"With the K04 upgrade, we found the stock hoses were melting and oil was getting all over the place," said Lawrence. Fortunately, Samco hoses helped resolve the problem and provided the turbo inlet pipe. A Neuspeed power pulley and torque damper were then added, along with a Racetech intercooler and stainless cat-back Milltek exhaust.
With its multitude of engine upgrades, the 1.8T is pushing a claimed 230hp at the flywheel, up from the stock 180. It also boasts a number of dress-up items, including a polished intake manifold as well as Carbonio's carbon engine cover and cold-air intake.
With respectable power figures, a set of stoppers was in order. Continuing the Porsche theme, a set of ECS Tuning 13" drilled rotors and four-piston Porsche Boxster calipers were fitted up front. Drilled rotors were fitted on the rear, to be used with the stock calipers, and all four calipers were finished in a black powdercoat.
The big brakes required a big set of rollers, so 19x8.5" RH AL three-piece wheels were obtained from GMP Performance and color-matched in Dolphin grey.
The brakes, rims and two-tone paint all come together in a blissful symphony of color-coded harmony. Even the 235/35-19 Toyo T1R Proxes tires get in on the act - well, they're black...
We discovered that getting the wheel offsets flush took patience and a number of tire and spacer combinations from Group 5. But, the result was worth the effort, once the suspension was dropped with Eibach Pro Street coilovers to create a menacing stance.
Like the Q-ships of WW2 that hid powerful armaments under a civilian disguise, this A4 does the same with its subtle styling cues and no-nonsense aesthetics.
Tech Spec
2003 AUDI A4 1.8T
Owner: Lawrence Coates
Location: San Diego, CA
Occupation: US Navy logistics
Engine:
1.8 liter four-cylinder 20v with KO4 HP turbo upgrade, APR software, Audi TT fuel injectors, Forge OO7 diverter valve, Neuspeed Power Pulley and torque damper, Neuspeed/Samco turbo inlet pipe, Samco hose kit, Racetech intercooler, stainless steel Milltek cat-back exhaust, custom Labrea downpipe, polished intake manifold, Carbonio carbon fiber cold-air intake and engine cover, Sun Auto hyper voltage system, ground system, gauss fuel tuning, pocket voltage and fuel supply
Driveline:
stock automatic transmission
Brakes:
ECS stage 2v2 Porsche Boxster four-piston front calipers with 13.1" (332mm) cross-drilled rotors, stock rear calipers powdercoated black with cross-drilled rotors
Suspension:
Eibach Pro Street coilovers
Wheels & Tires:
19x8.5" RH AL three-piece wheels painted Dolphin grey with polished lips, custom spacers, 235/35-19 Toyo T1R tires
Exterior:
Oettinger front bumper, side skirts and rear apron, custom mesh, Kamei grille, painted tail lights, clear side markers and turn signals, Halogen E-code headlights with 6000K PIAA Extreme H7 bulbs, car painted in Audi Dolphin grey and Porsche Basalt black
Interior:
Sparco Milano front seats, headliner and rear seat inserts trimmed in matching grey alcantara, Sparco five-point harnesses, voltage, boost and oil temp gauges in console, RS4 pedals
Audio/Visual:
custom-mounted double-DIN Alpine IVAW200 DVD/CD/MP3 head unit, SPR/1764 speakers front and rear, MRV-F345 and MRD-M605 amps, two 10" SWR-1022D subwoofers in custom enclosure finished in alcantara, Eiger Vision 15" LCD TV mounted in trunk lid, Halogen display lighting in trunk
Thanks:
Troy at Group 5 Motorsport (www.group5motorsport.com), Eddie, GMP Performance (www.gmpperformance.com), Jack Daniel's Motors, Jeff at Coachworks, Waldwick Autobody, Mobilewerks