quattro Magazine Q4 2019: Member Profile

Editor’s note: This article originally ran in the q4_2019 issue of quattro Magazine.

Member Profiles

Each month, our editors choose a selection of Audi Club members’ personal cars to share with quattro Magazine readers. If you would like to see your car featured, send your name, hometown, model, model year information, and a short paragraph about yourself to [email protected].

Joe Foster, Instagram @gmgracing or @joefoster05 
2016 Audi SQ5 | Irvine, CA
Cars have been a way of life as long as I can remember. Working at GMG I first fell in love with the Audi brand when we began racing them years ago. During this time, I have made so many friends through racing and being involved with Audi at the track. The whole Audi Sport customer racing staff and team are some of my dearest friends now. The Four Rings brings us all together. Of course, being part of a championship winning team here at GMG Racing is also a plus.

This is my 2016 SQ5 in Daytona Grey Pearl. I love my car. It’s everything I wanted. The car didn’t stay stock for long thanks to the awesome guys I work with at GMG and our partners. It’s got 21-inch Vorsteiner VFF-103 wheels in satin black, Pirelli tires, H&R sport lowering springs, APR carbon fiber intake, APR back pipe and carbon inlet, trim blackout from Protective Film solutions, emblem blackout from GMG racing, a honeycomb black grille, Audi rings puddle lights and Audi brushed aluminum pedal kit.

Benson Ray Jr. 
2019 Audi S5 Sportback | Greensboro, GA

My love of Audi runs deep. As a former Lone Star chapter director and a military transplant, I recently purchased a new S5 Sportback, making the seventh Audi in my family over the past 10 years. I am looking to increase that number to eight by upgrading my wife’s Q7 to the new e-tron.  

Pawel Skwara 
2016 Audi RS 7 | Mt Prospect, IL 

This is my fifth Audi that I was dreaming about since it was released. After my 2000 A6 2.7T, C6 S6 V10, C7 S6, and A4 2.0T (my son’s car), I was lucky enough to purchase this beauty.  

The photo was taken on Memorial Day weekend at the Tail of the Dragon that I was driving with a group of other Audi 4.0 enthusiasts. It was the first time I did drive it like I stole it. The RS 7 eats those corners like it was made for it and never showed me any weakness. This car is amazing. 

Kevin Gierhahn 
2018 Audi S3 | Mesa, AZ 

I love the club, just joined, and did my first event with the Arizona Chapter. This is my first Audi and I couldn’t be happier with my choiceBlack optics, S sport seats and S sport package options. The car is Audi exclusive paint code 2D8. I was told by the dealership and Audi North America at time of purchase, it’s the only ’18 S3 ordered in this color. I know there are S3 Sportbacks in Europe, and RS 3s and TT RS’ here in the states painted in greens, but I haven’t seen any other 2018 S3 sedans in this color. I plan to take it to as many events as possible and modify it extensively and properly. Now go get out and drive! 

Paul Gazella
2004 Audi A4 1.8T Ultrasport and 2015 S5 Coupé | Stow, OH

I bought this A4 back in January 2005 as a CPO when it only had 27K miles on it. It’s a 1.8T with the Ultrasport package, with quattro and a 6speed manual. It’s among the first batch of Ultrasports made for the US market (built in September of 2003). It has also been certified by Audi of America to be a 1 of 1 built with all of the color/option configurations for a 2004 model. 
 
The car has undergone many transformations over the past 13 years. It currently has over 375K miles on the odometer. Needless to say, I drive just about anywhere, including founding the quattro de Mayo event that is now hosted by the Georgia Chapter. It’s been a perfect all-season car. It’s unstoppable in winter with a set of winter tires. It’s a great long-distance cruiser for road trips and also fun to toss around on twisty roads or at Audi Club track eventseven driven by Randy Pobst! 
 
The A4 is currently set up with a GT2871R Eliminator turbo tuned by Motoza Performance, Magnaflow exhaust, Bilstein PSS9 coilover suspension, Stoptech BBK, JHM short shifter/linkage, ECS Tuning RA4 Stage 2 clutch kit, and a few other goodies both for performance and cosmetics. I owe big thanks to German Auto Pros in Parma Heights, Ohio who have been instrumental in keeping it on the road! 
 
I picked my S5 up this year. It’s my new summer daily while the A4 assumes the role of winter use. It’s Sepang Blue with the black Alcantara interior, and has a 6speed manual with the Sport Differential. It is entirely stock for now apart from a CR15 front strut tower brace and an ECS Tuning rear control arm brace. Both improve steering input and keeping the rear end stable around turns.  It’s a fantastic car. 

Tony Antov | Denver, CO 
2017 Audi S7 

I am a huge Audi fan, an easy going and fun-loving car enthusiast. So far I’ve had a 2013 Audi RS 5 and then swapped that for a more family friendly 2017 Audi S7. I am in love with Audi blues and that’s the reason why both my cars are finished in this amazing color. 

Philip Monk 
2001 Audi TT Roadster | Marietta, GA 

This is our Mk 1 roadster with 55,000 miles. We are the third owners and this is our 12thAudi of 13. We currently own a 2016 TTS coupe and a Q5, as well. This is our third Mk 1 TT, but the previous two were coupes – a 2000 and a 2006. We decided we needed a roadster for the nice spring and fall days in Atlanta and found this low mileage roadster on eBay in Chicago. We’ve owned the car for 3-1/2 years, and while it’s no match for my 2016 TTS, it’s fun to drive on nice days. 

Ricardo Lugo 
2018 Audi Q3 Sport | Lewisville, TX 

This is my Q3 Sport Premium Plus Competition Package in Hainan Blue. I was in the final steps of getting a Q5 when I saw this beauty on the dealership’s website.  When I inquired about it the salesperson found out I was driving another blue vehicle, so he brought this beauty for me to see. That was love at first sight. I love the uniqueness of my Q3, especially the color and the wheels.