Emilie (Chikoune) - August 2014 VWGIRL

Our next VW Girl feature showcases Emilie Sirvois Dicaire and her 2007 MKV Golf GTI. If her name doesn’t ring a bell right off the bat, it’s because most people know her as Chikoune. She grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, but she currently resides in the small village of Hammond, Ontario, where her mother lives. She is a full time student at La Cite’ Collegial studying to be an interior designer and aspires to own her own business one day. When she isn’t in school, she is working full time as a health and safety coordinator for a construction business that she has worked at for approximately 7 years. So how did she develop a passion for cars? For Chikoune, being an enthusiast is in her blood. Chikoune’s family has had a large influence on her passion for cars while growing up and even now. She was only a year old the first time she was on a race track. Her father was a trucker, and when her mother was young she was largely involved in car shows and races. Her grandparents are avid car lovers and her uncle, Normand, still owns his very first car; a 1989 Chevy Camaro. Unfortunately, in 2001 at the young age of six, her father passed away. After his passing, she spent a lot of time on her family’s farm learning to drive side by side's, skidoo's and four wheeler's. She had already come to the conclusion that European cars were her favorite, and it just so happened that her uncle Benoit was in charge of most of the Volkswagen/Audi dealers in Montreal. She had always liked the Golf GTI's, so the idea of owning one only came natural. If she was going to have one for her first car, she was going to have to focus on making it happen. Her hard work and dedication paid off when she was able to purchase her 2007 Golf GTI for her birthday in last year. "When I want something, I'll work hard to get it. I was so happy to prove that and realize it." Three days after purchasing the Golf GTI she took it to Eurokracy, a car show held in Montreal, Canada. While she was there, she had her car chipped at the Unitronic both. She met quite a few people there including Jeremy with Unitronic. Throughout the rest of the summer she was able to get the windows tinted and installed an air intake and coil overs. However, not long after she bought the car the turbo exploded and she had to replace it along with a flywheel and a diverter valve, which kept modifications for the rest of the year at bay. Although it's been a bumpy road with her Golf GTI since then, it hasn't kept her from continuing to mod it. For the current car show season, Chikoune decided to replace the coil overs with air suspension. She took it to Gab Eurosport in L'assomption, QC, to have them install it. Once it was at the appropriate ride height, she located a set of OEM Audi S4 wheels that look right at home whether aired out or at ride height. She changed the grilles and fog lights and also added side skirts and an R32 rear bumper with a new exhaust making the whole car sit well and polished. She is currently working on building a new trunk setup for her air tank and management. Although she knows she will have to wait until after college, her future plans to modify the car include a K04 with a Unitronic Stage 3 tune, different wheels, front bumper, headlights and hood. She would like to add a Votex lip, possibly respray the whole car and have a custom interior done. A girl can dream and she has proven that hard work and dedication can get you anywhere. She feels that being an enthusiast shows that not only can females have a passion for the automotive scene but it also shows they aren't scared to get their hands dirty working on their own cars. When asked if she had any tips or advice to give other female enthusiasts, she replied, "Don't copy anyone. Do whatever you like and not what others like. It's not their car, so why should they be allowed to judge?"

Emilie's (Chikoune's) shout outs and thanks go out too: -Her boyfriend who has always supported any delicious I have made. -Gab Eurosport in L'assomption, QC. (I recommend everyone go there.) -Jeremy at Unitronic -Mark Bourret for always helping me rain or shine. -Sebastien Brosseau for always being there for me. -All the girls that come and help at events. -Melissa Savard for the opportunity to be an admin and for being a really good friend. - Andrew Hoffman from High Society Mtl for all of your help. -And many more!! Thanks Chikoune for sharing your story with us! For more updates, you can find her on Instagram under the name @ChikouneMK5.

Chikoune’s MKV Golf GTI:

Year: 2007

Make: Volkswagen

Model: Golf GTI 2.0T DSG

Wheels: OEM Audi S4

Suspension: Air lift XL front bags, SS5 Rear bags, polished EXO mounts, air tank painted white, (2) chrome Viair 444cc compressors, Dakota Digital gauges with manual management.

Interior Mods (If any): Carbon fiber imitation pieces.

Exterior Mods (If any): Badgeless grille, new grilles for the front bumper, R32 rear bumper, side skirts, 3” stainless downpipe from Unitronic, and exhaust to fit the rear bumper.

Written by Tara Adams