The Sport Wagon concept is somehow intrinsically European. It offers both speed and utility, but with none of the handicaps of an SUV. At one time or another most of the German manufacturers have offered something along these lines to tantalize the public. Cars like the M5 Touring spring to mind, and even the M Coupe is like a little wagon. The British got in on the act with Aston Martin's eccentric Shooting Brake. However, Audi are the undisputed wagon daddies. They take the crown thanks to consistency and outright insanity.
If you're unsure about Audi's credentials, we assume you missed the 6/06 issue with the Audi RS family. In it we documented the lunatic lineage that stretches back to the Audi 80/90-based RS2. Launched in '94 and offering 315hp from a Porsche-tuned 2.2 liter five cylinder 20v, it was the fastest way to make a Labrador puke. They followed up with the 380hp B5 RS4, which is legendary throughout the world. More recently we got the 450hp RS6 and Audi has just announced a wagon version of the latest 420hp B7 RS4.
So if you want to get to the best snowboarding slopes before anybody else, an Audi wagon, or Avant, is what you need. And since none of the cool RS Avants have officially made it to the US yet, it's up to the tuners to do this for you. The A4 1.8T Avant has been a great tuning platform in B5, B6 and B7 variants. So we thought we'd gather three of the nicest Avants to scrutinize exactly what's possible with these cars.
All three embody slightly different approaches. One's a 12sec drag car, another is a widebody show car and the third is a daily driver - so there's something here for everybody.
Albert Halim
'05 Audi A4 1.8T quattro Avant
Albert's 1.8T Avant is the wildest of the bunch. He currently co-owns The Wheel Supply in Walnut, CA. At TWS he spends most of his time building custom wheels and fine-tuning all types of cars, including his own Audi Avant and Porsche GT3. With its widebody conversion, enormous "dubs" and high-end stereo, Albert has built an unimaginable Avant for the street and show.
The project began when Albert imported rare Kerscher aerodynamics for his wagon. The bumpers and side skirts transformed the wagon's aesthetics into a menacing ghoul, with a large open-mouthed grin in the front and a sporty rear featuring dual exhaust openings. DTM Autohas provided a bser carbon hood to complete the ruthless appearance.
At this stage, Albert felt his Avant wasn't quite unique enough. He wanted to blow people's minds even if they weren't European car enthusiasts. Autowerks Body & Paint in El Monte, CA answered the call by fabricating metal flares that are 1.5" wider front and rear. The fenders made ample room for the staggered "dubs" setup. Albert constructed his own wheels through his associates at DCR Forged. After experimenting to find the proper sizes, Albert concluded that 20x9" fronts and 20x11" rears would do the job. The enormous five-spoke wheels were finished with black chrome centers and chrome lips. Wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Nero tires, they measure 245/30 front and 285/25 rear.
The ludicrous wheels warranted stronger braking, so Albert fitted StopTech's big brake kits to satisfy the Avant's weakness.
To produce more ponies, Albert switched out the factory turbo with an ATP kit utilizing a Garret GT2871R turbo. With Bosch 440cc injectors installed, Revo and Eurocode Tuning programmed the ECU. Cooling the intake air heading into the turbo was a one-off front-mount intercooler fabricated by Evolution Racewerks from City of Industry, CA. Finally a custom exhaust was designed to match the Kerscher rear bumper.
With all the work done, we have to admit we were drooling when Albert pulled up at our photo shoot. Peering inside, the saliva continued to flow when we saw the Recaro SRD seats and panels were reupholstered in elegant red leather. Looking up at the roof, we caught sight of the suede headliner.
Complementing the interior was a unique audio system. Albert admitted he's always been a stereo junkie and he planned the sound to be better than most home theaters. A rare Panasonic vacuum-tube CD player gleams from the console. The head unit has old-fashioned VU meters instead of digital displays. Mounted on the dash are two Swans ribbon-tweeters with integrated mid-bass drivers. On the doors are Premier 6.75" mid-bass speakers and the rear doors house Vifa tweeters and 6.5" mid-bass. The sub-bass is mastered by two 10" Focal subs in the trunk. The rear also houses three JL amps decorating the rear enclosure. Finally, an Image Dynamics equalizer adjusts the settings accordingly to Albert's personal taste.
Albert lives and breathes wild European cars. His Avant is proof he and his shop will go the extra mile to build cars beyond the norm. Stay tuned for more projects from TWS.
TECH SPEC
Albert Halim
LOCATION: Irvine, CA
OCCUPATION: Co-owner of The Wheel Supply
2005 Audi A4 1.8T quattro Avant
ENGINE: 1.8 liter 20v four cylinder with ATP GT2871R turbo kit, manifold and downpipe, 440cc Bosch injectors, Revo/Eurocode software, Carbonio intake, custom exhaust, Evolution Racewerks front-mount intercooler
DRIVELINE: six-speed transmission
SUSPENSION: Bilstein PSS9 coilovers
WHEELS & TIRES: 20x9" front, 20x11" rear DCR Forged wheels, 245/30 and 285/25 Pirelli P Zero Nero tires
BRAKES: StopTech big brake kits front and rear
EXTERIOR: 1.5" metal fender flares, Kerscher aerodynamics, DTM Karbon carbon fiber hood
INTERIOR: reupholstered red leather, including Recaro SRD seats, suede headliner
AUDIO/VISUAL: Panasonic CQ-TX5500 vacuum-tube CD player, JL Audio 300/4, 500/1 and 300/2 amplifiers, four Premier 6.75" mid-bass, two Swans ribbon tweeters with integrated mid-bass, two prototype 10" Focal poly-kevlar subs, two Vifa silk-dome tweeter, two Vifa 6.5" mid-bass, two Image Dynamics 31-band mono equalizers
THANKS: www.thewheelsupply.com, Peter and Pedro at Autowerks Body & Paint, Andy at Pacific IE, Fred at Evolution Racewerks, Jay and Luis at Form & Function