Project Car – 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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2017 Audi TT With Turbocharged VR6 Swap Churns Out 700 HP

A turbocharged VR6 swap makes this 2017 Audi TT incredible quick, but it also looks the part with an array of upgrades.

Now on its way to the proverbial automotive graveyard, the Audi TT certainly gained its fair share of fans over the years, largely thanks to its concept car-like styling and solid performance. For some, however, you can just never have enough power underhood, and that includes the owner of this wild 2017 Audi TT. Rather than spend the time and money upgrading this car’s original turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four cylinder powerplant, they wound up replacing it altogether with a larger turbocharged 3.6-liter VR6 built by R-Performance and AW-Racing, and the results are quite amazing.

Those companies provided what the owner calls their Stage 2 setup for this particular powerplant, as well as a titanium exhaust and multiple tunes so that he can run different fuels when so desired. On 98-octane, the combination of good for around 600 horsepower, while adding 100-octane helps it make an impressive 740 horsepower, which flows to the wheels via a built DSG DQ500 gearbox.

In terms of how this translates to performance, the owner claims that his swapped 2017 Audi TT will do 0-62 mph in the sub three-second range, and go from 62-124 mph in 4.9 seconds – impressive numbers, indeed. To help manage the car’s newfound power, he also added a set of Bilstein B16 dampers, Eibach sway bars, and a braking system that consists of six-piston calipers and PFC discs up front, as well as 334mm ventilated discs out back.

However, this 2017 Audi TT isn’t just chock full of mechanical upgrades – it also features a full TT RS body kit, along with a large rear wing, Rieger diffuser, and a front splitter and side skirts from Maxton Design. The car rolls on a set of 19×8.5-inch Motec Ultralight wheels wrapped with Pirelli rubber, though the interior was left alone, save for a set of DSG shift paddles.

It’s a tantalizing package for certain, and one that’s actually for sale right now on the Unique Cars For Sale In Europe Facebook page. Problem is, the car is located in Warsaw, Poland, which isn’t great news for U.S.-based buyers. Regardless, it’s a spectacular machine worth taking a closer look at, with an engine swap that makes it truly unique as well.

Photos: Unique Cars For Sale In Europe/Facebook

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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.

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Repaired with Rice: Flooded Audi e-tron GT Given Clean Bill of Health

donuts Audi e-tron GT is an impressive all-electric sports sedan. And even though it undercuts the price of its Porsche Taycan sibling the Audi is not exactly cheap. In fact, the one you see here stickered at $110K. So, even if one is damaged in a flood, you really don’t want to give up on it. It is worth trying everything to get it running and driving again. And that is exactly what YouTuber Rich Benoit from the Rich Rebuilds channel has done. We have shown you previously that he was miraculously able to get the flooded e-tron GT running again by using the old-fashioned rice trick. After submerging the car in thousands of pounds of rice the e-tron GT started and moved under its own power. Truly an impressive result.

However, starting and rolling forward 6 inches is one thing. To prove that the rice trick is truly viable the car has to actually behave like a car. Benoit still paid $56K at auction to get this car. And while that is far less than the original MSRP, it is still a serious chunk of change. And for that kind of money the car still needs to do all the things that an e-tron GT is capable of doing. That means driving at highway speeds, acceleration runs, and most importantly donuts in an empty parking lot. Once that road test is complete it is taken to an Audi dealer for inspection. Is the Audi really free of defects now? Let’s find out.

Clean Up in Aisle Four

Audi e-tron GT rice cleanup

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The Audi 4000S is an Underrated 1980s Classic

Audi 4000

The Audi 4000S is overlooked and largely forgotten today. But this is one classic 1980s German sedan I’d gladly have back.

People heap a lot of love on the original Audi Ur-Quattro and for good reason. The car singlehandedly transformed rally racing and made Audi a household name in the 80s, luring yuppies away from their Bimmers. But finding one, an affordable one, is impossible. A good one goes for $30,000 or more on Bring A Trailer, leaving a budget enthusiast out in the cold.

