0 comments / Posted by Nathan Fugleberg

It's been a solid few months since the last time we covered the Lazzimoto Panzer project. And after seeing the Panzer MK7 GLI at FixxFest back in November, we knew we definitely needed to do an update post about this car. Being that the MK7 GLI is relatively new to the market, there are a few challenges that owners face. Anytime you modify a brand new vehicle, a lack of parts and aftermarket support for the platform is something that may cross your mind. Luckily, this didn't stop Andres Lazzizzera from putting his new GLI under the knife to add some tasteful upgrades.

Andres is a long time close friend of UroTuning, and we are so excited to be able to help him make his new GLI unique. Originally from Cape Coral, Florida, Andres now resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee and takes his 6 speed 35th Anniversary Edition GLI to a ton of meets around the area.

Andres hits up local meets as well as farther away events including traveling down to Atlanta for some of the larger shows such as Helen for the Alpine VAG Fair, Wookies in the Woods, and the occasional spirited drive through the infamous Tail of the Dragon!

Anyone who lives anywhere near the famous Tail of the Dragon road should definitely own a car that is fun to drive, which leads us to Andres tasteful and driver-focused modification list.

When Andres isn't tooling around with his MK4 GLX VR6 Race build, he is applying his motorsport inspired style to his daily MK7 GLI, aiming to keep the car stealthy yet aggressive. Andres coined his build the Panzer project, a name inspired by the infamously aggressive Panzer Tank featuring sharp edges and impressive speed for its size.

Andres kicked off modifying his MK7 GLI with a AWE Performance Track exhaust straight from UroTuning. Being that the MK7 GLI was an entirely new vehicle at the time, this was one of the first aftermarket exhausts on a MK7 GLI in the country!

After getting to know and love the new AWE exhaust system, Andres paired it up with a 3" Unitronic downpipe, pushing the Panzer to an entirely new level. "I had no idea what was to come... the walls began to shake on a cold start in the shop. Everyone knows i'm in town now!"

Although the car is relatively new, Andres Lazzizzera has wasted no time in getting to work on building the Panzer project to exactly where he wants it to be.

Major mods to the vehicle aside from the aforementioned AWE exhaust and Unitronic downpipe include a full carbon fiber Unitronic Intake system with carbon air duct, Unitronic turbo inlet pipe, Stage 2 Unitronic tune, ST coilovers, and a set of gorgeous Rotiform FLG wheels wrapped in some sticky Toyo Proxys. Andres says his favorite aspects of the car are the 6 speed transmission that makes it a joy to drive, and its overall stealth look with the ability to surprise you when you really get on it!

Although the Panzer GLI is a near perfect daily, it's still fun to dream of what you would drive if money were no object. Andres says he would likely go with a spec'd out Audi RS6 Avant with wide body from ABT and of course a good tune. "Perfect for grocery-getting and taking fancy cars to Gapplebee's!"

Andres says that other than a fairly smooth experience with this car, his main obstacle has been limited availability of aftermarket resources. Being that the model is fairly new, many products such as coilovers are still in development, making finding both the part itself as well as resources for installation a bit difficult.

Having difficulties with a build, as many know, is just a part of the process, and is part of what makes modifying cars such a fun and challenging passion. Lazzizzera's words of advice for any newcomers to the car modification game would be to have friends that can offer a helping hand. They may not have all the answers but they certainly make working on your car more enjoyable. Do your research! As the old saying goes; measure twice and cut once, and of course HAVE FUN! This is your hobby and your passion, so no matter how frustrating things can become at times, remember why you love it, and make it enjoyable and take pride in your hard work.

As far as the future of the MK7 GLI Panzer Project, this vehicle is meant to be a daily driver to get Andres to and from racing events, so he plans to keep it relatively mild as far as extreme modification goes. However, on the horizon Andres has eventual plans for air suspension and a custom one-off wide body kit. We can't wait to see what's in store for this project but for now we'll just have to keep an eye out for the Panzer GLI on the streets of Chattanooga!

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