With test drives on hold and the auto industry on lock down, we decided to use this lengthy free time to show you what our team members drive on a daily basis. GTspirit focuses on supercars, anything 911 and above, but our team members are not bound by the same rules and that means an interesting array of cars.
That said, meet the cars…try not to read through with a serious face.
The Boss: Mercedes-Benz G500
IG: @mrdes – Munich, Germany
Des is the team leader and founder of GTspirit, his current drive is a 2019 Mercedes-Benz G500, an upgrade from his previous gen G63 AMG. Very tall man, 6 or 7 feet and it’s easy to spot him running errands in Munich. For that reason, a G is the only car that suits him.
Grandpa: VW Polo
IG: jpnlcl55, The Netherlands
Grandpa or JPN is the village elder, the wise man in the team who never misses to drop a quote in the group every morning for the last 5 plus years. His current drive is a VW Polo, which he acquired after selling off his CL55 AMG citing high maintenance costs. His real age is not known and he is not in any government database.
His wording: “What can I say, it’s a VW Polo, it will get you safely from A to B in a relatively comfortable and economical way. But, and I’m quoting the great Richard H here, “I’ll guarantee that nothing exciting, vibrant, dynamic, new, creative, hopeful or beneficial in any way to humanity has ever been done, thought of or driven to in this drab, dreary, black, willfully awful pile of misery.”
Nobster: BMW M2 Competition
IG: brezelbert Germany
Norbert has always been a BMW man and one of the earliest GTspirit members. He currently drives a 2019 BMW M2 Competition and you can catch it in between driving events that he organizes around Germany. Though employed by a tech company, he spends most of his days fighting off wild boars that constantly raid his home.
His Words: “I love the look, size, proportions, power and handling of the M2 Competition. Although it’s a modern car with quite a lot of electronics and stuff, it is still a unperfect perfect Driver’s car. It gives Response to the Driver, which quickly leads to addiction.
Impossible to put the love of this driving machine into one sentence, it’s too much fun!”
Drake: BMW M135i…the 6 cylinder one.
IG: thezaidchronicles United Kingdom
Zaid is one of our main test drive editors, a funny character to say the least and quite a handful to deal with on a day to day basis. He is also friends with Boris. He currently drives a 2016 BMW M135i, the first LCI model to arrive in the UK, this facelift only lived for a short while before being replaced by the M140i.
You can check out some of Zaid’s recent adventures in the links below, but before that, let’s hear what he has to say about his car!
His Words: “Rear wheel drive, 6 cylinder, great noise. Dislike having to buy new tires because #TokyoDrift.”
Earl: Subaru WRX STI Type S
IG: earl.karanja Kenya
Donkey farmer and car lover in charge of content development here. Mostly known for turning down marriage proposals from 8 of 10 sisters of the GT team members, currently married to the last 2. He drives a 2015 Subaru STI Type S which he says was his long time dream car from memories of watching Safari Rally as a child.
His Words: “Very engaging car, 6 speed manual that doesn’t like an itchy foot. A manual box + a hydraulic power steering rack makes you experience a true man vs machine connection. Best car for those Sunday afternoon back road drives”
Loz: VW Golf 7
IG: loz1234gts United Kingdom
Another test drive editor from the UK, he practices law by day. While on a trip to Africa to visit Earl’s donkey farm, he encountered a bearded African python that spit on him, he lost the ability to blink but his sight improved tenfold. He drives a Golf 7, one in grey, another in black, can’t get enough of them.
Dave: VW Golf 7 R
IG: andrewddavidson United Kingdom
Man like Dave Engineer in the team who works with a major gearbox supplier in the Motorsport industry. In charge of our FB and occasionally does test drives too. He drives a Golf 7 R, a manual version instead of the popular DSG. His hobbies include mud sports, mud sports and mud sports. Like Zaid, he is also friends with BoJo.
Martin: BMW M140i and Aventador SV Roadster
IG: lifeinyears, Dubai and Switzerland
He was supposed to play Frodo in Lord of the Rings but they said he didn’t have enough hair, instead of giving up, he took advantage of Bitcoin. He is the trader within our group and has done several test drives as well. Now living the good life between Dubai and Switzerland, Martin is one of the few people to have met the famous Nigerian Prince in person after exchanging emails. He drives a BMW M140i 3dr and a Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster.
His Words:
Daily: BMW M140i
Love: It’s the perfect pocket rocket, a lot of fun on twisty roads and thanks to AWD has lots of traction at any times.
Hate: Nothing much really.
Weekend: Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster
Love: The looks, the sound (Lamborghini Racing Exhaust System) and it’s a convertible!
Hate: Are you kidding me?
