Bagged Volkswagen Atlas: Marco Dator's 2024 Family SUV Show Build

Nothing says "I grew up but I never gave up" quite like a bagged Volkswagen Atlas dropping onto the tarmac at school pickup. This one belongs to Marco Dator, a Toronto father of three who turned a practical seven-seater into a Combat Green show SUV without losing a single seat. You can follow the build on Instagram at @mad3_atlas, and every photo here was taken by Marco himself. What follows is the story in his own words.

Why a Family Man Built a Bagged Volkswagen Atlas

I'm a Toronto-based father of three who has been passionate about cars since I was 18. I've owned and built everything from Nissan 240SXs and a Honda Civic to a Lexus IS350, and my roots go back to the early 2000s import scene and my time with RaceWorld, where we organized events, built seven show cars, and worked with major automotive brands. Family life pulled me away from the scene for a while, but the passion never went anywhere. Today it's back, and it lives in my 2024 Volkswagen Atlas.

Like a lot of guys my age, I was inspired by that early 2000s import tuning era and the release of The Fast and the Furious. RaceWorld put me in front of some incredible builders, show cars and industry partners, and that's what shaped the enthusiast I am today.

I picked the Atlas because it fit the stage of life I'm in. As a father of three boys I needed a reliable seven-seater that could handle family road trips, hockey bags, school pickups and everything in between. Out of all the SUVs on the market, the Atlas stood out with its modern styling, unique lighting, big interior, and the ability to seat seven adults without killing cargo space.

"What I thought would stay a simple family vehicle quickly reignited a passion that's been part of me since I was 18."

It started innocently enough with a set of 22-inch wheels. But as any car enthusiast knows, one modification leads to another, and before long I was back in the build process I'd missed for years.

Aero, Stance and a Maxton Design Kit

Working with AMTuning, I added a full Maxton Design aero kit and dropped the Atlas on springs to get the aggressive stance I felt it deserved. The V1 facelift lip kit brings the front splitters, side skirts, rear valance and spoiler, and I added a mid wing from a Q8 to finish the rear. Custom front splitters were retrofitted too. If you've seen how far a modified VW SUV can go, you'll know this is the same spirit as the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan air suspension build we featured earlier, just scaled up for a three-row family haulier.

Unitronic Stage 1+ and the EA888 Gen 4

As my first European vehicle, the Atlas opened my eyes to what Volkswagen's EA888 Gen 4 platform can do. I partnered with Unitronic and went with a Stage 1+ tune, which took the engine from 269 horsepower to 335 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. It completely transformed the driving experience.

Supporting mods keep that power honest: APR ignition coils, NGK RS7 spark plugs, a Sprint Booster throttle module, and a custom fabricated 3-inch straight pipe secondary resonator and muffler delete.

The Custom Bumper-Fed Intake

One of the most rewarding parts of the whole build was creating something nobody else had. I knew the factory intake had its limits, so I teamed up with RES Engineering Tech on a fully functional bumper-fed intake designed specifically for my Atlas. We used 3D scanning, CAD design, and carbon-infused Nylon12 printing to develop a custom airflow solution that feeds air straight into the intake alongside a CTS Turbo inlet and turbo muffler delete.

The system uses the stock air duct but adds a secondary inlet pipe positioned behind the custom front bumper vent. It's been thermal scanned and finished with an acrylic cover. The bumper vent and canards were scanned, designed and printed in-house with integrated LEDs, so they work and they look the part.

"Seeing that idea evolve from a sketch in my head into a finished product was one of the highlights of the project."

Air Ride That Still Handles Hockey Bags

Although I loved the look on springs, I still wanted a lower, more refined stance without giving up the comfort my family relies on every day. That's when I connected with SqueakyClean Suspension. Their hand-assembled air suspension system gave me the right balance of ride quality, reliability, adjustability and show-car presence.

It runs S Pro air bags with a custom valved strut assembly that's 32-way damper adjustable, a 3-gallon tank, a 4-way digital control block manifold, dual stealth black compressors and a custom hardline finish. Not bad for something that also carries hockey gear.

"Watching my kids' reactions when the Atlas airs out at school pickup is honestly one of my favourite parts of owning it."

That's the whole point of a bagged family SUV. It's lifted for the driveway and speed bumps, slammed for the show field, and it never has to choose.

