Originally Posted by virtualrc (Post 25522757)

Hey gang, I wanted to close the loop on this thread as it relates to the vehicle purchase itself. Keen observers will notice the update to my profile and avatar. I ended up taking the keys to this beast on Friday. I appreciate everyone's input, especially as it relates to VIN stickers, where to look for tell tale signs of damage, and the second set of eyes that spotted the emissions test failures.

The VIN sticker defacement was ultimately a red herring. Every panel is straight, gaps are consistent all the way around, and there are zero signs of any post factory paint work. This is based not only on my assessment, but the shop where I had the vehicle inspected.

Regarding the emissions testing issues, this is the result of the presence of both the APR Stage 2 tune as well as their aftermarket downpipes. Those two upgrades were in fact on my bucket lest to try on the D4 platform so while some see this as a major concern, I saw it as work that I now don't have to pay out of pocket to have done. And yes, I know exactly what I'm getting into with regards to passing emissions successfully every year and the recent discontinuation of the APR Stage 2 tune and their downpipes. I enjoy a good technical challenge!

On the subject of buying someone else's tuned car and concerns about wear and tear, this car is in considerably better condition than the one I'm coming from. I also know where this car was serviced and tuned at so I'm very comfortable with the history of the vehicle.

And on top of all that, did I mention it's a freaking blast to stomp on the go pedal! I was on the fence about the premium the S8 has over a 4.0 A8 but now having driven both there's no going back for me.

Finally, I have a longer post rattling around in my head that would explain why I needed to get a new car but for now I'll just say that if you run into a 2015 A8L with VIN WAU32AFD3FN010358, it most likely came from a salvage auction. To that person if they find this post I'd be happy to provide a full accounting of the service records for the past two years.