Amanda: DKY Evo II
IG: armandoosoyo Mexico
Real name Armando, and one of the earliest beneficiaries of the Earl’s donkey farm. He currently drives a DKY Evo II pictured below, this has massive improvements over the Evo I, and according to Earl it can survive without water for 90 days. It has a range of 800km on a single feed – walking by night resting by day, and 500km if the opposite is done. Not your average Mexican boy, always angry and very hardworking. He is currently building a wall of his own.
Philipp: 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280GE
IG: philipprupprecht, Germany
If you have seen Novitec’s press releases, he is the guy that does their photography work. Very talented. He once helped me smuggle fake Brazilian hair through his apartment in Germany, we made some good money moving 100s of kgs per week, women in South Africa loved it. He is an old school ragged kind of guy and his daily is a 1984 Mercedes-Benz 280GE.
His Words: “I love the feel of driving it. It’s just so different to driving a modern car. It really makes you enjoy doing 80kph on a highway, and if you go on gravel roads, you only notice the difference to tarmac by the huge dust cloud behind you ”
Jan: BMW X5 and Porsche Boxster
He Doesn’t have insta. Germany
Car trader and the guy to go to for cheap car deals. He uses his 2004 X5 to ferry cars from one corner of Europe to the other. On weekends he casually drives around in the Boxster. Old Mercs are his specialty, military Jeeps and more. Cars formerly owned by the Timbuktu cartel have also changed hands through him.
Mitch: Suzuki Swift
IG: mitchwilschut, The Netherlands
Formerly a model for playboy and Victoria secrets, Mitch is the guy with looks and combed hair. His hobbies are netball, volleyball and driving a beautiful convertible while drinking a cool drink. Talented photographer too, he drives a Suzuki Swift which are very popular among models.
His words: “Like: Really nice special color. Hate; it’s sloooooowwww♂️”
Yaron: Fiat 500 S
IG: aaronandcars, Ireland
Italian living in Ireland, Yaron is a photographer who attends events on behalf of GTspirit from time to time. Ever since he moved to Ireland his life has changed. See, young Yaron grew up on wine, vineyards and football, but life in Ireland means he has to love beer and rugby. But other than adding a few pounds due to his adjusted taste for beer, he is doing just fine.
He drives a Fiat 500 S and these are his words: “This is my very italian car: Fiat 500 S in a Blue Italia metallic paint inspired by the italian sky, wrapped in a sporty look that represent in full the way we drive in italy :) Love it because it’s stylish and cheap to run.. Hate it because it’s not an Abarth and it has just a 1.2l petrol engine….W l’Italia! ”
Jens: 1990 Maserati 430
IG: autochronista , Germany
Jens is a gun for hire by car magazines and has been in the industry longer than most of us, he does not only know his way around cars but also works (like Dave) in the gearbox industry. He writes for GTspirit.de mainly which is in German. He drives a 1990 Maserati 430 when he is not testing cars.
His words: “I bought this four-door Biturbo derivative in perfect condition during college, then had it in storage for a few years and put it back onto the road two and a half years ago. It’s incredibly luxurious inside, has 250 horsepower and weighs nothing. I have taken it everywhere, from Monte Carlo to Castel del Monte to the Trollstigen in Middle Norway. As I drive a lot of test cars, it doesn’t get too many kilometers.”
Chester: Nissan GT-R
IG: chester_ng_hk, Hong Kong
Commercial photographer from Hong Kong, and an all round car guy whose daily drive is a Nissan GT-R. A man of few words, he will leave you on “seen” then reply after one year. Currently dating an emperor’s daughter.
Philipp: ABT Audi RS6 Avant C7
IG: philippluecke, Germany
Yes! Another Philipp, we have so many but typical Germans…always running out of names. This Philipp drives a 700hp Audi RS6 Avant with an ABT special package, beast of a car, these wagons can move mountains in 1st or 2nd gear. On a normal day he is selling cars.
His Words: “I love the raw power which make all 4 wheels spin and accelerate like crazy especially in the first gears. I hate that it looks kind of old since the new one came out.”
Nicholas TJR: BMW E46 M3
IG: nicholastjr, Singapore
Singapore is not a country for the faint hearted car guy, they have taxes the size of a whale’s penis. In Singapore they tax your tax, then tax it again; when you seem to be recovering, they tax you again. Stay down. Driving an E46 M3 in SG like our brother Nicholas is the equivalent of driving a brand new 2020 RS7 or RS6, or a used Ferrari 458 in Europe…oh well. There’s only 15 units of E46 M3s in Singapore including 3 CSLs and none is for sale. This one has a CSL carbon intake, Supersprint midpipe and Hamann rear muffler.
Rico: Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate
IG: riconowara Germany
Drone operator and employee at AMG, lover of wagons and all things Mercedes-Benz. He was taken to court for stealing memes and selling them on whatsapp, good but risky business.
