It’s a brand new daybreak, it’s a brand new day, and it’s the run-up to present season 2023.
Final Dubs (UD) has lengthy since cemented its place because the signifier that one other yr of automobile reveals is upon us right here within the UK. It’s time to get the builds out of the garages and onto the streets.
It’s been virtually precisely three hundred and sixty five days since I final had the privilege of sharing the season opener with you, our beautiful Speedhunters viewers, however in 2023 I’m truly penning this earlier than I’ve acquired to the present. Please enable me to bask in some hypothesis…
By this level, UD has been so profitable that it’s turn out to be the usual format for lots of UK automobile reveals and attracts guests from throughout Europe and past. Jamie Orr even made an look final yr together with his harlequin VW Atlas and Mk3 Golf combo shipped over from the US-of-A.
I’m actually anticipating to see a wholesome collection of the best VW present automobiles on show, the vast majority of which will likely be water-cooled however with some good air-cooled examples within the combine.
I’m additionally anticipating to see just a little injection of selection on a few of the commerce stands, which aren’t restricted to VAG automobiles and convey a pleasant change of tempo to the occasion.
This yr although, I’m actually trying ahead to what I’m not anticipating to be on show.
I all the time attempt to do some detailed studying earlier than attending any occasion, figuring out previous themes and tendencies and reminding myself what years passed by have been like.
Over the previous few days I’ve fallen deep into the Dubber rabbit gap, and stumbled upon previous UD posts and images on boards I didn’t even know existed. Some courting all the best way again to 2006, when the Telford Worldwide Centre first opened its halls to fans of ‘The Individuals’s Automobile.’
What did I discover? Recaro CS seats trimmed in tan leather-based, BBS RS wheels working double step lips, and Mk5 Golfs with bespoke steel vast arches.
Now, I’m not going to regurgitate previous content material; our resident UK veterans Paddy and Ryan commented on the… ‘regarding consistency’ of the VW scene being a double-edged sword again in 2019.
Sure, a venue full of high-quality present automobiles is improbable, but when they appear the identical yr after yr then the place’s the spark?
Extra energy to the oldsters who attempt to construct the cleanest, most immaculate examples of a basic VW that they will. These automobiles actually lie in the Venn diagram of my automotive pursuits.
On the whole different finish of the spectrum, there are those that reside for social media and attempt to shock, break and offend the web to the purpose the place my Instagram crashes each time their automobiles cross my feed. Actually, it’s changing into an increasing number of frequent for individuals constructing automobiles lately to purposely keep away from similarities with ‘identified’ automobiles inside ‘the scene.’
A novel concept is all the time superb, however being totally different for the sake of it’s simply not my bag.
My final mission at Final Dubs this yr is to search out builds which might be really impressed, or that ring a bell with me such that I can’t assist however share it with you all. Each modified automobile has its place on this world, be it classically styled, nut and bolt restored, peak efficiency or balls-to-the-wall insane.
So come on Telford, convey it on. Present me what you’ve acquired.
Mario Christou
Instagram: mcwpn