Joser Romo’s Audi A3 is what happens when you’re raised on JDM, but fall in love with the Euro scene. It’s not like Romo was new to the scene and just didn’t know the distinction between the two. You see, building cars has always been in his family – he grew up on it.
With a new 2.0L TFSI (8P), Romo was ecstatic. He had never owned a turbocharged car before and made sure to put it to good use. His friends at High End Performance, and even his family had encouraged him to do so.

What Romo has now is a bad little piece of machinery. From any angle, you can see the JDM styling cues. When looking at it head-on, the yellow running lights and fog lights are definitely JDM-inspired. Romo gave his Audi some shades with a light smoke on the headlights and taillights. The stock grill has been blacked out with the lower bits punched out to reveal the intercooler hiding just behind the Oettinger front bumper. For a bit of charm, Romo bolted on a “SOO SEXZ” vanity plate.

Under the Seibon Carbon hood it is nice, simple and looks just right. A K&N air filter attached to a polished Neuspeed intake pipe winds around the engine. Polished to match the intake, a EuroSport custom front strut bar keeps things rigid. EuroCustoms up- and down-pipes carry exhaust gasses to and from the Audi turbo and out the MagnaFlow exhaust with a nice note.

The A3 definitely isn’t what you’d expect, and Romo has carried the theme into the cabin. The first thing you’ll notice is there’s Bride everywhere – the brand, not the newlywed. Glowshift gauges ensure Romo can see his speeds in any light, while pounding on ABT pedals and a Sparco shift knob.

Romo didn’t skimp out on the audio side of things. Smack in the middle of the dash is a Sony XAV-A1 head unit with an in-dash display. From there, Romo has access to Sony tweeters, Alpine Type S speakers and 12-inch Alpine Type E subwoofers. An Alpine MRP-M500 amp drives the subs in the custom box enclosure in the back, while a MRP-F300 moves the speakers up front. A Rockford Fosgate LED capacitor and AudioControl Bass Epicenter helps to ensure the Audi shakes the ground as well as people’s heads.
Romo built this A3 in hope that it would be known at shows, and to hopefully get a magazine feature (here you go, buddy!).

ESSENTIALS
Car: 2006 Audi A3
Owner: Joser Romo
Club Affiliation: R-RYDES
Engine: Volkswagen Group 2.0L I4 T-FSI
Horsepower: 275 hp
Torque: 300 lb-ft
ENGINE
Forge Motorsport blow-off valve
K&N air filter
Neuspeed (air intake, carbon fiber engine cover)
Revo Stage 2+ software
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
SSR Professor SP3 wheels – 19 x 9-in. +36 (f), 19 x 10-in. +36 (r)
MayRun MR500 tires – 225/35 R19 (f), 235/35 R19 (r)
Rotora brakes (four-piston front calipers, braided lines, brake pads)
13-in. drilled & slotted brake rotors (f/r)
CHASSIS / SUSPENSION
D2 Racing coilovers
Eibach (sway bars, urethane bushings)
EuroSport custom front strut bar
EXTERIOR
Oettinger front bumper
Rieger (rear bumper, sideskirts)
Blacked out grill
Smoked headlights & taillights
Seibon carbon fiber hood
Audi (custom carbon fiber roof, custom carbon fiber trunk)
1-in. pulled fenders
Body work by A&A Autoworks, DTM Autobody
Paint work by Limerock Paint
INTERIOR
Sparco shift knob
Personal steering wheel
Glowshift gauges
New South Performance gauge pods
Bride carbon Kevlar Gias Lowmax seats
Schroth harnesses
ABT pedals
Suede (door inserts, pillars, headliner, shift boot)
Carbon fiber door inserts
Bride fabric (rear seat inserts, hatch cover)
Upholstery work by California Upholstery

Check out PASMAG’s complete feature here.