Thursday, September 19, 2024
Car Audio

Celsus UK Top Gun Show

When it comes to gambling, I’m the kind of guy that will put it all on red and it will land on black… When Celsus UK planned their First Annual Top Gun event for the end of September who’d have guessed the odds that shorts, shades and factor 15 would have been high on the list of essentials for the day?

Back in July Celsus UK took over distribution for JL Audio, MTX and Dynamat, 3 months in, it was time to celebrate. Car Audio Dealers from all over the UK & Ireland were invited down to their HQ in Poole and asked to bring their own demo vehicles as well as inviting their best customers along to take part in a car audio shoot out with a twist. The team of 4 judges made up of Steve Turissi (JL Audio), Jacco Kaper (Mitek Europe), Jules Truss ( Fast Car) and Lindsey Webb (Celsus PR) listened to all the cars that entered and judge each one.
The mixed panel represented the audio purist, the bass head, the modified car scene and with Lindsey a fresh pair of eyes and ears that had never experienced an audio upgraded car before. The Rules were simple, there were none. They were looking for the cars that simply played great audio, inspired the public vote, gave the best experience, the complete package. The Top Gun winner would simply be the car the public would most like to own. It was also as much about the owner presentation as it was the ‘Boom’ or ‘SQ’, it was also about the vehicle’s purpose. If it was built to play ‘Loud’ but be an every day driver or work van, it was judged on how well this car fitted the brief. If it was a weekend show piece built for SQ,  again the same loose judging guide was applied. The event is all about fun, less about overcomplicating the way in which we listen to the car but more importantly the experience we had listening to the car. We talk about a car’s Miles Per Gallon, with these systems it was all about Smiles Per Miles.
Judging complete, the panel went away to come up with the ten ‘Best of the Best’ finalists that would face the public vote to find the overall Top Gun Trophy winner and take the added prize that was kept quiet until the end, a place on the CSI: Miami trip planned for March next Year by Celsus where dealers will get factory tours from both JL and Stinger. Sealed boxes were placed by each vehicle for the public to place their voting sheets in. Once complete, the votes were counted in front of the eager waiting crowd.

Each finalist was presented with a glass trophy, since they truly were all winners but the coveted first ever Celsus Top Gun trophy (of many to come) went to Stuart Mclellan, owner of the awesome Jackhammer Golf built in conjunction with Audio Advice in Scotland.
This car has become famous over the last year, from the rumours of it being built to the lucky few that had got to see and hear it at many shows this year and those that had read about it in its recent Fast Car Feature. The Jackhammer Golf didn’t fail to please this crowd, set up to play SQ and with the flick of a switch the deepest of street bass added to the fact Stuart drives this car every day and has devoted the last 18 months of his life to make this a worthy Top Gun winning car!
The first Top Gun event was a complete success, setting the standards for years to come… Have you got what it takes to be the best? Have you got what it takes to be… Top Gun?
Here are some images…..
link
Top Gun Results
Winner
Stuart Mclellan
VW Golf 3 (Jackhammer)
Audio Advice Scotland
Finalists (no order)
Karl Lawrence
Civic Type R
Huets Hove
Graham Turner
Vauxhall Vectra
Huets Hove
Gary McCarroll
Fiesta Van
Audio Advice
Bernard Lennon
VW Caddy
Audio Advice
Debbie McCready
Mini Cooper Clubman
Audio Advice Scotland
Simon Thewlis
VW Golf 2
Huets Worthing
Davy Whigham
BMW M3
Audio Advice N Ireland
Carl Rodger
Vauxhall Astra
Huets Worthing
Nige McCluskey
VW R32
Huets Worthing