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Tag: B5

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Tuner Tuesday Double Take: Two Supercharged Audi A4s

The Audi B5 was really the first Audi chassis that gained mass appeal for modifications. Sure, the Quattro, 5000, 200, S4 and S6 all had crowds that followed them and modified them, but it was really the B5 that took the Audi tuning theme to the masses. Most of those masses focused on two models; if you were new to the brand you bought and modified the plentiful and relatively cheap 1.8T, and if you could swing the hefty payments you bought the twin-turbocharged S4. Both accepted increased levels of boost easily, making them a no brainer for the tuning crowd. But quickly forgotten in the mix was the silky-smooth 2.8 V6. Initially available in 12 valve form, in 1998 Audi upgraded to the 30V heads. For the first time, the Audi V6 produced power levels near its competition, and the smooth and responsive V6 was a nice match for the slick look of the A4. But easy to tune it wasn’t; you weren’t left with many options outside of exhaust and intake if you wanted to turn the wick up on your 2.8. Unless, of course, you turned to unnatural forms of aspiration – happily supplied by PES in the form of a supercharger:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2001 Audi A4 quattro on eBay

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Motorsport Monday: 2001 Audi S4 Track Car

There is an adage which has been around since the inception of the automobile; the idea that racing helps to sell cars, and specifically “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” has become the basis for many manufacturer’s participation in motorsports. Audi certainly used it to their advantage in the 1980s, creating a rally legend with their Quattro; the associated technology with those original WRC cars quickly filtered down into the entire product line. It’s one of the best examples of direct racing technology spreading to the average consumer in recent memory. However, after the end of the Group B formula Audi pushed the high horsepower efforts towards road racing. Most of those efforts, while extremely impressive, were wasted; Audis sales in the late 1980s and early 1990s slipped to pre 1980s lows in spite of headliner wins in the both IMSA and Trans-Am series. Shortly thereafter Audi went through a product line shift as it moved from the numbered series to the now-familiar “A” designations and ended the venerable turbocharged 5 cylinder – the basis for nearly all of the wins it recorded from 1980 to 1995.

An interesting thing then happened – Audi pursued Touring Cars with the new A4 platform. Audi was, in fact, not a stranger to the form of racing, having raced in various touring car groups since the 1970s. However, it was the method which Audi pursued with focus new championships that redefined the racing scene once again. The A4 STW (Super Touren Wagen) proved as successful as it predecessors had been, winning the Italian, German and British Touring Car Championships. What was interesting, though, was that during this time Audi had effectively no derivative performance cars based upon the A4. That would wait until the A4’s quattro all-wheel drive had been banned by the FIA, and the new V6 twin-turbo powered S4 was launched. It was the reputation that Audi had built that would spur on both sales and replicas of some of those touring cars, such as today’s heavily modified S4:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2000 Audi S4 Race Car on eBay

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10K Friday: Modded Middle-Classers – E36 M3 Sedan v. B5 S4

Without a doubt, two of the favorite tuning platforms of the past two decades have been the E36 M3 and B5 Audi S4. Almost a right of passage for recent Euro car ownership, they took middle-class sedans to the track offering out of the box 240 and 250hp respectively, though in very different ways. Out of the box, the E36 was the more lively of the two, though the Audi was undoubtedly more refined and a better all-arounder than the E36 was. In an almost Yankees/Red Sox-esque rivalry, both have their supporters who either respect the other’s performance or point out its multiple flaws. Production didn’t overlap on these two, but it was close and pricing is similarly close these days. Which is the better deal? Well, you can help decide – let’s look at the BMW first:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1998 BMW M3 on eBay

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Afternoon Accessories: Audi A4/A6 polished aluminum 15×6 wheels

For some reason, every once in a while I see a wheel that I just really love. It doesn’t need to be the biggest, widest wheel available, and I’m not always sure why aesthetically some appeal to me and others don’t. Take, for example, today’s A4/A6 polished aluminum wheels – on the surface, a very similar design to the 15×7 wheels that came standard on the A4 1.8T – but those I hate, and these I love. They’re understated and hint at Euro-goodness, and are quite rare to see on these shores. Here’s a set for someone on a budget:

Year: 1996-2001
Model: A4/A6
Diameter: 15″
Width: 6″
Bolt Pattern: 5×112
Offset: ET 45
Condition: Used
Tires: Included
Price: $225 Buy It Now

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Audi A4/A6 Polished Aluminum wheels on eBay

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Afternoon Accessories: Audi B5 S4 Winter Option Speedline 16×6 Wheels

I’m not really sure entirely why, but I’ve got a thing for rare wheels, especially when they’re wheels you don’t often see. Such is the case with today’s accessory – ultra rare in the United States factory option winter wheels for the B5 S4. Specially offset to clear the brakes yet narrow to support thin snows, these Speedlines are some of the prettiest factory winter wheels ever made in my mind. They’re elegant and while they’re narrow and small compared to what most people want, in my mind there is something immeasurably cool about wide fender cars sitting on narrow snow tires.

Year: 2000-2002
Model: S4
Diameter: 16″
Width: 6″
Bolt Pattern: 5×112
Offset: ET 40
Condition: Used/Reconditioned
Tires: Not Included
Price: $629.99 Buy It Now

CLICK FOR DETAILS: Audi B5 S4 Winter Speedline wheels on eBay

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