mrvictor83

Hey guys!

New comer to the forums and to the Audi world! I come from driving and modifying American cars. Last car was a 2003 Mustang SVT Cobra until I blew the motor. I was going to purchase a 2008 Shelby GT 500 when I decided to get something that was both sporty and family capable. Although the Cobras are fast and fun to drive, they arn't very family friendly.

So I purchased a 2013 A6 3.0TSFI and now after driving it, I am kicking myself for not saving the money for something bigger and faster like the S6 or S7.... But until then, I am happy with my A6. In stock form, it's got plenty of power for a family sedan but..... I want more and I want to modify this car tastefully.

Besides from exhaust, air intake, pulley change and a tune, what else is popular amongst A6 owners that mod their vehicles?

Would a pulley change and opening up the Air Intake allow for a more noticeable Supercharger wine?

What are some popular aftermarket wheels?

Between APR and AWE for aftermarket performance, who is better?

SharkNardo

Welcome to the Audi world!

After the engine mods you mentioned, probably suspension and wheels are the most popular. Whether your car is optioned with the Sport suspension option or not, as you have probably noticed these cars are big and heavy, so they tend to have too much body roll in corners for many. Coming from the Mustang scene, you may notice this even more. A popular mod is a sway bar/end link upgrade. Eurocode is probably the most widely used option. I recently did this upgrade and in my opinion it's almost a must-do mod (at least the sway bars) on these cars to really enjoy what a German sports sedan can provide in terms of handling.

Another mod that many do are transmission and differential mount upgrades. The OEM rubber mounts allow for a lot of slop in the driveline and downshifting can be harsh in the lower gears when in Dynamic or S mode. Eurocode and 034 Motorsports both make high-quality trans and diff mounts that do a nice job of firming up the driveline, making for smoother shifting and more efficiency in putting the power to the ground. I've done all three mounts. For a small investment, in my opinion there's a lot of payoff on this mod.

If you don't at least have the Sport suspension, you may want to consider a shock/spring upgrade. Upgrading to the OEM Sport suspension will firm things up and lower the car. Or you can go aftermarket, KV, Bilstein, etc. Again, you're dealing with a big, heavy car, a good suspension package will make a huge difference in your enjoyment of the car.

Another mod that some do is a drivetrain stabilizer like the Alu Kreuz, available from Eurocode. This piece replaces the OEM and firms up the driveline even more, improving steering feel.

Lots of wheel options. TAG Motorsports is a good source for wheels and advice on fitment. Not sure where you live, so you'll have to decide whether you'd want to go with a 19" or 20" wheel depending on the quality of your roads. Whether you go with 19" or 20", I'd recommend at least a 9" wide wheel with a 32-35ET as this will get you a nice fit flush to the fender (if you like that look).

Now for tires...I'm on my 3rd A6 and I can't stress enough how much tire choice matters on these cars. A bad tire really lets these cars down in handling and ride quality and a good tire does just the opposite. Again, depending on where you live, you'll need to decide whether you want to go with a UHPAS tire you can use year-round, or a separate summer/winter setup. Either way, you want a high-quality UHPAS tire (Conti DWS06 is a great choice) or summer tire (Michelin PSS and Conti 5P are great choices). I'd recommend a 265 width tire, slightly wider than the 255's most of these cars came with. A 265 tire on a 9", 35ET rim really looks nice. Just my .02.

An air intake (Roc Euro, APR, AWE, Injen) will definitely increase supercharger whine. Some do it more than others. I've got the AWE and I think the increased whine is just enough. totally subjective to what you're looking for obviously. Not sure if smaller pulley will also do that since I don't have one, but others can chime in on that.

Lots of ECU tune options - APR, AWE, GIAC, Unitronic. Do some research to find out which one you prefer based on HP/Tq improvements, how close the dealer is to you, etc. I don't have a tune, so others can chime in on their experience.

Interior upgrades like aluminum pedals, mats, steering wheels are also popular. Europrice is a supplier of these.

Hope that helps and post some pics!

thehaviet

I am also very interested in upgrading the suspension on my A6.

I'll keep an eye out to see what you end up with in your mods journey.

What's the cons of only replacing the springs but not the shock? Are you sacrificing performance, ride, and comfort?

thehaviet

I just put the TSW Nurburgring wheels on my A6. They are strong, light, and looks very nice. And also very budget friendly. I am sure they're are many nicer wheels out there, if your budget is a little deeper

mrvictor83

4.2 that was definitely a very helpful post! Very informative!

Thank you very much!

mrvictor83

What size wheel and tire combination did you go with?

thehaviet

19x9.5 ET41 and DWS06 255/40/19

I posted some pics here.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a6-...2899471/page5/

mrvictor83

In your research, what would have been the widest tallest wheel and tire combination you could go with an A6 that is potentially lowered by 1.5 inches?

SharkNardo

Are you lowering from non-Sport ride height or Sport ride height?

mrvictor83

From my research, replacing just the springs, lowering the ride as a result on the stock shocks and struts would be putting the suspension in constant "load".... In a short terms how I understand it, it would be the equivalent of constantly driving your stock set up as if it would be riding speed bumps until they give up.

Thats from my amateur research over the years.