Audi Models – Page 2

770 HP Audi S8 Battles RS3-Swapped Golf R in Ultra-Close Drag Race

This Audi S8 makes far more power than the Golf R, but it also weighs more, resulting in one of the closest matchups we’ve seen.

Drag racing is a fascinating sport for a variety of reasons, but to us, one of the best things about it is getting to watch very different machines battle it out in a straight line. While many sports match up competitors based on skill or capability, that isn’t always the. case in drag racing, at least in the “run what you brung” sort of situation. That’s exactly what took place in this latest showdown conducted by the YouTube channel Officially Gassed, which pits a pair of modified German vehicles – an Audi S8 and Volkswagen Golf R – against each other.

However, these two cars do share one thing in common that most wouldn’t expect – an engine, or at least an engine from the same manufacturer. That’s because the Golf R seen here is packing the same 2.5-liter inline-five cylinder engine as the Audi RS3, and in this guise, it’s been boosted to around 520 horsepower thanks to a tune and a few other goodies. It also utilizes the RS3’s gearbox and rear end, and weighs in at around 3,300 pounds.

In the other corner, we have the Audi S8, which has received one big update for its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 as well, giving it a substantial 770 horsepower to play around with. Amazingly enough, this car needs nothing more than just a tune to achieve that mark, but as one might imagine, it’s quite a bit heavier than the Golf R, tipping the scales at around 4,400 pounds.

The very first race between these two is conducted from a roll, and despite their many differences, it’s a shockingly close one, with the Golf R just barely taking the win. However, there was some controversy regarding the VW driver jumping early, and the next go-round, they seem to be too conservative, giving the S8 an easy win. Amazingly, the third race was so close that it’s impossible to call, so the team goes to the numbers to decide, which shows that the Audi was indeed quicker.

From a dig, the Audi S8 proves to be superior in the first-go round, though the second round produces another race that was essentially too close to call. Thus, the two line up for a third time yet again, and in another photo finish, the Golf R takes home the victory. After reviewing the footage later on, however, it appears that the S8 actually won the second match, but regardless, this is easily some of the best racing we’ve seen in a while, which means that we’re all winners for getting to watch it all take place.

Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums!

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

B6 Audi A4 With a Gated Manual Transmission Is All About the Love of Driving

One upgrade was all it took to make this B6 Audi A4 exponentially more fun and satisfying to drive on a regular basis.

Gated manual transmissions have always been what many enthusiasts consider to be the perfect way to shift gears in a sports car, largely thanks to the way they feel and sound, with a satisfying “click” every time one fires off said gear change. Unfortunately, however, gated manuals have largely been relegated to exotics and expensive vehicles that have only risen in value in recent years as these gearboxes become more and more sought after and popular as automakers move away from manuals in general. Regardless, enthusiasts such as the owner of this amazing B6 Audi A4 can simply resort to making a satisfying machine themselves.

That’s precisely the case here, as we can see in this video from Auditography, and this particular B6 Audi A4 is no show queen – in fact, it has a whopping 415,000 kilometers or nearly 258,000 miles on the clock. However, one would be hard-pressed to tell by looking at it, because the car’s Denim Blue Metalic paint and iconic Bauhaus styling – inspired by the TT – still looks amazing, and in this case, has been enhanced with the addition of an S4 body kit and 19-inch VMS wheels.

The owner left this car’s original 3.0-liter V6 alone, which means that it churns out a mere 220 horsepower – but thanks to a custom exhaust, it certainly sounds the business. Leaving the powertrain stock also likely helps with its longevity, at least, and with a gated manual behind it, there’s no denying that this B6 Audi A4 is a hoot to drive even with that modest amount of power underhood – this much is clear watching its owner slide around in the snow.

Otherwise, this A4 was left mostly alone, save for the addition of an iPad inside the cabin that doubles as a makeshift infotainment screen and navigation system. With so many miles on the clock, one might expect to see a lot of wear here, but that simply isn’t the case – this car has been lovingly cared for over the years, that much is for certain. It’s clear that the main focus of this concoction was to make this Audi more enjoyable to drive, and with the addition of one component, its owner accomplished that goal and managed to build one of the coolest A4s out there.

Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums!

Brand New Audi RS6 Drops Valve With Just 450 Miles on the Clock

After suffering the catastrophic failure, this Audi RS6 needs a new long block, because the old one is quite literally toast.

When one buys a new vehicle these days, one typically expects to be able to rack up quite a few miles before worrying about things like routine maintenance – let alone actual repairs. However, from time to time, we come across some horror story on the internet about a brand new car that suffers some sort of serious mechanical issue, and in a few cases, something as extreme as a blown motor. Sadly, that’s precisely what happened to an Audi RS6 owner recently when their hot wagon had to be towed to the shop with just 450 miles on the clock.

The YouTube channel Just Rolled In documented this particular issue recently after the Audi RS6 was dropped off for repairs. The owner stated that he heard a snapping noise while driving down the road, after which the car made a clanking noise and shut down completely. Our mechanic immediately knew what the problem was – a valve dropped down into the cylinder, which is obviously a pretty bad thing for any car, let alone one with just 450 miles.

