Charlie Ashby
'04 Audi A4 1.8T quattro Avant Ultrasport
Charlie Ashby of Huntington Beach, CA owns the fastest Avant of our group. It was factory-equipped with the rare Ultrasport package, comprising sportier aerodynamics, 18" wheels, sport suspension and a fancy leather steering wheel. Not many were sold in the US but Charlie was able to snag one from a dealership in Vegas.
So how fast can this wagon go? Charlie claims to have the world record for the fastest B6 Avant 1.8T with consistent low 12sec quarter mile passes.
Unleashing the 1.8T's potential wasn't a walk in the park. Charlie spent weeks researching his course of action. With the help of Eurocode Tuning he found the solution. "The big turbo conversions were hyped for about a year before they were released," he said. "Up to 350hp was claimed but the first ones didn't make that much. At that point I figured the turbo was good but the software and injectors were the problem. So I purchased the turbo from Eurocode, and Revo developed software to run with the turbo with Bosch 440cc injectors. After that the kits started selling like hotcakes."
From there, Charlie had to strengthen the engine to handle his need for speed. He withdrew factory internals in favor of a forged crank and rods, fastened by ARP hardware. He also installed forged JE pistons with a 9.1:1 compression ratio. "The built bottom end was easy to do but cost a lot of money. It's worth it, though, to have a bulletproof motor," he said.
Eurocode supplied its FMIC and test pipe, while Thermal R&D installed a 3" race exhaust featuring a dump tube on the downpipe for the track. A Neuspeed turbo inlet hose provides increased airflow into the turbo. Charlie also fabricated a custom hard pipe for the turbo outlet hose for additional reliability. Adjusting the boost levels was a piece of cake thanks to an A'PEXi AVC-R electronic boost controller that was mounted behind the steering wheel so it could be fine-tuned on the fly.
Superior handling represented another key ingredient. "Originally I wanted to build the car for road courses," Charlie said, "so I went with something reliable yet aggressive. The Tein SS coilover kit was best for me because of its height and damping adjustment." A Neuspeed 21mm anti-roll bar was fixed in the rear to cure the wagon's understeer.
Throughout the entire project, Charlie neglected braking performance. "The car was making a lot of power and running fast times but I was never able to stop the damn thing," he said. Eventually he retrofitted six-piston Cayenne calipers with ECS Tuning 14" drilled and slotted rotors.
So what about wheels? Like any enthusiast, Charlie's gone through an assortment before finding the right ones. "I started off with Sevas, then RS4 replicas. However, DPE always had my favorite designs and the boys hooked me up with their GT7 wheels. I was mainly into performance but also wanted to turn heads. I liked the staggered look with the big lips, so I went with a 10" rear to make it look aggressive."
"The exterior is nothing flashy. I wanted the OEM look with some clean wheels. The Ultrasport Avants look perfect off the lot," he said. The interior shares this minimalist principle. Carbon dash trim, TopSpin Design harnesses, OE RS4 pedals and a center-vent boost gauge added the necessary personalization and function for Charlie's driving comfort.
"You don't see many wagons breaking into the 12s. It's been special for me because I've worked so hard to accomplish everything, and Audi's aren't cheap!" And all that hard work has paid off, because now Charlie can say he's successfully built one of the fastest 1.8T Avants in the world.