Willster: 2017 Yamaha XSR700
IG: willemdezeeuw, The Netherlands
One of 2 bikers in the group. Willem started off as a car photographer before moving on to work with various brands in sales and marketing, social media and more. We have a phrase called “doing a willem”. Which means reporting or telling something that has already been told by someone else. Willem is always behind news. Lack of internet in his village could be to blame, internet is very expensive in Holland and only a few homes have access to it, for that reason many Hollanders carry tiny FM radios instead of phones.
Anyway, his Yamaha XSR700, this is what he has to say: “Saw the bike for the first time at the Akrapovic factory during the GTspirit Tour in 2015 or 2016. Love at the first sight because of its retro look and modern technique . Got my license in 2017 and bought the bike 2 days after. It is also very easy to customize to your personal taste so I did. It is a two cylinder so great torque in the lower revs and nice sound.”
Fabian: 2018 Audi RS3 Sportback
IG: fabianraeker, Germany
Former gang leader of a spotter group named “Small Fingers Big Cameras”, they harassed supercar owners across Europe; from Monaco to Cannes, London to Paris, Geneva to Marbella and more. A lot has changed over the years and he now drives one of the most powerful hot hatches in the market, the RS3 Sportback. The gang has since broken up, former members include Willem (above), Mitch, and the 2 twins Thom and Jesper whom we cannot share their cars as they are in jail in Congo.
Bruce: BMW ///M550d Touring
IG: besenreiter, Austria
When we talk of sleepers, this is one. And Bruce knows that too, his BMW ///M550d Touring packs 400bhp and 760nm of torque. Horsepower is not important here, you will realize the full extent nature of this car when overtaking…pure bliss. It’s the kind of car that screams “boring maths professor in his 5th marriage”, but once it moves you realize it’s actually “maths professor with 5 wives in 5 cities”.
His words: “What I love: it‘s a sleeper, like a simple sales guy 520d, but a 911 turbo driver will think his engine is broken, when u give him a hunt from 100-200km/h. After that he gets some air but u have the guy broken 50km later, ‘cause his fuel is empty
What I hate: it‘s a diesel ”
Keno: 2018 BMW 125d
IG: kenozache, Germany
Another talented photographer, Keno’s works with various dealerships in Germany mainly shooting supercars. He is also a diesel guy, he says petrol is bad for the environment and has attended all of Greta’s campaigns in Europe, kicked out of the last one for staring at Greta for too long without blinking.
Brad: 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6R
IG: b4rad, Australia
Second biker in the group, all the way from Australia meet Brad, he likes to think of himself as a bad boy. Tattoos all over, nipple rings, split tongue, leather pants and a fast bike…scary guy right? Truth is he is just fluffy puppy who only wants to be patted and rubbed. He will sit and watch hours of Peppa Pig reruns with bold sub titles on…endless.
His words: “I love the bike because it is fast as ****.”
Steven: 2020 Audi A4 Facelift
IG: stevenvaneeckhaute, Belgium
Steven covers everything motoring in Belgium, especially events related to the Spa circuit. He drives the latest Audi A4 Avant which was just recently facelifted. As you can see, we have many wagon lovers in the group. It’s also a diesel, the 30 TDI with 136hp but he says there is a company that ups that with a simple tune to 200hp.
His words: “I like : It’s brand new and a really good ride!
Don’t like : MMI system really sucks! The MMI constantly stops, doesn’t connect with the phone as it should and in the middle of a phone call it shuts down. They tell me it’s a problem with all 2020 A4s and that they can’t give a solution “now”. Besides that it’s a really nice car.”
Niels: 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250
IG: nielsphotos, Germany
Hollander living in Germany, a photographer turned corporate man just like his car suggests. People who don’t like dogs buy cars like the CLA, and since Niels is tall, he has to drive this 4 door coupe from the rear seat by effectively removing the front seat. Other than being a chick magnet for college girls on their final transition to college dropouts, it’s a car for mean people like Niels.
His words: “Love the looks of the car, it’s very sporty and makes a great daily. Just the safety systems need some tweaking, they compensate my driving too much like lane keeping. Or the auto brake assist.. I like to drive it with as little assistance as possible. For a 250 it has quite a good sound too.
Hope you are enjoying your Subaru” … what do you think, of course i am Niels!
Dominique: VW Up! TSI
The Netherlands
Sweet little car, the German version of Kei cars…and those are fun! Meet Dominique, young chap, funny and loves cars.
His Words: “Its my first car, VW UP! TSI. Most annoying thing about the car; when I’m driving on the highway and I stick my hand out of the window, the car turns.”
On that last part about sticking his hand out and disrupting balance of the car: guess the length of his hands…hint, he can wrap his hand around his neck and still scratch his bum.
There may be one or two guys who did not submit their cars like @TurbomanGermany and we will add that later. For now, that is the team for you!
