Behind the shutters is a series of interviews in which we get to know the people who bring power to the people; Revo Authorised Dealers. We find out what projects they’re working on and discover what it takes to run a full time tuning shop.
This month we go #behindtheshutters with Reinhard Rode, the boss man at Werk2 Automotive. Known locally as the ‘Godfather of Lowness’, Werk2 are the guys that Volkswagen call when they want to tune a car.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Reinhard, I’m 31 years old, a complete sports freak about Ice Hockey and really passionate about cars in every way possible. It’s not just me either, my whole family is made up of petrol-heads, gasoline or speedfreaks. One of my first words was apparently ‘car’ so it’s all I’ve known and it goes back even further than that.
My Grandpa was one of the first workers at the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, and my Dad was involved in the Volkswagen Motorsport and Audi Sport team in the 1970’s and 80’s.
Let’s talk cars.
My first car was a Mk1 Volkswagen GTI wide body. I still have this car (and take it on track) and it now lives in the reception of Werk2 which is awesome, I’ve had it over 15 years.
One of my favourites was my VW Tiguan AD1 which was the first-ever tuned worldwide. We installed air-ride, with big 21″ wheels and Revo ECU Software and air intake system. I also had an electric Golf which I wish had never sold, I really enjoyed the noiseless driving and the crazy torque.
Do you prefer racing, or a weekend cruise?
Both! I really love to cruise along Lake Chiemsee with my rusty, 52HP naturally aspirated diesel 4-speed manual. Rossfeld Panoramastraße is 40km away from our shop too and it became my favourite road shortly after getting my license. From 1930 to some time in the 60’s it was used for hill climb racing so the drive up is as good as the view at the top.
I also love to do the sneaky roads up the mountains in the Alps, which are nearby. You can’t beat the Nordschleife though, it’s the most impressive and competitive place to drive.
What does Werk2 mean?
Back when I was younger, I was working as a mechanic on my friend’s cars just for fun really. We just had fun and talked a lot about cars and tuning. One thing we noticed was that there was no quality tuning companies that could offer work that compared to the standard of the manufacturers. We used to always talk about starting something called Werk2 (Factory2), with the idea that tuning cars could be done to the same standard as the manufacturer. In 2010 Werk2 Automotive GmbH was born.
We are based in a small town called Surberg, 30km from Salzburg, 100km from Munich and close to the famous Lake Chiemsee in Bavaria, Sothern Germany. Back before Werk2 was started, I was looking for somewhere to store my Mk1 Golf over winter when a friend offered the unit. It was just me, a lift and 90qm² to start, working on cars in my spare time. Over the years we have built and grown much bigger.
What makes you different?
We build peoples dream cars and offer a lot of services under one roof. We’re specialists in suspension so lowering cars, carrying out suspension development for coilovers and air suspension and setting everything up is what we’ve become known for. You don’t get the nickname ‘Godfather of Lowness’ easily.
As a Revo Authorised Dealer, and Distributor for Revo in Germany, we offer their full range of performance products. Everything from air intakes to intercoolers, wheels to performance software. To build the best cars, we need the best products.
And it’s not just suspension and looks we look after, but also performance. Not a lot of shops seem to be able to do both things well, we’re proud to be involved in both scenes. There’s a really personal experience at the shop, we welcome customers to join us in the workshop and watch the transformation.
Introduce us to your team.
Waldi – The mechanic. There is nothing he can’t handle in our garage.
Alex – Mister Social Media, he’s always on the hunt for the best photographs.
Susan – The infamous ‘Miss Magneto’ uses her skills to manage the whole ‘MagSign®’ side of the business and also handles all the financial stuff.
Martin – Trainee full of passion!
What are your favourite builds?
So many it’s hard to choose, but I’ll be biased and say both of the Werk2 builds; 2018 Volkswagen Passat Alltrack and our Audi TT RS 8S.
Volkswagen Passat 2.0TSI
The Passat is the perfect sleeper, 2.0TSI 220HP 4 Motion so plenty of room for more power, very big interior and pure luxury when cruising. We wanted this to be a low-key car, something that only car-guys and girls would notice. It has airbags installed, Revo Carbon Series air intake system, intercooler and pipe upgrade kit. It’s also running a modified IS38 turbo, so pushing out around 430BHP & 591NM torque with Revo ECU Software. Oh, there is also a massive set of Audi Sport carbon ceramic brakes on it too.
The TT RS is a completely different matter, however.
Audi TT RS 2.5TFSI
The power to weight ratio of this car is insane, not to mention the sound 5 cylinders brings. I’ve never been as impressed with a car as this one. It’s so difficult to remember the modifications made to the TT RS as we’ve done so much. I’ll make a bold claim and say that this is probably the most modified TT RS around the globe. It’s running the Revo Big Brake Kit up front, super light OZ wheels, full printed wrap, big Audi Sport wing, Revo carbon Series air intake system, Revo intercooler (more news soon) and intercooler pipe upgrade kit, oh and R8 seats.
At 400PS and 480NM, this is a fast car straight out of the factory. It’s only when you start to add some Revo magic it really steps things up a notch. Revo ECU performance software boosts things up to 490PS and 590NM, that’s +90PS and +110NM. We are working directly with Revo under its Global Development Programme. The TTRS is running on the next level of performance ECU Software, pushing out around 550BHP and 740NM, but this isn’t yet available until the calibration team sign everything off.
Global Development Programme
We worked closely with Revo during development through their Global Development Programme to intensively test and refine the software over twelve months. Rather than being pulled, the hike in torque gives the feeling of a firm push from the bottom of your back, and it’s really addictive. I did some testing on track at Salzbugring at the time and remember killing every Porsche and BMW, nobody passed me. The additional protection features included in the software are the best. It really gives peace of mind and lets you enjoy driving knowing that power is limited if oil temps are too low or high, along with lots of other impressive features.
What tips do you have for someone with a tuned car?
- Always take care when it comes to temperatures; hot and cold!
- Don’t skip important upgrades, a 500HP car with bad brakes or suspension is not useful.
- Don’t use poor quality parts and expect top end performance.
How has the tuning industry changed over the years?
Ten years ago tuning was only ever done on older cars. Most big builds were on cars that were at least five years old. Now we’re seeing cars that are only a year or so old, and some that haven’t even done 1000km.
Thanks for reading
Thanks to Reinhard. To keep up to date on Werk2’s latest projects and builds, or to find out more about Revo products, head over to their Instagram or visit their website.
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Revo products are available in over 40 countries through a global network of over 400 authorised dealers. Far from your average garage, these guys know their stuff when it comes to performance products and fitting them – we have strict standards for those who wish to fly the Revo banner. Backed by a dedicated support team here at Revo HQ, and with decades of experience working on Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG) and Ford vehicles, our dealer network offers advice and support to help you on your path to more power and greater enjoyment of your vehicle.
