Again and again we deal with topics related to modifications to the vehicle for people with disabilities. No matter if it's the easy one steering wheel knob or the extensive patient lift is. The possibilities are diverse and there is a solution for "almost" everything. Conversion of vehicles to meet the needs of the disabled is therefore an important issue and should not be missing in the tuning area either. Thanks to modern technology, it is also possible to convert vehicles with high horsepower to make them suitable for the disabled. You don't have to resort to a boring Skoda Fabia, a Smart or a Ford Fiesta. Almost all vehicles can be adapted to the respective disabilities and designed to meet the individual needs of the driver. The conversions are possible, for example, for wheelchair users, people without legs and also for people without arms. The following case of an office clerk Markus Zhirkov shows how well the disability-friendly conversion works and that a VW GTI can also be used as a basis.
Vehicle conversion for drivers without arms
From birth, 26-year-old Markus has no arms and needs a vehicle that is specially designed for his needs. Markus trained as an office clerk and, in addition to his work in the public sector, runs a wholesale business. The vehicle should not only be handicapped accessible, but also reliable. The car of his choice was therefore a VW Golf 6 GTI Edition 35. It was ordered from the factory and could be specifically modified. And with an output of 350 hp and a torque of 550 Nm, it is even significantly stronger than the "R" top model and even trumps the rare R360S with regard to the NM, which has been given 220 times for Switzerland. As with many vehicles that have been converted to meet the needs of the disabled, Markus' VW Golf 6 does not have a manual gearbox. Markus' car is equipped with the fast 7-speed DSG automatic. And visually it is a GTi as it should be. In addition to a new chassis, the rims, exhaust system, intake, intercooler and much more were modified.
What changes have been made?
The highlight is the change in any case IN the cabin. They allow Markus to drive and control with his legs. A car that can be driven without arms should, of course, go with it Keyless Go can be opened quickly and easily. Foot steering, which can be installed by Paramobil, for example, is used to steer the GTi. The steering sits in the footwell and the driver only has to slip into a special shoe that is firmly connected to the steering. When Markus holds his foot back and cranks the car turns to the right. The car steers forward to the left. The foot steering is a 1: 1 ratio from the steering wheel. The automatic DSG transmission is used via a special switch that can be used with the foot to set the selected position for parking, driving or reversing.
Other changes to ride without arms
The car was also modified so that the handbrake, window regulators and mirrors can also be operated using a special control in the footwell. The manual handbrake was transformed into an automatic variant by means of additional electronics. A two-point seat belt ensures safe driving as is the norm here. And so that the sun does not dazzle, an electric sun visor is also installed, which is also operated via buttons in the footwell. The car's start button was installed below the steering wheel and can be operated directly with the foot. And the circuit for the turn signals is also being modified so that it is now at knee height and can be operated with the knee. And even in winter, the GTi can be used as normal. Because he has one Stationary heating systemthat saves ice scraping. Almost all modern vehicles can be converted like Markus' GTi. The GTi and its owner Markus show us impressively how practical tuning can be and what is possible today with modern technology. If we receive timely further information about new changes to the GTi from Markus, there is of course an update for this report. You will be informed if you simply use ours Feed subscribe to. Have fun watching the pictures and stay true to us!
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JMS vehicle parts: VW Golf GTI with Ultralight Project 3.0 Alus |
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Tuning without limits - the VW Golf GTi from Markus!
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