Anytime the topic of stance comes up, there are certain cars that always come to mind. Michaelmark5′s R32 is definitely one of them. Look past the killer ride height and you see a perfectly planned set of RS’s with Toyo T1R rubber holding on for dear life. The exterior is finished off with subtle OEM+ styling but the interior is where the magic happens. The cabin got a big helping of peanut butter leather including the dash.


I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with Mike for long enough to get a few questions in:

JP@GS: What’s your full name?

Mike: Mike Petrino

JP@GS: How long have you been into the VW scene?

Mike: Ten years

JP@GS: How many VW(s) have you owned before this?

Mike: 8

JP@GS: Is this the first stage this car has been through?

Mike: No my car is always changing

JP@GS: I hear your quite a wheel whore. How many sets of wheels do you own?

Mike: Haha only 4 sets at this time but at one point last year I had 8 sets of wheels…I have a problem.lol

JP@GS: Your car is clean and simple. Was that the goal you had while planning
things out?

Mike: Yeah I liked what Volkswagen sent to the states but my car needed to be MY car. So I knew the interior needed to be addressed first. It had to be OEM quality and it had to flow with the DBP paint.

JP@GS: Your interior is one of my favorites stateside. Tell us about it.

Mike: Thank you.The interior is still a work in progress but the dash and all seats and door sills and the trunk are all wrapped in peanut butter.

JP@GS: What made you switch to bags? You know that’s cheating right?

Mike: I love a low car! But you have to have a secret “James Bond” style route planned every time you drive to avoid damaging your pride and joy. It’s nice to just hit a switch and be on my way. Air has come along way in a few short years!

JP@GS: So your wife also drives a bagged MK5. Did u turn her on to this or was it her idea?

Mike: My wife Katie is all about it. She has a lot of great ideas for the car that we’ll be bringing to life real soon.

JP@GS: You have a kid too right? Any plans to slam their power wheels on RS(s)?

Mike: My pride and joy…my girl Marley. The R is really her car…I’m just borrowing it.

JP@GS: You make it to a lot of shows around the east coast. What do u think of
the community and the scene all together?

Mike: I love it! “Different strokes for different folks” is what I say. This is a lifestyle for me not a trend. So when show season ends and I don’t get to see good friends for months at a time it makes me sad. So when show time comes around I try and make it to all of the shows to catch up with people…and of course to see all the sick cars.

JP@GS: What should we look out for in the future?

Mike: My R32 will be getting some bodywork done and some go fast goodies real soon. I picked up a MKIV to start playing with too.

JP@GS: Do you think your better than me because your bagged?? Haha what do u say to
people that think bags are cheating?

Mike: FUCK OFF!…LoL I understand where they’re coming from.


A big thanks goes out to mike and the whole WFSU crew. Look for bigger and better things in 2010 from Mike and WFSU. Find more at http://wfsu.net/blog/ and www.michaelpetrinophotography.com