Fortunately, there’s a similar car that delivers a similar driving experience at a fraction of the cost – the Audi 4000S and 4000S Quattro. It doesn’t have the performance or the racing pedigree and it’s largely forgotten. But if you want an upscale German sedan from the 1980s, one built for the open road, it’s an underrated classic. I should know. I owned one and it’s a car I’d gladly have back.

A Brief History of the Audi 4000S

Audi Fox

The Audi 4000 replaced the Audi Fox in 1980 and originally came equipped with a 1.6L 4-cylinder and 4-speed manual transmission. A two-door, 5-cylinder model followed along with the addition of a 5-speed manual gearbox. Engine displacement gradually increased, as did power output, but maxed out at 115 horsepower and 126 lb. feet of torque. Audi dropped the 5-cylinder model in 1982 because the 4-cylinder produced similar power and added an “S” designation.

In 1984 the 4-cylinder displacement increased again to 1.8-liters and the 4000S gained Quattro all-wheel-drive as an option. Styling changes came about in 1985 with all models receiving revised front grilles, lights, bumpers and interiors. Finally, in 1986 the 4000CS special edition commemorated both the 100th anniversary of the automobile and the last model year of the 4000 which was replaced after 1987 with the Audi 80/90.

Audi 4000S

While somewhat rare today, an Audi 4000S Quattro sedan in good condition sells for around $10,000, and coupes are available in the $12,000 range. Engines and drivetrains are practically bulletproof and share parts with a number of VWs and Porsches of the era. However, trim and switchgear can be hard to find. Electrical systems can be problematic but the most common issues involve power windows, cruise control, or gauges. Rust is another common problem and can occur around the finders, rocker panels, and lower body trim. But it’s also a good idea to look under the car at the trunk and suspension mounts.

Owning an Audi 4000S

Audi 4000S

I owned a 1985 Audi 4000S for just over a year right after college. Needing cheap wheels, I picked it up at an auto auction for $1300. The car was some kind of metallic tan or bronze with a hint of rust forming in the rear wheel wells and fender trim. The brown cloth interior smelled musty and baked in a way only old German cars can. Power windows worked part-time, taking frequent breaks and the sunroof occasionally got stuck. The air conditioner long ago discharged its freon and the heater produced a feeble stream of air that barely warmed the footwell. Occasionally a bump would dislodge a speaker wire and the stereo would cut out on the passenger side. All minor conveniences and the speaker problem would rectify itself with another bump.

Worst of all, it had a godforsaken three-speed automatic, giving the already anemic 1.8 liter 4-cylinder a clubbed foot. Excruciatingly slow around town, it took forever to accelerate to highway speeds. But once up to speed, it would go until it ran out of horizon. The heavy steering felt perfectly weighted and rock steady at 80 mph. Ride quality, which felt firm around town, transformed into a near-perfect blend of comfort and composure. It was nothing to grab three friends, load up mountain bikes and gear, and drive five hours for a weekend of camping. The Audi didn’t care. It just seemed to be happy going places.

Sadly all of that fun came to an end when the repair bills piled up. I sold the Audi for what I paid for it and never looked back.

But as I get older, I look back and think about that Audi 4000S often. It entered my life at a point where the future was wide open, scary, and uncertain, in the twilight of my untethered youth. I had a tape of the Gin Blossoms’ “New Miserable Experience” that played constantly in that old Audi. There’s a line from one of their songs that goes, “If you don’t expect too much from me, you might not be let down.” And that sums up that Audi.

Last week I saw the Gin Blossoms play live and now I’m searching the internet, looking for old Audis.

Photos: Audi

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Mark Webb

Mark Webb is fascinated by anything automotive and particularly loves cars that are unusual or have a good story. He’s owned a variety of cars from 60’s muscle, Japanese imports, and oddities like a VW Thing and Porsche 924. After 20 years in the automotive and tech industries, he’s a walking encyclopedia of car info and is always on the lookout for his next project or a good road trip.