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The Local Intel: Kensington Car Club

Posted by Craig Schroeder on

If you've ever encountered Aaron Pierce, whether it be through CMMP or his denim brand Gentry & Rose, you know he is very passionate about what he does. Outside of the fashion world, Aaron is a car guy, but not just any kind of  car. He's got a love for cars that have been painstakingly built, like his very own Audi A3. Read on to hear about why he started Kensington Car Club and about his very own special build:
 
- What was the driving force behind starting the Kensington Car Club?
Kensington Car Club was founded on the principles of built not bought. All of our members have years in the car game. We’ve got master mechanics, paint and body, drivers, photographers, and everything in between. We pride ourselves on being a club - We’re not an event, not a cars and coffee. We’re a club where members come to drive, converse, and inspire each other’s builds. Our members tend to drive German cars currently or previously, but we currently have members driving JDM and other European options. The driving force behind creating the club was my love of cars and feeling that while cars and coffee’s are great they’re for looking at cars, not plotting cruise routes and driving cars.
- Tell us a little about your car and what you have done to it.
I converted my 2006 year 1, generation 1, US Spec A3 8P Sportback into a Euro Spec S3 8P Sportback. We never received the S3 Sportback stateside, so I went about building my own. The first 2 years of production on the US A3 shared a motor with the Euro S3, a turbo charged 2.0L BPY code engine. Listed below are the modifications I’ve done to the car since buying her. She was a 1 owner, 60k miles at the time of purchase in 2018. 
 

Performance Upgrades

Genuine Audi S3 Camshaft (Rev J)

ECS Tuning Downpipe

Milltek Sport Catback Exhaust

RamAir UK Air Intake

Bosch R8 Red Top Coils

Genuine Audi S3 Intercooler 

APR Tune Stage 1+ 93

034 High Density Motor Mount

034 Dog Bone Mount upper insert

034 Dog Bone Mount lower Insert

Bilstein Dog Bone Mount

OEM Trans Mount w/Power Flex Inserts

Stage 2 DKM Clutch w/ Lightweight Single Mass Flywheel

H&R Sport Lowering Springs

Bilstein B8 Performance Struts 

Raxle High Performance CV Axles

 

Maintenance

Latest Rev. Cam Chain, Tensioner, & Follower

NGK Iridium Spark Plugs 

Performance Brake Rotors

Akebono Ceramic Brake Pads 

Refinished/restored OEM Calipers

Stainless Steel Brake Lines

Stainless Steel Clutch Lines

Bosch Fuel Filter

Bosch Cabin Filter 

Bosch Wiper Blades

LiquiMoly Synthetic Trans Fluid

LiquiMoly Synthetic Motor Oil

New OEM Timing Belt / Tensioner 

New OEM Water Pump

New Battery

Continental Drive Belt / OEM Tensioner 

OEM Piston Driven Diverter Valve w/spacer

OEM N80 Valve

OEM N205 Valve 

OEM 02 Sensors (Front and Rear)

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Tires 

 

Visual

Audi Euro-spec S3 Front Bumper

Audi RS3 Wheels

Smoked Headlights

6000k Hyperwhite Xenon Bulbs

Tinted Glass 

Restored OEM Rear Bumper

Restored B Pillars 

Custom Diamond Floor Mats

Alpine Apple CarPlay Equipped 

- Do you see a correlation between building a car that can be translated into what you do at Commonwealth Proper? 
There are a lot of overlapping qualities when designing out a customized car and designing out a full custom garment. It starts with vision and planning, identifying the needs of the buildout and what can be accomplished within the budget set forth. After that, it’s all about attention to detail and execution - Both things take a ton of time, a ton of work with one’s hands.. subtle mistakes can be incredibly costly and time consuming, but completing and executing your vision is priceless in both realms and make a huge impact on how people perceive you. 
- Dream 2 car garage?
My perfect 2 car garage would include an Audi RS6 Avant for life and either a completely restored and modified air cooled 911 Turbo, both in silver or black. Since I’m never getting rid of my currently build, she’ll always be stored somewhere. 

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