We immediately made our way around the car and started snapping pictures. The car features a full RS4 widebody conversion to accommodate the soft Hoosier drag slicks on all four corners. The side glass has been replaced with lightweight lexan plastic though the driver and passenger door windows are still the original glass. The rear hatch is also equipped with the stock glass. The body panels are all standard RS4 bits save for the carbon fiber hood. With all the weight reduction, the car is currently at about 1200 kg (2645 lbs) wet. The ultimate goal is to reach about 1000 kg (2200 lbs), which seems entirely possible given the large amount of OEM Audi body paneling still on the car.
The interior was about what you’d expect from a race car: fairly barren with a large number of gauges to monitor engine performance. The original dash had been replaced with a full carbon fiber dash. The factory gauge cluster, however, remains albeit with the addition of exhaust gas temperature, oil pressure, and boost gauges where the center vents would normally reside. Polish made Bimarco FIA-approved racing seats and Sparco harnesses keep the brave soul behind the wheel in place. A big red programmable shift light is mounted on the steering column between the speedometer and tachometer. Mounted towards the outside of the OMP racing steering wheel is a suspicious looking red button. “Oh that…that activates the two stage 350 hp wet shot of nitrous mounted in the trunk”. Oh my. That means over 1,000 hp on tap with the N2O armed!
When looking under the hood we quickly figure that nothing much has remained from stock. However, after a careful examination, it’s actually impressive how many stock Audi parts do remain on the car. The coilpack system is stock. The engine block, as well as the crankshaft are stock S4 parts. The heads are coded “ALF” (as in non-North American market 2.4 liter V-6 specification). The transmission, TORSEN center differential, front differential (with addition of a Quaife LSD), rear differential, driveshaft, and rear halfshafts are all 100% stock S4 items. With well over 1,000 horsepower being sent though the driveline the vehicle represents a very impressive testament to Audi OEM engineering.
After breaking a front driveshaft last year, Arek upgraded to OEM front halfshafts from an Audi 100 which he says are the strongest available which will easily (and affordably) fit. Since then, they have not had any problems with the axles. The shifter is also stock. When asked why stronger driveline parts aren’t considered, Michal told us that there simply aren’t any alternatives available in Poland which have proven to be more reliable than stock. The car has been remarkably robust so stronger parts really haven’t been a point of interest.
The clutch, however, has been a problem. Michal explained that suppliers have been eager to work with Arek and his team until the big question is gets asked: how much power does the car make. “Over 1,000 hp?!?! (silence) Sorry, we can’t help you with that (click)”. After some research and a touch of trial and error, they have specially adapted a twin spring clutch which is a throwback to Audi’s 5-cylinder Group-B rally days.
With the fluids warmed to operating temperatures we eagerly asked Michal for some time inside the car. After a brief silence, though, Michal’s face went quite pale as he told us, “No, no, no! I’m not getting anywhere near that thing.” Although admittedly disappointed, we appreciated the candid response which clearly had everything to do with the Polish roads, the atrocious road conditions and the typically chaotic traffic. It was understandable – Warsaw was not the kind of place to demonstrate such a car.
As an alternative Michal informs us that the last (and championship) race of the Polish 1/4 mile racing series will be held on an old airstrip outside of town in 3 weeks time. He invites us back as his guest to give us a first hand taste of Polish racing and a promised test ride. This was of course an offer we could never refuse. Later, as a teaser, Arek informed me the car would be undergoing more testing in the meantime with a new engine setup. Three bars of boost or more, 10,000 RPM, and larger turbos would give hopes of over 1,300 horsepower at the crankshaft.
Sound interesting? Click here for Part II of the feature as the most powerful S4 in the world heads to the 1/4 mile racing championship in Poland!
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