development Hybrid K04 turbo.

Eugene's black Mk V looks almost stock, with only minor cosmetic changes on the outside, and other than the Milltek exhaust, the 4 pot AP Racing brakes fitted behind the front rims and the lowered ride height thanks to APX coilovers, nothing really hints the performance hidden under the hood, making this Golf a sleeper as we like it.

The interior of this Golf is as unsuspecting as the outside, with the only a Defi gauge neatly inserted in the driver's side air-vent giving out that this car is not all stock under the hood. The expert eye will also spot a retro-fitted OEM Edition 30 gear knob and brake lever and an aftermarket head unit. Nothing else tells you that Eugene has done all these mods to the Mk V, let alone that he reflashed the ECU with a Custom Code Phase 3 tune to produce more power and the DSG gearbox with yet another Custom Code tune for smarter shifts, handled by the carbon fiber gear shift-plate.

"Father" and "son" regularly roam the streets of Singapore in their mother and sister Mk IV and V, cruising through traffic with the grace and nimbleness of a couple of sharks, ready to feast on any prey ignorant enough to underestimate these two monsters.