Sometimes “shop cars” are super modified, high horsepower monsters with thousands of dollars in body work and sometimes they equate to a meager daily driver conjured up from the local Craigslist ads. Looking back on Avalon Motorsports’ history, memories of our 2004 Euro-Tuner Grand Prix champion, Nogaro Blue Audi S4 (2.7t) come to mind as the essential flagship roadster, however times they are a’ changin’. Obviously in a tight economy and a period of time when companies come and go like spring Lilies, it’s ever important to be cognizant of where finances are allocated. But conversely, a bonafide tuning shop must have something with a bit of flash and over-sized vinyl decals strewn across the body to predicate it’s prowess, right?!

With this thinking in mind it was decided that something very simple and clean, with a little pep under the hood of course, possessing the opportunity for heavier modification down the road would fit the bill nicely. We also considered that 5,280 feet of elevation, and an overall loss of 200 millibar in ambient pressure, results in a significant drop in naturally aspirated engine power giving a greater need for some form of forced induction.  Most importantly we wanted our latest rendering to embody a high level  of curb-appeal to the staunchest enthusiast while maintaining  reliability, fuel economy and a relatively acceptable purchase price. Enter the B7 2.0 liter turbocharged A4, with FSI (fuel stratified injection) technology. This platform also gave us a chance to progress in the development of our 2.0t Altituned  software.

Admittedly, we weren’t convinced that Ocean Blue Pearl was the most appropriate color from the onset, but after a few hard looks (and tear rendering squints) we realized that it did have some potential. Plus, it’s a color you don’t see too often on the road and it would make a nice contrast from the Pearl white and flat black mantra of our previous ‘01 S4 Avant. The chosen specimen was a non-S-Line model but it did possess the Audi Premium Package and Quattro all-wheel drive; a mandate for any Colorado daily-driver. After all, no sense in paying more money for subtle styling cues and an upgraded “sport” suspension when these parts would indubitably be overhauled anyway.

First thing’s first. As we recommend with any potentially modified vehicle, it is very important to make sure that all of the stock components are working properly prior to spending wads of cash on “show” and “go”.  We’ve seen all too many times when folks deplete their funds building their dream car just to find out that there are pertinent maintenance and/or repair issues that are in dire need of attention. Thank God for Craigslist and Ebay. So, our resident super-hero technician, Phil, gave this beauty a thorough front to back checkup and we concluded (after a few appropriate fluid swaps and filter replacements) that she was ready to begin transformation. Since engine management software is arguably the best bang-for-the buck upgrade for those seeking nice power gains without having to replace the stock turbo and fueling, we built a custom Altituned tune for our first mod. With this enhancement arose the need for a new diverter valve, which we found necessary after only the second software revision. The stock valve (also known as the turbo bypass valve) is perhaps the most frail component of the all the turbocharged Audi engines produced in the last 10 years, and the Forge Motorsport Billet Diverter Valve was sure to do the job. The software remap turned out to be very effective and it made city driving a lot more enjoyable.

Now that we had this little mongrel all tuned up the focus shifted to stiffening up the chassis. We opted to start by up-sizing the rear sway bar with the Hotchkis RS4 Bar. Although it is not recommended replacing the rear sway bar alone, we did so just to see what sort of understeer correction we could encounter. And oh man, did it ever shape up this A4’s attitude in the corners, all the while making light of the need for a suitable coilover kit to further eliminate body-roll and also help get rid of the piggish front end plowing commonly associated with Audi’s.

For this upgrade we chose the Eibach Pro Street S Coilover Kit, which offers a prime blend of aggressive street handling and everyday tact. We couldn’t deny our desire to run 19″ wheels in the summer, a crucial component to enhancing the bling factor on the B7 chassis. However, if you’ve ever driven on the disheveled Colorado roads then you are very familiar with having to employ video game like driving skills to avoid bent wheels or other suspension and drivetrain disasters. Thus the need for something able to simultaneously provide supple damping and spring rates capable of producing awe-inspiring, mountain carving cruises. We installed the Pro Street’s with a set of VMR v713 shoes and even with the uber low stance, the handling was superb!

Next, it was time to beef up the roar of this little hellion.  On this piece of the project we consulted with AWE Tuning, a company whose parts we’ve become very partial to, and subsequently opted for the AWE Quad Tip Exhaust System. It’s growl encompasses the deep, throaty tone that we envisioned with this grizzly four-banger. Meanwhile it possesses the ability to turn heads without soliciting the prospect of luring every Honda driver we encounter. Additionally, the AWE system opened up the flow of the exhaust gases notably by replacing the stock 2.1″ diameter exhaust with a copious 2.5″, mandrel bent, stainless system. And with a simple swap of the OEM B7 S4 rear valence, we also got a nice boost to the aesthetics of the backside of the car.

The last few modifications included some exterior mods to spice up the front end of the car as well as a couple of performance mods to further tighten up the chassis and shifting. Considering the price of the OEM European spec B7 headlight housings, which feature a clear lens (no amber) and a superior beam pattern, we deemed it more suitable to simply remove the amber turn signal covers from the stock housings. It’s amazing how clean the front end appears without those paltry orange fish-eye looking bulges. Matching that with a solid filler plate for the front license plate bracket and color matched front bumper reflectors, we were in business with some nice, low-cost cosmetic alterations.

After a couple phone conversations with Jason @ JH Motorsports we learned that there was a high level of interest in developing a 4:1 differential modification for the B6 and B7 vehicles. Without a moments lapse we yanked the stock 2:1 differential and expressed mailed it out to Jason for some of his magic. The goal here was to increase the traction two-fold, from 2x the power transferred from the wheels that  slip to the wheels that grip, up to 4x the power to the wheels that have traction. Thus remarkably improving turn-in (oversteer), a feat that is all but commonplace in the Audi community. While Jason had his hand in the pot, we decided to send out our shifter linkage as well in exchange for the JH Solid Shifter Linkage.  No more shifter slop and more defined shifts? You bet!!

That pretty well sums it up on the current status of the blue bombshell; a blast to drive and subtly head-turning wherever she goes. So what does the future hold? Well, plans include a bigger turbo project (perhaps something along the lines of a GT2860), front brake reinforcements and possibly some new front seats with a bit more side bolster support. Additionally, we’ll probably upgrade the front fascia next spring, after the Colorado winter has it’s way, and we’ll add the Apikol Rear Differential Mount.  Overall, this A4 is a champion among daily drivers at about 25 mpg city and can certainly hold it’s own in the twisties. Although it probably wouldn’t steel the show on “Pinks”, we are proud of it in it’s current state and look forward to seeing it come to completion.

Avalon Motorsports is the premier source for Audi, VW and Porsche service and performance in Denver. There is no finer choice for repair, parts, performance, custom tuning and friendly expertise. We look forward to giving you the best!!!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 11:06 am and is filed under Altituned, Avalon Products, Avalon Projects, Latest News, New Products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.