New S4 Tuning

[RS4_Barry]

Why is it that companies are advertising such huge power upgrades from the new S4 (up to 420bhp). These figures originally attracted me into buying one (thinking that the suggested 420bhp and 330lbft would make for a quick car)
Before doing any of the modifications on the car i spent a couple of days looking over the new S4 in detail to figure out where the restriction on power was (The most power a similar derivative of this engine has put out was 360hp in the S8)-Sure the exhaust system looked pretty restrictive although it had been designed to reduce noise. It was of a narrow bore 2" if I remember correctly and had a very restrictive flattened part (similar to the tt where it goes round the rear diff) Anyhow I ordered a milltek exhaust and a modified ecu remap which according to various tuning firms should give between 370 and 396hp with a slight increase in torque. (I was a little sceptical as normally na engines just don't gain much power unless they are heavily restricted) Anyway a reliable digital (recently calibrated) rolling road was used to measure the results and they sort of speak for themselves.

Standard Car 339bhp 302lbft
Standard Car with exhaust 348bhp 302lbft
Remapped Car with exhaust 352bhp 301lbft

Can anyone show me a graph for a S4 that shows the have gained anywhere near the claimed figures???? Just interested ..... [img]images/graemlins/thumbs.gif[/img]

[Nige_RS4]

Those figures seem more realistic for a NA engine - where did AMD get their figures from I wonder ?

I would be very disappointed to say the least.

[Gareth]

I would also be interested to hear where these figures came from. I've driven the AMD modded cars and they certainly are a big improvement over std but I cannot confirm whether they felt 400+ bhp in power. I would guess that the fully modded AMD cars-Racing cats/Re-map and Mliteks-put out 380-400 but not the 420bhp quoted.

Am quite willing to hear from anyone at AMD who can confirm/deny these claims [img]images/graemlins/080402call_prv.gif[/img]

If they are that far fetched there is a little something called "The Trade Descriptions Act".... [img]images/graemlins/033102bigblink_1_prv.gif[/img]

[RS4_Barry]

Certainly if amd's figures are anything to go by my car should have had about 396hp and it wasn't even close...(although my car wasn't chipped by amd but was done by another big reputable audi tuner who has since after remapping mine has decided to offer nothing for the new S4 other than exhaust and even then that s more for the noise than anything else.)

[RS4_Barry]

There was a red avant used at a couple of trackdays from Listers and it had 420bhp claimed on the advertising all over it. I'd like to see a dyno plot for that one me thinks. Listers were selling it for an absolute fortune as well. I am sure that is the one and same car (minus the stickers) I drove when I visited listers and my butt dyno felt it was quicker than standard but no way 80 odd bhp.

[Dippy]

Barry,

Was your test with the FULL Miltek system, i.e. with the free-flow cats as well?

Personally, no matter what the power is, I still think that around 300 lbft torque is simply too low to make the new S4 as versatile as my modded old S4.

[Gareth]

There was a red avant used at a couple of trackdays from Listers and it had 420bhp claimed on the advertising all over it. I'd like to see a dyno plot for that one me thinks. Listers were selling it for an absolute fortune as well. I am sure that is the one and same car (minus the stickers) I drove when I visited listers and my butt dyno felt it was quicker than standard but no way 80 odd bhp.

I've driven that Red avant too Barry. My "bum dyno" (ooer missus [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]) was also saying similar things to yours.

At a guess I'd say it had a 15% increase at most really. Mind you it does sound suberb...like a proper V8 should [img]images/graemlins/bowdown.gif[/img]

Anyone know where AMD stand on a legimate claim that the power quoted is simply not there when you get it checked independantly?? I would guess they have a loop hole that says the power levels quoted are only specific to their tests/dyno machines etc.... [img]images/graemlins/033102ass_1_prv.gif[/img]

[RS4_Barry]

We had ordered the full system from milltek including cats luckily the cats were on back order so i thought i would just fit exhaust and chip first anyway. But when I saw how little I gained with chip and exhaust I decided to cancel the cats as there is no way that cats alone would have made up the 60bhp difference so thankfully that saved me about 1200 quid. Gladly I traded the car into a dealer in chester against an imaculate misano red rs4 (they offered me £150 less for my s4 than what i paid for it and it's now for sale at dane audi for £42K!!!!!) Thank God cars are cheaper up here..... and yes dippy i would well have a previous s4 over a new one!!! So when you gettin' the RS4 turbos then??? [img]images/graemlins/jump.gif[/img]

[TurkS4]

420Bhp = maybe with the addition of one or two turbos...... [img]images/graemlins/sekret.gif[/img]

[Gareth]

Very interesting again Barry [img]images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Saw that red avant for sale on the Audi web site today. Presume they removed the ECU re-map and Milteks?

Apart from the dubious power claims were you happy with the car? I'm looking at a Brilliamt Red avant and I'd like to hear your views on the colour scheme. Easy to clean, look good, too flash, not flash enough..??? etc

Cheers,
Gareth. [img]images/graemlins/s4addict.gif[/img]

p.s I also felt the racing cats to be a bit of an extravagence. But I guess they add to the V8 rumble [img]images/graemlins/sloppy.gif[/img]

[RS4_Barry]

Saw that red avant for sale on the Audi web site today. Presume they removed the ECU re-map and Milteks?

Nope they paid extra for the car with remap and milltek.
The red/black leather combo was very good looking imo and lovely to drive -just not quick enough for me - pity that there just ain't enough power/torque in that V8.

[Gareth]

Saw that red avant for sale on the Audi web site today. Presume they removed the ECU re-map and Milteks?

Nope they paid extra for the car with remap and milltek.
The red/black leather combo was very good looking imo and lovely to drive -just not quick enough for me - pity that there just ain't enough power/torque in that V8.

Nice car then, but no way worth the £42k Dane Audi want for it... [img]images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[Dippy]

We had ordered the full system from milltek including cats luckily the cats were on back order so i thought i would just fit exhaust and chip first anyway. But when I saw how little I gained with chip and exhaust I decided to cancel the cats as there is no way that cats alone would have made up the 60bhp difference

In that case I am not at all surprised about the figures. A 'cat-back' exhaust is simply not going to 'release' the engine up much because all the blockage IS in the cats.

I can easily imagine 10% power increase from the FULL system, and a further 5% for a remap. That makes the 15% that Gareth felt. This is 395 bhp if the base car is 344 bhp. Isn't that around what AmD are claiming for the stage 1 conversion. As for 420bhp, again if there are further changes to the cats then I can see that happening.

So when you gettin' the RS4 turbos then??? [img]images/graemlins/jump.gif[/img]

If I have that done then it will be the PROPER job, so with ICs, flywheel, clutch etc. then it must be around £7-8K? With memory of unemployment still fresh in my mind I'm only going to commit to that if/when my K03s start to die...

[RS4_Barry]

I can easily imagine 10% power increase from the FULL system, and a further 5% for a remap. That makes the 15% that Gareth felt. This is 395 bhp if the base car is 344 bhp. Isn't that around what AmD are claiming for the stage 1 conversion. As for 420bhp, again if there are further changes to the cats then I can see that happening.

Just don't think these gains are possible from a NA Engine.
Although I am totally prepared to retract that statement if someone can show me a dyno plot!!!

[RS4_Barry]

Was your test with the FULL Miltek system, i.e. with the free-flow cats as well?

Driven one with full system in cats and one with chip and cat back only.