CHASETRUCK

Being my first Audi this is a new beast but still can always use a bit more get up and go. I see some aftermarket tuners are in development but nothing available yet. I'm a hp junkie and have a hard time being stock. This car is quick but nothing crazy. Id like to do at minimum a tune and depending on what is available maybe a bolt or or two. This car seems pretty easy to work on as well so a down pipe may be a nice gain with the tune. Id like to see a 11 second 1/4 mile car .

Anyone else out there feeling the same?

ibu11et

11 seconds from a couple bolt-ons and a tune? In for your build thread.

markcincinnati

I got all excited when I saw the subject of this thread:

My tune is "Hot Rod Heart," by John Fogerty.

I defy anyone to play this tune on the S4's B&O sound system and drive the car at sane speeds.

In fact, I'm pretty certain the S4 develops noticeably more torque when this song is playing on a deserted and straight stretch of highway.

I had always thought the B&O system in my 2014 S4 was pretty good, no, no, it was good. But this system has some BASS for pity's sake. And, somehow the "3D" effect makes it sound as if the tweeters are on the outside of the car perhaps about where the mirrors are located. The telephone, uh, the combination of the microphone and the equalization of the system rivals some of the better office telephone speaker systems in terms of noise suppression and implementation of full-duplex technology.

In any case, your tune choice may be different, but once you do find "your" tune, I'm sure you'll agree with me, this S4 is impressive.

To the original poster, "driving it like you live," may indeed require you to modify your new 'sheen. The S4 is Audi's top of the A4 line -- it may well be related, second cousin, twice removed kind of thing to the RS clan; but, it is NOT an RS family member.

At close to the same price, why not go for the upcoming RS3 rather than attempt to chase an increase in "power and torque" that, in my experience, will imbue your new S4 with frustrating amounts of turbo lag?

But, I leave you with this: Drive it like YOU live. It's all good.

Me? I got a hot rod heart. . . . let's go ridin' . . . .

Vijay

I agree on the general idea that if you are going to tune an S4, why not just get an RS3. The only reason to get the 4 is if you want something a little larger and a little more comfortable. I am looking to downsize from my current S6 and I have my Cayman when I am in the mood for some hell raising, so the S4 may just work for me in terms of meeting my sporty transportation needs.

alex6speed

While I certainly don't speak for him, the OP is probably just looking to get a little more out of the S4 right out the box. While an RS3 would probably fill that gap a little, it's also a much different car (engine and interior wise). Just one look at the S3 made me just want to walk away.

This is also coming from the Mazdaspeed world to this (in my own experience). I've known so many people who want to get something brand spanking new and just tune the snot of out it. Granted, they didn't last long. Personally, I'm already loving this car as it is. I haven't even begun thinking of tuning, but to each their own. Here's hoping to those who experiment or nominate themselves for tuning experiments that you don't throw a rod in the process.

markcincinnati

I absolutely agree "to each his/her own." My experience with modding is limited to chipping, swapping BPV's and high(er) performance air filters. Additionally, I have experience with upgrading tires and F+R anti-sway bars.

The chipping and tires, I found, made major differences. Chipping was, however, a double-edged sword. While torque was almost incredibly increased, in exchange, I was forced to "enjoy" substantial turbo-lag. Lag so prominent I had to learn how to drive the car like I imagine someone piloting an ocean liner might have to do. In anticipation of massive torque, I would request more acceleration well in advance of the actual need -- or (since the car was equipped with a stick shift) I would keep the car in a lower gear in order to keep the revs up.

Frankly, it was frustrating. What I really should have done was much more than the electronics -- and, of course, doing the things actually necessary would (as if the chip didn't) void the warranty. It was cheaper and more satisfying to trade the car in on the higher performance model (in my case I traded my wife's TT "up" to the higher performance model available at the time).

The S4, "as is" can have its performance "increased" -- I would, without vast sums of money applied, say the performance, while increased is not improved. Moreover, if one has the requisite vast sums of money it would cost to actually improve the performance, it seems it would be prudent to get a higher performance vehicle from the outset.

But, "driving it like you live" means doing what will make you happy what will provide actual "improvements". What makes you happy is personal.

markcincinnati

If I read the above, I am wondering if you have -- perhaps inadvertently -- uh, conflated the RS3 and S3. I test drove a maxed out S3 and I thought it felt like a go-cart (I put the ADS into DYNAMIC and it had the magnetic shocks and the larger wheels/tires); it was impressive in terms of its "right now" response, but it seemed it could be tiring as a daily driver. The RS3 is a car that I have read about, first in European car magazines then in Car & Driver. Cars with the "RS" prefix seem to be completely different cars despite their adoption of the bodies of "lesser" Audis.

The S3 and the S4 are top of the line A3s and A4s. The RS variants however are made separately and embody engineering that is "cranked to 11."

You may well be right that the RS3 is "less desirable" than an S4. But, my original point was intended to remind the OP that the RS3 is 400HP, which seems to be more in line with what he hoped to pilot.

Perhaps the RS3 won't reflect the philosophies of prior RS variants, I can't address that (maybe later).

Modding an S4, without wheelbarrows full of money will, typically, produce prodigious amounts of additional torque and decent HP gains -- yet, as I speculate, the cost of this additional increase in power and torque will be the addition of clearly noticeable turbo-lag (and loss of warranty).

I have no problem with making modifications to the model of car one acquires -- my "suggestion" is that it is less costly to go for a model that has already had the factory tuning applied. In the absence of an RS4, the logical upgrade (for the sake of performance) would be an RS3, which, coincidentally, can be had for roughly the same money as an S4.

ibu11et

This is true, but HP is not the be all, end all of performance indicators. The RS3 also only has 354lb' of torque compared to the 369 in the S4. The 5 cylinder motor in the RS3 suggest they probably were not able to take advantage of the unique turbo location in the S4 to virtually eliminate lag.

I will say I have not driven the RS3 so any opinion is purely speculation due to the lack of availability of the car. I do believe the torque curve in the RS3 comes on a bit later than the S4 under normal driving conditions. My estimation was that the torque and HP level of the S4 had more room to grow than the 5 cylinder 2.5.

My expectation is that we will see somewhere in the 10-15% range in terms of HP and TQ gain with a tune only. I also don't expect that it will induce too much more lag in this platform due to the turbo location. With the exhaust ports pointing up directly into the turbo they have mechanically addressed the question of turbo lag. Any tuning improvements will start from there and go up. The 3.0T sees max torque at a mind blowing 1370 RPM. This is in the range we see from NA motors.

Bottom line IMO. The RS3 is closer to its ceiling that the S4. I also don't believe it will take much to get the S4 over the hump and ahead of the RS3 performance.

carys4

Not to mention all the recent problems with Haldex "quattro" failure problems the A3/S3s have been having. I'll stick with the Torsen quattro

CHASETRUCK

Not the answer I was expecting but a different aspect . My goal is to do a bolt on tune and .
possibly a bit more but a tune only car with a or. Turbo such as this variant has some decent room to supersede the rs3 in performance. Not my exact goal but to make a car that will hold its own. I had looked good and hard at the ats-v before this . The interior was a deal breaker in comparison.
. I usually mod every vehicle I own. My current drivers are a 07 2500 hd duramax loaded ,stock with 360 hp and 650 torque. With a few minor mods (bolt on turbo upgrade , added fuel mods ,lift pump and more filters, built trans when mine took a dump, and exhaust all with tuning . The truck makes 600 hp 1100 tq reliably , tows anything and gets 22 mpg hwy with a small lift. My car a 09 cadillac cts-v with a mile mod list but nothing crazy (ported stock supercharger with pulley upgrades,large throttle body, forged bottom end due to a spun main , trickflow heads, cam , fuel system,injectors ,flex fuel converted ,upgraded cooling system for the supercharger, headers to stock mufflers, and do I am do finishing a direct port nitrous system . The car made 556 hp at the crank stock , 460-470 is normal stock . The car makes 792 who now on e85 and 730 on 91. It will mske.about 1100 whp with a 150 shot (direct port ,stand alone fuel system and lots of fine tuning). This is with a stock c.i. engine and crank (just upgraded rods and pistons) stock transmission,stock rear end, and stock induction. For the money it a great platform for a fast luxury sedan. (Runs high 9s in the 1/4 now).

I am mechanically inclined so that helps me save quite a bit though. I have personally built every car I own and have a 55 bel air project that is going to be an all out build, 1500+ hp, pro touring, and run 8s In the 1/4.

I'm not looking to go that crazy but make about 450-480 awhp and try to run 11s. If the oem turbo is capable and can supply fuel needed it should be relatively affordable for most who want the same.

embarrassing an m3 is always fun.