Avant – Pulpaddict

B8 Audi A4 Avant Gets S4 Powertrain Swap for Max Performance

This Audi A4 Avant S4 clone mimics something that wasn’t sold in the U.S., and the results are quite impressive.

It may seem hard for many of us to believe, but 2009 was a pretty long time ago at this point – 14 years, to be exact. That’s an eternity in the automotive world, when things change quickly and technology advances at a rapid rate. However, there’s still plenty to like about Audi vehicles produced during this era, with their simple, tasteful styling that’s held up nicely over the years, as well as some compelling performance models. However, there was one ride in particular that wasn’t sold in the U.S. – the B8 S4 Avant, so a fellow named Mark Jackson set out to create his own by starting out with a 2009 Audi A4 Avant, a build that was recently featured in a video from Deutsche Auto Parts.

This Audi A4 Avant came from the factory with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder under the hood, which generates a reasonable 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It’s a decent engine for this platform, but it’s no hot rod by any means, leaving enthusiasts like us – and Jackson – wanting more. Thus, he decided he was going to build his own version of the B8 S4 wagon that America didn’t get.

Jackson set out to find a suitable donor, and wound up doing just that in the form of a wrecked S4. He harvested that car’s supercharged 3.0-liter V6, six-speed manual transmission, and differential, but he didn’t just leave the new motor alone, either. Instead, he added some performance extras such as an Integrated Engineering Stage 2 Double Pulley tune, a smaller supercharger pulley to ramp up boost, and a CTS crank. The result, according to Jackson, is that his wagon now makes around double the horsepower of the engine that it replaced.

Amazingly, Jackson points out that this job was actually pretty simple and straightforward, given the fact that the A4 and S4 share so much in common. His goal here wasn’t just to make his wagon faster, however – rather, he wanted to ensure that the average person couldn’t tell that this isn’t a factory B8 S4 Avant, so he even went to the trouble of swapping over the entire interior and other bits and pieces. Needless to say, it’s an amazing finished product, and one that makes us want to go out and build our own hot rod wagon.

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Tags: 2009, 2023, a4, audi, Avant, B8, Builds, News, s4, Swaps, video

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1016 Industries Body Kit Makes Audi RS6 Avant Look Like an Exotic Supercar

For those that want their Audi RS6 Avant to look more like a Lamborghini, this new carbon fiber body kit is for you.

The Audi RS6 Avant is a beloved thing in the automotive world, and for good reason – it’s one of the very few super fast wagons on the market today. This once burgeoning segment has its loyal followers, of course, but not enough of them, as most folks (as least in the U.S.) long ago ditched wagons for crossovers and SUVs. Thus, we must celebrate the Audi RS6 Avant while it’s here, because fast wagons are clearly going the way of the dinosaur – at least in ICE form. Regardless, for those that don’t think the RS6 Avant is quite aggressive looking enough to match its incredible performance, 1016 Industries has just the thing – a new, rather exotic looking body kit.

The new 1016 Audi RS6 Avant aero kit consists of a variety of carbon fiber components including a front splitter, side skirts, hood scoop, roof spoiler, and rear diffuser, each of which is rather aggressive in terms of appearance. Heck, these goods look like they came straight from a Lamborghini of some sort, which is fitting given this brand’s family lineage. Better yet, all can be installed without any cutting, which is great in the event that the owner wants to remove them later.

As for this particular car, 1016 also fitted it with a set of spoked RDB wheels and blue brake calipers to further enhance that look, with impressive results. As for cost, the carbon fiber body kit itself starts out at around $20,000, but that isn’t the only thing 1016 is selling. Rather, those that want an entire, turnkey car can also get it from the U.S.-based company in the form of the 1016 Industries RS6, which already comes equipped with all these goodies and retails for $142,995.

“1016 Industries is incredibly pleased to showcase our new custom carbon fiber RS6, which offers a sharp, completely unique look for what we see as the finest high-performance wagon in the world,” said 1016 Industries CEO Peter Northrop. “The 1016 Industries RS6 is an opportunity for our company to introduce something completely fresh to an underserved category of enthusiasts that love the four rings. Personally, my career in auto design began working with Audi and Volkswagen, so the RS6 project in many ways feels like coming home.”

Photos: 1016 Industries

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Audi RS6 Avant Takes on S8 in Battle of Mega Powerful Body Styles

On paper, the Audi RS6 Avant has a clear advantage over the S8, but on the tarmac, it can’t seem to keep up.

There was a time when wagons were the preferred body style for those needing to haul families around – not crossovers and SUVs. Alas, those days are long gone, sadly. But we’d argue that those longing for the good old days won’t find a better wagon than the Audi RS6 Avant, a snarling beast of a machine that’s equally capable of hauling tail and hauling the groceries. The question is – can it outrun its stablemate, the Audi S8 sedan? Well, Carwow is here to find out.

What makes this matchup particularly interesting is the fact that both of these cars are powered by a twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 that lays down 590 pound-feet of torque. However, the Audi RS6 Avant makes 591 horsepower, while the S8 offers up “just” 563, and the sedan surprisingly weighs a little over 300 pounds more. The RS6 Avant is also cheaper, with a starting MSRP of $109,000 versus $130,900 for the S8. Both cars come equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and Quattro all-wheel-drive.

This paper comparison is undoubtedly interesting, but what really matters is how these two cars stack up in the quarter-mile. And that comes as a bit of a surprise, as the S8 rockets ahead and takes the first win, though its driver believes he might have been “a bit premature off the line.” Thus, the two go at it again, and the result is exactly the same.

“I think once again I’m just reacting a little bit quicker off the line,” our host says. “You’re not reacting quicker, you’re going before his hand drops,” the other driver quips. So on the third go, both cars leave together and the S8 still gains an early lead. “It seems to just be finding better traction because we were neck and neck,” the S8 driver says. “I just seem to have a bigger delay between gear changes than you,” the RS6 Avant driver notes. “When I was shifting, there was a large gap between when it engaged power again.”

While the S8 was the decisive and surprising winner here, the elapsed times – 11.4 seconds for the sedan and 11.6 seconds for the wagon – are undoubtedly close. However, our host does say that he managed to get an 11.4 out of the RS6 Avant on another occasion, so this is clearly a race that can go either way, depending on conditions and who’s behind the wheel. And once the two cars stack up for a few roll races, the RS6 Avant edges out its sedan counterpart each and every time, proving that in spite of their similarities, these two performance machines are quite different, after all.

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