In a follow up clip, we get a closer look at the engine’s internals, where the piston has completely melted, while the cylinder walls are gouged up as well. We can only see one valve in the borescope view, but as our host points out, this engine is “completely torched,” and filled with various debris to boot. In fact, the mechanic is able to travel through the piston to check out the connecting rod, which is both humorous and kind of sad at the same time.

@mk6_matt Tried to do a quick voiceover of the carnage from this RS6. New crate longblock is already on the way #rs6 #V8TT #seized #avant #audi #fyp #voiceover #boroscope #snapon ♬ original sound – Matt

It’s unclear what caused this horrific destruction in the first place, whether it be a defective engine or simply extreme abuse by the owner, but ultimately, this brand new motor is toast. The mechanic has already ordered a replacement long block, which will help get the hot wagon back on the road, but in the meantime, it’s little more than a pricey paperweight.

Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums!

The Audi TT Was Almost a Porsche, According to the Car’s Designer

An internal battle between brands ultimately resulted in the Audi TT winning out, but it nearly didn’t.

The Audi TT is set to sail into the sunset after many successful years on the market as a futuristically-styled, satisfying luxury sports coupe. The first-gen model is also arguably one of the most iconic designs in automotive history, a car that looked like a concept for the street, which is something we rarely see happen. However, it seems as if the Audi TT very nearly became a Porsche model during the initial development phase, as its original designer – Freeman Thomas, explained to CarBuzz at the TT’s recent going away party.

“I was asked to do a Porsche version and an Audi version, and [the Porsche designers] in Weissach were also asked to do a Porsche version and an Audi version,” Thomas said. “And because I came from Porsche, I knew their design language and said to J Mays (who was Audi’s design director at the time), ‘this is what they are going to do, and this is what we are going to do.’ We kept to this Bauhaus absolute design and theirs was very styled.”

The team later had a somewhat secretive meeting to go over these designs and lull over the two different scale models they had created and determine the future of each. Porsche designers reportedly weren’t thrilled at the concept of Audi having a more powerful, all-wheel-drive model, which obviously didn’t settle too well with the Audi team. “We told them everything was off, but we are going to [the Frankfurt Auto Show] and beginning the full-size [model],” Thomas said. “Porsche had no idea we were doing this. We developed the coupe first. That was at Frankfurt 1995; it surprised everybody.”

The rest, as they say, is history – Thomas and his team created the Audi TTS Concept alongside the production version, took it to the 1995 Frankfurt Auto Show without Porsche’s knowledge, and it became an instant hit. Consumers loved the fact that the production Audi TT looked just like the concept, which has been heralded as one of the most beautiful automotive designs in history – even by the loftiest of standards.

“We went to Italdesign and I got to know Giugiaro [one of the legendary automotive designers of all time] very well,” Thomas said. “I remember presenting the [TT] to him and asking him ‘What do you think?’ He said ‘I wouldn’t change a line.’”

Photos: Audi

Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums!

Beastly 900 HP Audi RS6 Makes Mincemeat of Modded BMW M3

With relatively equal power to weight ratios, this Audi RS6 uses sheer muscle to drive past a BMW M3 in every single race.

One could successfully argue that any Audi RS car is wicked quick, and they’d be absolutely right. Straight out of the box, these high-performance machines are quite powerful and capable, but as is usually the case, the right tune can make then even more so. We’ve seen this time and time again over they years, and now, we’re seeing it again with what might be the fastest Audi RS6 on the planet, which recently took on an equally modified BMW M3 in a drag race hosted by the folks behind the Officially Gassed YouTube channel.

This particular Audi RS6 has been modified in many ways, starting under the hood, where its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 was warmed over by the folks at QS Tuning. It features a stage 3 ECU and TCU upgrade, a pair of TTE1020 turbos, CSF intercoolers, QST downpipes, exhaust, an Eventuri intake, and a QST MAP sensor. The results are a cool 916 horsepower, which flows to all four wheels via Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires.

With a perfect 3-0 record on this particular channel, the Audi RS6 seems to have its hands full on this particular day running against an 800 horsepower BMW M3 with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six, as it’s a bit lighter – around 3,924 pounds versus the wagon’s 4,574 pound curb weight. However, in the very first roll race, the Audi RS6 walks away from the BMW like it’s standing still, making easy work of the less powerful yet also lighter performance sedan.

The second roll race produced essentially the same result, albeit with a slightly closer margin of victory of roughly two cars. However, the two move on to the series of dig races, which can oftentimes go far different than those that take place from a roll. This time, the M3 gets the jump and an early lead, but the Audi quickly chases it down, a feat that it repeats for the second and final dig race.

Given the power to weight ratios of these two cars – which are essentially even – it’s somewhat surprising to see one dominate the other in such fashion, but it’s clear that the Audi makes up for its weight disadvantage with pure power – just like the good old days of hot rodding, albeit in a large, family-friendly wagon.

Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums!