1999 Audi A4 1.8T

Gone are the days when engine tuning meant getting your hands dirty. Thanks to leaps in technology, the automotive aftermarket, possibly the space program, and a lot of wishing, an inexpensive computer chip is all that’s required to boost the power on the popular 1.8L turbocharged powerplant to heavenly proportions. But, after upgrading the engine’s ECU, Nat Tonprasert of Dazz Motorsport was left wishing there was a chip upgrade for the suspension of his ’99 Audi A4.

That’s not to say that good old-fashioned engine work has completely gone by the wayside. Nat took full advantage of new technologies by installing a GIAC chip to up the boost pressure, move the shift points, and increase the shift speeds of the five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, but that was only the beginning. The next issue was getting the air inton That’s not to say that good old-fashioned engine work has completely gone by the wayside. Nat took full advantage of new technologies by installing a GIAC chip to up the boost pressure, move the shift points, and increase the shift speeds of the five-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, but that was only the beginning. The next issue was getting the air into the cylinders faster, so a K&N intake was added, then a Remus exhaust and DTM-style tips were bolted on to evacuate the exhaust gasses efficiently and in style. An HKS turbo timer was also installed, making sure the turbo has plenty of time to cool down properly after a spirited jaunt along the back roads. the back roads.

Working for Dazz has its advantages. When it came time to choose a set of wheels for his A4, Nat had his work cut out for him. Since Dazz Motorsport—one of America’s largest wheel suppliers—has been dealing in quality wheels for over ten years, Nat knew any wheel he chose from the immense Dazz lineup would do the job. Searching for style, performance, and the coveted big wheel look, Nat settled on 19x7.5 RH Evolution Z5000 wheels for all four corners. Wrapping themselves around the massive 19-inch, five-spoke wheels and supplying the A4 with more than enough traction are Pirelli P-7000 235/35-19 tires. The next step was dropping the car and firming up the ride. For that, Nat installed a set of H&R springs and Koni shocks and struts. Unfortunately, the drop wasn’t quite what Nat had hoped for. Instead of cutting the springs, Nat had Sprewell Racing of San Gabriel, California, relocate the shock’s spring sleeves, allowing for the rear of the car to sit 2.5 inches below stock and with the front even closer to the pavement, boasting a 2.75-inch drop. An OMP front strut brace from CFI Motorsports was then added to alleviate unwanted chassis flex in the turns.

The lines of the black A4 are heavenly to begin with, so any addition to the exterior of the car had to be carefully thought out. Abt Sportsline, manufacturer of classy, high-quality German tuning parts, makes a simple add-on for the body of the A4 that Nat couldn’t pass up. The Abt kit consists of a front spoiler, side skirts, and a rear valance. As soon as Sprewell Racing added the kit, along with a set of Legend 5 aluminum fog light covers, the car was ready to attack the road—as was Nat. But before calling the project complete, the interior needed work.

Dressing up the cockpit, a Legend 5 aluminum dash kit and custom aluminum floor mats were installed, while Conrero aluminum pedals were obtained from CFI Motorsports and quickly put into place. Taking the audio up a step, TM Engineering of Carson, California, used Boston Acoustics Pro Series 5.25-inch and 6-inch component speakers to replace the factory eight. The result is an OE-looking interior with a hint of something different, aggressive, and German.

The finished product is clean and provides hours of fun on any road. The engine and transmission modifications, although easy to install, increase the power and acceleration more than almost any other single modification could, making a chip upgrade for the 1.8T engine an obvious choice for anyone with a similar engine. The suspension, on the other hand, was a handful to set up the way Nat wanted, but once installed, the A4 looked to own the road—and after spending a couple minutes behind the wheel racing the curves, it became obvious it did.