Heavy Hitter - 2004 Audi A4

There's one thing you should remember about us: we hate stickers. One or two inconspicuous stickers is OK to support the tuners who helped most, but there's a fine line that's crossed when stickers detract from the rest of the car.

When we first came across Heral Patel's '04 Audi A4 V6, it looked exactly as you see it now, but with a plethora of logos across the windows and body. With a little hesitation, he removed them for us, and we're grateful he did because under the vinyl was this stunning show car.

It was even more exciting because the B6 Audi A4 has largely disappeared from the Euro aftermarket scene over the past few years.

Heral's story started with friends in Carrozzeria Design and the TWCompetition (TWC) car club. It's no secret that every year, TWC attends shows from coast to coast with an array of new Euro show cars. And because the team is heavily involved in import shows, the cars tend to be less hardcore Euro than we're accustomed to, but that's what gives them their distinct character. TWC is about bright colors, wide fenders, high-end wheels and extravagant electronics. And Heral's A4 is no exception, even gaining respect from enthusiasts outside the show scene.

Still in his early 20s, Heral's a full-time student. He lives in Orange County, CA and enjoys the company of his friends, and this led to his first project car. "All my friends used to be into car shows like Hot Import nights," he told us. "That's how it started for me. I used to have a mercedes ml320 with minor modifications, but it wasn't too much fun to drive or show and I always liked the shape of the B6 A4, so I bought one back in '04."

The majority of Heral's modifications weigh heavy on the exterior. The V6 platform didn't offer many engine parts at the time, so Heral decided to focus primarily on the styling.

The Audi follows a trend set by previous TWC feature cars, such as Darrick yu's '04 ClK320 (et 4/06) and Eric Shih's '03 BmW m3 (et 4/06). "I liked how the widebody cars looked and knew I wanted something similar," we were told.

Heral left his Audi with Auto Explosion in gardena, CA, where weeks of body- and paintwork ensued. The shop extended both the front and rear fenders using metal, while the roof was painted black.

To give the shell its aftermarket look, an Abt body kit was fitted including front and rear valances, side skirts, a two-bar grille and carbon door pillars. Work on the exterior didn't stop there; DTm Autohas provided its Karbon bser hood, while chrome Kamei mirror caps and a EuroCode roof spoiler completed the list.

The paint is perhaps the dominant aspect of Heral's project. The color was from the lamborghini gallardo and the same as fellow teammate Eric Shih's m3 - Caelum metallic blue, applied with the exception of the roof and center of the carbon hood.

To improve night vision, Heral retrofitted a set of S4 headlights and upgraded the bulbs with 6000K HIDs. The lights were also tinted blue to match the paint. The tail lights weren't stock either, swapped for lED clusters, while the side markers were smoked so as to attract less attention.

Next on the list was the wheels. After trying five different sets, Heral sought the help of his teammates and Carrozzeria Design, settling on 20" modulare m3 wheels. Painted black, the dubs sit perfectly inside the massive fenders, thanks to 9.5" front and 10" rear widths. Pirelli PZero nero tires wrap the wheels, giving the quattro impeccable traction.

Behind the front wheels are enormous Brembo rotors and silver calipers. Heral opted for top-of-the-line parts, including 14.1" front rotors and four-piston caliper to improve stopping power and to provide a contrast to the 20s.

To give the A4 a better street and show stance, the suspension was dropped using KW Variant2 coilovers, allied to OE RS4 sway bars.