If you don’t know the name Robbie Bryant or KEG Media by now you should probably head on over to our good friend “Mr. Google” and look up their previous builds that have been taking place over the last two decades. Robbie Bryant’s name is synonymous with badass vehicle builds from every automotive genre across the board. Beginning with lowered cars and trucks, Robbie has since taken over and now heavily dominates the lifted truck arena. Having been tied to the custom automotive scene for the past 25 years, with a number of epic builds on his resume, for SEMA 2014 Robbie wanted to do something a bit different. Returning to his roots in the Slam’d arena, he opted to build a full custom euro branching out a little from his comfort zone. The urge for this build came from wanting to cross over into the euro scene and build a car that he could be proud to drive daily but still take to a euro or luxury car show on the weekends.
As you can tell by the glorious photos here in this exclusive and first look at Robbie’s 2014 Audi A5 Quattro build, aptly named “DISTILD” he more than nailed this OEM+ euro-style build with his first at bat. The definition of “distilled” literally means: to extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of… said object. To take an already refined luxury vehicle and “distill” it down to its essential meaning should be the goal of every custom automotive build out there. Taking the styling cues and subtly modifying to passionately display your own personal styles and taste without losing the essence of said vehicle.
Photos: Johnny O & Mike Alexander | Words: Jason Ballard
This was achieved and then some with this amazingly clean and perfectly executed laid out A5. Beginning with the suspension, the car was able to achieve new lows thanks to a complete air suspension setup. AccuAir’s B8 kit provided Robbie with nearly everything he needed to hug the pavement. Paired with two Speciality Suspension seamless air tanks and dual Viair 444 compressors Robbie is able to access ample amounts of air on tap. The dynamic duo – Dorbritz Designs and Garage Werks – really outdid themselves with the air suspension setup, which was built to resemble a moonshine distillery. Can you say class and elegance wrapped into one spacious Audi trunk?
Prior to installing the perfect set of wheels to subtly accent the build, Zeb at Garage Werks installed the R1 Concepts brakes. When it came time to deicide upon a set of stunning wheels as the centerpiece of such a build, Niche Road Wheels was at the top of Robbie’s list. A three-piece Misano 20×10.5-inch wheel was the weapon of choice used front and back. To protect the three-piece rollers and keep her sticking flat, 275/30/20 Toyo T1 Sport tires provide the right amount of handling and comfort for the Audi. Prismatic Powders matte metallic black was used on the wheel centers with a CT bronze matte for the hoops, which helps give a subtle yet effective contrast from the rich black paint to the wheel. To spice up the already stout A5 engine they added a factory RS5 exhaust, which came directly from Audi Germany.
Moving to the body, Robbie had big plans to transform this 2014 from stock to jaw dropping with only a few weeks left before the rapidly approaching SEMA Show. Robbie called in the reinforcements and had the talented crew at Complete Customs in McKinney, Texas perform the body work and paint that would help set his Audi apart from the rest. After the bodykit Robbie ordered from Germany finally showed up, (nothing quite like US customs holding up your parts during a SEMA build!) the boys could get down to business. A full RS5 Rieger Tuning body kit was used in conjunction with the grille and exhaust, to complete the transformation. The rear bumper insert was painted along with the mirror caps and emblems to resemble the matte metallic black wheels. The taillights were also slightly smoked for an ultra clean look. The factory headlights were sent to Plain AN Simple of Pasadena, Texas to have them opened up and blacked out with a matte metallic black paint.
The confines of the Audi cabin definitely has plenty of creature comforts from the factory. But not one to leave things left completely stock, Robbie added some slick custom upgrades. Once again, Garage Werks was called upon to help knockout the custom Alpine audio install. The crew got down to business and quickly integrated an Apline PDX-M6 amp along with a Kinetik battery to power the system. The seats were left the factory Chestnut Brown leather as that was one of the reasons for the complimenting color scheme.
Having gotten the hang of building a euro-style ride and nailing it to perfection right out of the gate, we can definitely say you should expect more luxury style builds from Robbie’s arsenal in the future. He plans to drive the Audi out to Southern Worthersee in May for others to check out and enjoy. And a giant two thumbs way up to Robbie’s wife, Keena Bryant, for letting him finally build a two-door coupe after being on “the list” for years. Until next issue, keep checking your Slam’d Mag app weekly for more killer rides and show coverage from around the globe.
Slam’d Specs
Owner: Robbie Bryant, KEG Media
Vehicle: 2014 Audi A5 Quattro
Hometown: Fort Smith, AR
Wheels/Tires:
Niche Road Wheels three-piece Misano 20×10.5
Toyo Tires T1 Sport 275/30ZR20
Chassis/Suspension:
AccuAir B8 sport kit
Dual Viair 444
Specialty Suspension seamless tanks
Custom trunk setup built to look like a moonshine distillery
Built and installed by Garage Werks and Dorbritz Designs
R1 Concepts brakes
Body/Paint:
Rieger Tuning Germany RS5 full boy kit, bumpers, side skits, grille and exhaust conversion
Installed and painted by Complete Customs
Factory Audi Phantom Black Pearl
Interior/Stereo:
Factory Chestnut Brown Leather
Factory headunit with navigation
Alpine 10-inch Type R sub with PDX-M6 amp
Engine/Performance:
Custom tune
RS5 exhaust from Audi Germany
Special Thanks from Owner:
“A very big thanks to my wife, Keena Bryant, for letting me finally build a two-door coupe (that one’s been on my list for awhile)! Shaun and Chendo at Complete Customs, Jake from Garage Werks, Drew from Dorbritz Designs, Thomas at MHT, Stan at Toyo Tires, Nick at Specialty Suspension, Ryan at Viair Compressors, Charlie at R1 Concepts, Erik at Kinetik, Robert at plainANsimple, Rhonda at ePowdercoating, Derek at AccuAir Suspension, Rieger Tuning Germany, Alpine and Killerwaxx for all of their support in this build – truly couldn’t have done it without each and every one of them.”
