The AudiWorld project allroad finds a new home this winter. Now safely away from the Pacific Northwest winters and into north central Florida, the requirement for cold weather performance is long gone. The only appropriate course of action would be a wheel and tire upgrade.
Through the TireRack Upgrade Garage, the 18x8 ET 25 Moda R6 wheels fitted with 245/45-18 Bridgestone Potenza S-03 Pole Position tires were selected out for the job. After running 17,000 all-weather miles on the factory wheels and tires (twin-spoke allroad wheels 17x7.5 ET25 with 225/55-17 Goodyear Wrangler F1 allroad tires), an alignment was also most certainly in order.
Handling has truly been transformed, while steering feedback has also been greatly improved as a result of the larger contact patch. The steering is more precise with fewer corrections needed when cornering and there is a noticeably faster turn-in.
The upgraded shoes are heavier than stock footing, but the 60 lbs. per corner is really not a huge acceleration-diminishing factor. With 6/10th of an inch less sidewall height the ride is definitely firmer, but not harsh. Thanks to the innovative allroad suspension, ride quality is excellent over either smooth or rough road conditions.
Fitment is remarkably close. The stock setup provided a full two fingers worth of clearance between the front upright and the tire. This formerly accomodating clearance is reduced to less the one finger width with the new wheels and tires. Despite the reduced clearance, we can safely vouch that there is no rubbing even under heavy cornering loads or full lock maneuvers in any suspension setting.
allroad Tire Size Comparison Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Diff 205/65-16 5.2in 13.2in 26.5in 83.2in 761 -0.9% 225/60-16 5.3in 13.3in 26.6in 83.7in 757 -0.4% 225/55-17 Stock 4.9in 13.4in 26.7in 84.0in 754 0.0% 235/50-17 4.6in 13.1in 26.3in 82.5in 768 -1.8% 245/50-17 4.8in 13.3in 26.6in 83.7in 757 -0.4% 245/45-18 Upgrade 4.3in 13.3in 26.7in 83.8in 756 -0.2% 265/40-18 4.2in 13.2in 26.3in 82.8in 765 -1.5% 275/40-18 4.3in 13.3in 26.7in 83.8in 756 -0.3% 245/40-19 3.9in 13.4in 26.7in 83.9in 755 -0.1% 245/40-19 3.9in 13.4in 26.7in 83.9in 755 -0.1% 265/35-19 3.7in 13.2in 26.3in 82.6in 767 -1.6% 275/35-19 3.8in 13.3in 26.6in 83.5in 759 -0.6% 255/35-20 Bling 3.5in 13.5in 27.0in 84.9in 746 1.1% 275/30-20 Bling 3.2in 13.2in 26.5in 83.2in 761 -0.9%
Using quality parts from the Audi accessories catalog and other third party tuners, stay tuned to watch as the allroad is eventually outfitted for every season.
The Project allroad series will progress in numerous installments, including, but not limited to:
