Greg Amy

I'm going to offer a little sacrilege to this group. It's "sacrilege" only that it flies in the face of conventional logic among many of the owners of the new car.

I think the suspension, power, and exhaust in this car are wonderful straight from the factory.

Now, granted, it doesn't have the Touring Car look of the filled-out wheel openings, and it's certainly not "cool" to leave it stock (or so it appears from AudiWorld posts), but I just spent two days on the track at Watkins Glen driving the QCUSA Driver's Education event. Along with that event last week I drove 1300 miles: from CT to the event in upstate New York, from there to Buffalo NY on business, then to Vermont to meet my wife for the weekend, then three hours back home to CT.

The stock suspension is a super compromise of these needs. I felt very confident with the car on the track, and I liked it for all that highway driving. There was nowhere near the squat, dive, and lean that I had on the 1991 200q (which prompted me to install H&Rs and Bilsteins), and the highway ride was compliant enough to be enjoyable. My longest part of the journey was the 6 hour drive from Buffalo to central Vermont, and I arrived "not unhappy". In fact, I wouldn't have minded a longer drive...

Power? How about torque everywhere except on the very extreme top end? Shift this little darling around 6K and it pulls like a freight train, it seems like, and it was enough power to see 130mph on the back straight before the chicane. On the highway I can leave it in sixth gear and never touch it until Nature calls. On secondary roads passing is a simple matter of moving the right foot; you don't even need to shift for the 50-80mph run.

Exhaust? Why make things louder?

The only thing I'm planning to do to the car is install a bigger, adjustable rear swaybar from Neuspeed, and maybe some better tires if I can find an additional set of factory wheels for a decent price. The car handles great up to about 85-90%, then it begins to understeer pretty bad. I had one ride-along instructor ask to get out of the car after going up the esses with the front tires SCREAMING in pain. Tune out a bit of the understeer (but not too much!) and this car is a joy to drive.

I do admit to installing BIRA System 2 brakes, but only because I can (and I've been asked by others to develop the design). I like the stock brakes, and when more pad options are available for them I think they will be very capable for the track, but it sure is neat to have the Porsche 996 Carrera monobloc calipers installed instead of the floating calipers (and the price is hard to beat).

So, there you go. I'm not promising that I'll never install an engine computer, or suspension, or maybe even an exhaust, but for now I'm pretty happy with it. Plus, it's neat being one of the few stock S4s crawling all over the back of the sprung/shocked/chipped/wheeled/tired/exhausted ones....

Greg Amy
BIRA.ORG
http://www.bira.org<ul><li><a href="http://www.bira.org">http://www.bira.org</a</li></ul>

2953

…now I'm REALLY HAPPY!<p>2000 Nogaro/Silver - S4
Reprogrammed ECU
"Dash T" TBB
Al Frt Susp
UUC Shifter (original 20%)
UUC VM1
S-02 PP
K&N

Captain Picard

I currently have a 1991 300ZX Twin Turbo - pretty heavily modified - pushing
about 370 hp - i ordered a 2001, and i know for sure i'm keeping her stock - not only have a read a couple horror stories on this forum about modded S4's and how they void their warranty - after the test drive, I couldn't image the
need to modify the car - also, i'm going to like having one of the few bone stock S4s on the road - that, and i can sleep well at night knowing my warranty
will NEVER be voided.

-Paul<p>2001 S4 on the way (aug/sep)
Black/Black 6-spd with:
-Sport Package
-Navigation System
-Convienence Package
-Premium Bose
-CD Changer

Camosun

I agree, the stock S4 is great - but even you have done some mods - it's personal preference

LCP

I love the way the stock suspension rides, but especially with the xenon headlights' cutoff, the excessive stoop and dive can be an annoyance in daily driving, not to mention the fact that the travel distances can be scary on very undulating road surfaces when pushed to the limit.

I'd never change the exhaust just for the noise, and kind of prefer the quiet type, but UUC did sound badass, AND more importantly, reduced turbo lag to near imperciptible levels.

The brakes clamp plenty hard for the street, but on the track, I experienced a lot of fade and the pads chunked and rotor warpage quickly ensued. Full braking at 120 or 130 just isn't too comforting stock, esp. with the suspension.

As to a chip for more speed, well the first time you can't outpull someone on the straightaway because they have more horsepower than you, that should solve it for you. "You can never have enough horsepower"

kcS4

The UUC shifter makes the car totally different, I've tried both settings and the 20% seems the best compromise. Just completed two days at BMW Club Drivers School and a lot of people were interested in getting an S4, they couldn't believe the performance of a totally stock S4, even the Re040 tires, with 9 Autocrosses and 13,000 miles still have legal tread! And they chased a lot of M3's and other assorted BMW's down and passed them repeatedly! Sure mods are great and I would love better tires and BRAKES (120mph at end of straight, turn 1 is more then 90%, they got really HOT). Before you CHIP think about brakes or you could get in way over your head.

LCP

...once you take it out you see how cheap and rubbery the plastic on the stock shifter is and you have no doubt why finding 3rd gear is hard. UUC is very well made and improves the feel AND ACCURACY of the throws, in addition to shortening them in length to where they already should have been.

Killer Bee

Yep.. UUC shifter, clearbra.. 'bout all you really need. (for me anyhow).

Tampa Mike

Agree, almost ten grand later and the car is now perfect.

LCP

I still need (in the following order): brakes, suspension, exhaust (including straight downpipes & high-flow cats). Other modifications to come as well: stereo, intercooler misters, and maybe someday, lightweight wheels and lightweight flywheel and clutch.