Must-have Mods for the Audi B8.5 S4/S5
Want to modify your Audi without going broke? Turn up the dial on your car and reignite the love affair between you and your Bavarian beauty. After all, life is too short to stay stock.
1. Power Trip
AWE tune software will deliver power that’s extremely linear and as smooth as stock. Users report that under heavy use there was still no jerkiness, weird throttle behavior, misfires or CELS.
Get a lightweight pulley that will not only help with power delivery in your v8 but will also drop weight in rotating mass.
A transmission mount insert like this one will limit the movement of the tranny and increase the smoothness in your driving experience.
If you own a Sportback or cabriolet then go for a supercharger pulley upgrade to utilize that boost you have under the hood.
2. Get Low
If you’re thinking of doing anything about ride height and are a bit stuck between springs and coilovers, chose the coils. Coilovers are great to improve handling and looks on your S5 but also have the advantage over springs that they are adjustable. Sure the cost up front is a lot more but you’ll be thankful when you can change the settings while moving through any seasonal weather.
3. Be Yourself
Change up the menus and settings to what fits best for you with the VCDS mods that almost everyone knows about for their Audi. We really recommend getting your own VCDS cable as it’s incredibly useful and will pay for itself over time. Many of the VAG-COM mods that have been discovered online for the B8 platform do not work the same, or at all, on the B8.5 models. So once you get a hold of a cable make sure to look closely at software mods to make sure they are compatible for the B8.5.
4. Locomotive Breath
An exhaust and intake will change the sound of your car, but it will also change the look as well. With the larger exhaust tips at the back of your S5, the air of power and potential will be there to warn everyone around you that they’re in for an aural show. When shopping for a setup it can be just as much about how it looks as how it sounds and performs. The exhaust system for you is a very subjective search as it is what sounds best to your ears. Jump on Youtube and listen to lots of exhaust clips recorded by fellow Audi owners to aid you in your search.
5. How Do You Stop?
Your S5 can get up to a good pace quickly, and with the addition of parts laid out above that time just got shorter. The consensus has been that the stock breaks on the S5 heat up and then start to fade quickly will diminishing stopping ability. So what are you to do when met with the bright brake lights or glowing red illumination at an intersection? For every Yin, there must be an equal Yang. Time to upgrade those brakes and bring things down to a halt. You can always go to an Audi Big Brake Kit like the one on the RS5, but if your budget won’t allow for that then we have another route. StopTech drilled and slotted brake pads can increase confidence as well as performance with your Audi. To go along with better pads check out rotors with better cooling features and higher temp brake fluid.
6. If Looks Could Kill
Now that we’ve gotten through all the important things it’s now time to get down to the aesthetics. Audi has done a great job designing jobs ever since the TT rolled off the production line way back when. Now it’s time to take an awesome, yet stock vehicle, and push the exterior to somewhere more fitting of your personality. Many owners opt for the RS5 style grille as a jumping off point for the cars. Building off that big grille, install a nice subtle lip or splitter to finish off the aggressive front end of the car. A rear diffuser will go nicely with the exhaust setup you picked out earlier for the car also.
For information on maintenance or repairs, please check out our do-it-yourself technical articles at https://www.audiworld.com/how-tos/.
