Eating and breathing the European tuning scene, we've seen variations of nearly every VW, BMW or Audi possible. So it's rare that we're caught off guard. And yet we were blindsided at this year's Leavenworth Drive (et 11/09). Walking through the horde of 700 cars, we saw plenty of nice Euros, but nothing stopped us in our tracks like Jess Kenoyer's '00 Audi S4. It was an incredible moment. The slammed sedan looked as if it should be at the Wörthersee Tour in Austria, not at a gathering in Washington State.
The Audi had the sort of qualities we usually find only on hardcore VWs with its subtly pulled fenders, wicked stance, smoothed body and chocolate interior. It's what the Audi community has been begging for and we're excited to give you the exclusive first look at Jess' project.
From the moment we bumped into Jess, we were reminded he's been an et reader for many years. His budget-built A4 1.8T was featured in et 8/06 when he was only 17 years old. Now 21, he's onto his sixth B5 Audi and second S4. "Once I get a car built, I get bored with it. I like seeing progress," he explained.
Before this car, he toyed with a silver S4 upgraded with stage 3 turbos; but he sold it because it was low mileage. "I wanted to start over on a completely new platform. I even wanted to do my own bodywork and try something different," he revealed.
After purchasing this '00 S4 in Colorado, Jess unleashed his vision of the perfect Audi. "My style has evolved over the past six years," he told us. "Before this, I was into anything aftermarket I could find. Now I'm into more subtle things that normal people wouldn't notice. Lately I've been more into the Mk3 and Mk4 VW scene, so wanted to go crazy and create a unique stance. Nobody has really done this in the Audi scene."
With a blank canvas, Jess summoned the courage to mutilate the B5 with plenty of help of his good friend, Jared Olin, who helped on previous project cars. He started by pulling the fenders from the vertical line on each corner. While he tried to keep it factory, each flare was pulled a couple of inches.
Don't think this is just a...
Don't think this is just a show car; the 2.7 liter V6 has twin K04 turbos with uprated fueling and custom exhaust good enough for 400whp
He continued by welding and filling the door moldings, then shaved the European trunk lid; removing the Audi rings, handle and opener.
The front featured a Seidl bumper; but the headlight washers and side vents were shaved for a cleaner look. The car was then delivered to JMI Motoring in Smokey Point, WA where an RS4 grille was grafted into the stock hood. Before paint was applied, they worked out the dings to guarantee silky smooth skin. The body was then sprayed OE Bentley black (with no additives or flake) to give a deep finish.
Once the body was pristine, Jess could work out his obsession for the hardcore Euro stance. "That's why air bags were so important. I wanted the stretched 'n poked look as opposed to tucking," he revealed.
Like a two-year old learning with Legos, Jess jumped in head first to piece together his first air-ride setup. "I was really nervous," he admitted. "All the wiring, gauges, switches; it was overwhelming. But the more I looked into it, the simpler it got."
College roommate and best...
College roommate and best friend Jared Olin (left) with car owner Jess Kenoyer (right). Obviously, we had other photos of the pair, but this was the funniest...
Jess began by installing coilovers and built brackets so the air bags could sit above the Bilstein struts. From there, the 0.25" air lines were connected to eight valves. He then wired the digital air gauge and seven-way adjustable switchbox. The air pressure would be created by a Viair 480cc compressor and stored in a five-gallon tank.
Unfortunately, the air-ride wouldn't get the S4 to its lowest potential. He discovered the control arms were hitting the rain tray, so he cut holes in the tray. Luckily the rear showed no problems.