From Track Legend to Street Icon: My Audi R8's IMSA Transformation

Back in June of this year, I reached out to Under Wrapz, a long-standing wrap shop out of Oklahoma City that’s been producing stunning work for years. These guys have wrapped everything from daily drivers to show cars, and every project that leaves their shop turns heads.

I came to them with a very specific vision: I wanted to turn my Audi R8 into a modern homage to one of Audi’s greatest race cars: the Audi 90 IMSA GTO. Its iconic livery which includes bold red, grey, and black stripes over a white body has been etched into racing history since the late 1980s. But I didn’t want a carbon copy... I wanted a modern interpretation, something that merged racing heritage with my own personality and brand.

Rather than plastering the car with random sponsor logos, I wanted every decal to mean something. Each brand on the car either had parts actually installed on it or was a company that Engsta Rides is affiliated with. Names like Soul Performance, Rennline, Centerline, FCP Euro, Eurowise, and Pirelli weren’t there for show — they were part of the car’s story.

From June through late July, I worked with the team at Under Wrapz through nearly eight iterations of the design. We tweaked color balances, adjusted line flows, and moved logos until every panel felt perfect. By the end of July, we landed on the final version... A design that captured the IMSA spirit but gave it a modern, aggressive edge.

In early August, I handed over the R8 to Under Wrapz on a Sunday. Their attention to detail was next-level! Before a single piece of vinyl went on, they gave the car a full clean and a ceramic coat to ensure a flawless surface.

Midway through the process, they ran into a setback: the carbon fiber wrap material they had in stock didn’t meet their quality standards. Instead of settling, they overnighted a fresh roll of higher-grade material and waited for it to arrive. That decision delayed the job slightly, but it proved how seriously they take perfection.

Exactly one week later, the car was done... And it was stunning! Seeing it for the first time was surreal: the crisp white base, the aggressive striping, the purposeful sponsor logos, it all came together like a proper race machine reborn for the street.

Naturally, I couldn’t wait to take it out. Within less than half an hour of leaving Under Wrapz, the R8 was already drawing serious attention. So much so that I ended up getting pulled over by an Edmond police officer before I even made it out of the city.

He said he couldn’t see my registration sticker. After taking a closer look, he realized it was right there and perfectly fine. Then, instead of writing a ticket, he smirked and asked if he could take pictures of the car, saying he’d “never seen anything like it before.” That’s when I knew the wrap was doing its job.

After that brief encounter, I made my way to one of my usual OKC stops: Fuzzy’s Tacos. I parked out front, grabbed my go-to chicken quesadilla, and sat where I could still see the car.

As I was eating, I caught a moment that really stuck with me: a family walked up next to the R8, and their kid, maybe eight or ten years old, stopped dead in his tracks, just staring. Mouth open, eyes wide, completely captivated by what he thought was a racecar sitting in front of him.

Watching that, I couldn’t help but think back to when I was that kid. The one who’d make my dad stop the car every time I saw something cool on the road. Pointing and calling out what kind of car it was. I’d stand there in awe, soaking in every curve, every detail. Those were the moments that planted the seed for my love of cars.

And sitting there, watching that kid experience the same thing, it hit me... Maybe I’ve become that guy now. The one who sparks curiosity, excitement, maybe even inspiration in the next generation. It was one of those small, full-circle moments that remind you why you fell in love with cars in the first place.

A week later, I brought the car out to Motors in the Alley at The Parlor in OKC. The response was unreal!! People stopped in their tracks, cameras came out, and at least half a dozen photographers grabbed shots.

By the end of the day, the R8 was featured in several Instagram posts, including one from Motors in the Alley themselves. Then, a few days later, I got a surprise that absolutely made my week: the official Audi Instagram page commented on one of the posts.

Their words? "That's some serious motorsport flair. We love the bold look!"

Seeing that comment from Audi themselves, the very brand that inspired the entire design, was the ultimate validation.

Working with Under Wrapz was nothing short of phenomenal. Their professionalism, communication, and obsession with detail took my vision from concept to perfection.

To me, the wrap isn’t just a cosmetic change. It's a tribute to racing heritage, a reflection of my passion for performance, and a reminder of what sparked that passion in the first place. From the kid at Fuzzy’s to the photographers at The Parlor, and even Audi’s own social media team, this project has already created moments I’ll never forget.

And that’s what it’s all about! It's not just building cars, but building connections through them.

Driven by passion,

Martin "Max" Engster

LCpl, USMC