After searching for what seems like months and months of trying to find some of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful cars, we have been fortunate to feast our eyes on quite the car indeed. It was a treat to see such a beautiful piece of machinery as Ben Thomas’ B5 wagon. We were graced with its presence after a mere conversation with Ben regarding our work and the small talk about his wagon began. At the time, I had no idea that this was the same
Ben who built the most tasteful and influential S4 converted RS4 widebodies of our time, that I had been following ever since I had stumbled upon
TheSteppedOut.com • Index page. Ben started in the scene at a young age, building Hondas around the greater Seattle area. He fell in love with tuning and the idea of making his creations unique and personal, all while maintaining a clean, sophisticated demeanor that showcased who he is as an individual. This build in all aspects is a reiteration of that notion.
What strikes me as the most important part about Ben is that he is extremely modest and humble about his work; yet he felt it important to share absolutely everything that I could ever want to ask or know, before I could even have the chance to even formulate the ideas about what I wanted to say, let alone say them. It was fantastic. Finally, I had found someone who was truly passionate about their obsession with the car world. Ben is eager and proud of his creation. I could sense it in his voice when he explained all about the transformation and how it came to be. His original plan, as he states was to make a 1000 AWHP wagon that would be a standout on the Texas mile. However, his plans were scaled down, when his wife announced the birth of their first child. With the child as a priority, Ben decided that it would be more feasible to start with the exterior and interior of the car as it would be more cost effective and less of a headache in searching for the parts needed to build a monster motor, at the time in his life where quality time with the family was a necessity.
Ben purchased the RS4 kit on a whim, with the idea in his mind of one day building one of the most sleek and seductive machines in the euro scene, thus far. This kit was paired, of course, with the RS4 widebody fenders, rear bumper, grille, RS4 Valeo headlights, Wagner dual intercoolers and intercooler mesh, as well as custom made fender vents to keep the air flow circulating magnificently. The engine received Forge diverter valves to release any unneeded pressure from the turbo, a J-Fonz Tuning stage II tune to boost his car’s throttle response as well as increase power all around, and a straight piped exhaust and midpipe that would be sure to wake up his neighbors and cause some unneeded commotion amongst the neighborhood.
Ben decided to get his hands on some of the most decadent and sought after wheels from a manufacturer called ADV1 out of California. The Track Spec as ADV1 calls them, are a custom 3 piece creation with a 10 spoke design in 19×10.5 all around. Yes, you heard correct! They’re 19×10.5 all around, with enough dish to eat off of. With the gigantic wheels ordered, Ben purchased a set of Alcon six piston calipers for the front and Wilwood four piston rears, with enough gusto to stop almost any moving object dead in its tracks. These paired with 14.5 inch rotors in the front and 12.1 inch rotors in the rear, made his car comparable to that of a supercar, when speaking of stopping capability. Isn’t it fitting while talking about supercars, that Ben decided to paint his car just like one. He settled perhaps the most tedious decision of all, by going with Grigio Silverstone from the Ferrari F430. It’s quite a miraculous color that suits the wagon perfectly in any light and will leave the most die hard enthusiast speechless with it’s radiating luminescence.
With most details left untouched in the interior, Ben finally added a few final key elements to his already astounding masterpiece. The Lamborghini Gallardo steering wheel is quite an astonishing addition with a large price tag and even larger presence amongst the barren interior, that has been stripped of most of its stock bits and pieces. He also added an O Carbon Steering wheel and interior trim package for the car that outfitted the entire interior with carbon accents. Another speechless addition for the car would be the Sparco DTM GT2 RS seats out of a DTM cup race car with custom orange “RS” logos and beautifully handcrafted, diamond stitched suede. These seats speak for themselves and are probably the most comfortable and attractive racing seats, known to man. The few integral additions that Ben has developed are the definitive clinchers that set the bar even higher when comparing this wagon, to other built wagons of similar caliber.
In all honesty, it really would seem that this particular wagon is in a class entirely of it’s own. A class where beauty truly meets it’s maker.
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Ben Thomas’ B5 Wagon | Lowered.Eu – Got Stance?
(pelo menos no interior)