Combat Green Wrap and Rotiform BTL Wheels

To make the Atlas properly mine, I wrapped it from factory Aurora Red to VViViD's Combat Green with the help of WrapsCBD Auto, with piano black accents throughout. The exterior was finished with Badgeskins slotted DRL overlays and a set of Rotiform BTL wheels in 22x10, wrapped in 265/40/22 Hankook Evo S2 tires. If you've followed our coverage of Rotiform fitments, like Fred Mora's Volkswagen Golf pickup conversion, you'll know the brand pairs well with VAG platforms, and the Atlas is no exception. It looks like nothing else on the road.

Full Build List

Exterior

• Maxton Design V1 facelift full lip kit: front splitters, side skirts, rear valance, spoiler
• Mid wing from a Q8
• Custom front splitters retrofitted
• Custom front bumper vent and canards: scanned, designed and 3D printed with integrated LEDs
• Badgeskins slotted DRL overlay
• Kolective Werks front plate mount
• Wrapped in VViViD Combat Green with piano black accents

Wheels and Tires

• Rotiform BTL 22x10, 20+ offset
• 265/40/22 Hankook Evo S2

Suspension

• SqueakyClean Suspension S Pro air bags with custom valved strut assembly, 32-way damper adjustable
• 3 gallon tank
• SqueakyClean Suspension SPRO 4-way digital control block manifold
• Dual stealth black compressors
• Custom hardline finish

Engine and Performance

• Unitronic Stage 1+ tune
• Custom fabricated air intake system: scanned, designed, 3D printed and thermally scanned, with acrylic cover. Uses the stock air duct plus a secondary inlet pipe behind the custom front bumper vent
• CTS Turbo inlet
• CTS Turbo turbo muffler delete
• APR ignition coils
• NGK RS7 spark plugs
• Sprint Booster throttle module
• Custom fabricated 3" straight pipe secondary resonator and muffler delete

Interior

• Red Alcantara accents throughout the interior
• Badgeskins center console forged carbon overlay
• Black and red Alcantara steering wheel
• VW LED puddle lights
• Forged carbon paddle shifter

Audio

• Retrofitted 6.5" Pyle PLPW6D DVC subwoofer in the factory spare tire sub box, with 14AWG wiring replacing the 20AWG factory sub box wiring

A True Dual-Purpose Build

What makes this build special isn't any single modification. It's that this vehicle represents who I am today. It combines the passion I developed in the early 2000s import scene with the realities of being a husband and father. It's the same enthusiasm that fueled my 240SX builds years ago, just expressed through a family SUV.

During the week, it's a fully functional seven-seater that handles school drop-offs, grocery runs, family road trips and everything that comes with raising three boys. On weekends, it transforms into a show vehicle that turns heads at meets and events. Every modification, from the air suspension and custom intake to the Combat Green wrap and Rotiform wheels, was chosen to enhance the vehicle without sacrificing comfort, practicality or reliability.

"This Atlas proves that becoming a parent doesn't mean giving up your passion for cars. Sometimes it just means building something different and bringing your kids along for the journey."

I wanted to prove a family SUV can still be fun, unique and exciting to own. The best part is seeing people's reactions and showing other parents and enthusiasts that you don't have to give up your passion for cars just because life priorities change.

Future Plans for the Atlas

The build is never really finished. My plans focus on refining the Atlas while keeping it a comfortable, reliable family hauler. Next up are suspension and chassis upgrades, including full subframe bracing and a strut tower bar to improve rigidity and driving dynamics. A brake upgrade is also planned to better match the added performance.

Beyond that, I'm always looking at ways to evolve the look, with a new wheel setup and possibly an entirely new color transformation planned for 2027. And the dream car? An Audi RS6. Maybe one day.

Credits and Shout Outs

This build wouldn't have been possible without some great companies and individuals. SqueakyClean Suspension handled the complete air suspension install, including the custom hardline setup. WrapsCBD transformed the Atlas with the full VViViD Combat Green wrap. RES Engineering Tech brought my vision to life with the custom modular intake system, front bumper air inlet and canards using advanced 3D scanning and carbon-infused printing. AMTuning supplied the performance components and worked with Unitronic to deliver the Stage 1+ tune that unlocked the EA888 Gen 4.

The partners played a huge role, but the vision, planning and direction came from my desire to create a unique family SUV that balances practicality, performance and show-car presence.

Shout outs: @SqueakyCleanSuspension, @res.engtech, @badgeskins, @wrapscbdautoinc, @vvividvinyl, @Amtuning, @rotiform, @wheelpros_canada, @maxtondesign.ca

Photography: Marco Dator, @mad3_atlas

Want to see more owner-built rides like this one? Browse our show cars section and grab the latest issues of Stance Auto Magazine on Amazon.