700whp Audi S4 Gets Number One Pick - Castrol Syntec Top Car Challenge

In et 4/09, we announced the Castrol Syntec Top Car Challenge. The idea was to pit a chosen car again those of our sister publications Super Street, Import Tuner, Modified, Honda Tuning, Lowrider and 5.0 Mustang. And this time, we'd be opening the event to anybody with a suitable car.

However, it couldn't be any old vehicle, since it would have to compete against the rival machines in a number of tests including road course lap times, quarter-mile and horsepower on the dyno. Furthermore, the scoring would account for the power-to-weight ratio, emissions and endurance in traffic. So we were looking for an all-round package in a versatile car. It certainly wouldn't be easy to find something to beat the Hondas, Mustangs and Evos that would inevitably be entered by the other magazines.

We've now had a chance to sift through ll of the great entries that were posted at www.SyntecTopCarChallenge.com and have made our final selection for the car that stands to win $10,000!

Although we had a diverse group of cars to choose from, we eventually fell back on proven technology. The Audi S4 has won the largest number of events in the history of eurotuner's Tuner Grand Prix event. With its quattro traction, twin-turbo power and rugged durability, we felt it was the safest option to take us through to victory.

So the car that will be representing the European tuning community in the Castrol Syntec Top Car Challenge is the '00 Audi S4 belonging to Mike Ghaemi from Van Nuys, CA.

With a claimed 700whp, we're confident Mike's bold red rocket will have what it takes to claim gold. The spec list is long and distinguished, having been put together at Wicked Motorsports, where he works, using many parts from Autospeed Performance. The blueprinted and balanced motor has been bored to 2.8 liters, for example, using 82.5mm JE pistons on Cunningham rods.

The heads were ported and polished, and fitted with titanium valve springs, while the intake manifold was ported. For ultimate power, it has an Autospeed GT28RS turbo kit including the exhaust manifolds and downpipe. There's also Evolution Racewerks intercoolers, Siemen injectors, a Bosch Motorsport fuel pump plus an inline Walbro 255 lph pump.

Via a Tilton twin-disc clutch, power is distributed by proven Stasis limited-slip diffs and controlled by Stasis Tracksport suspension. It also has Alcon brakes front and rear to scrub the immense speed we're hoping the S4 will achieve.

While we'd like to congratulate Mike for a great car and remind him we're going halves on the prize-money (joke!), we've also included nine of the top entries that almost made it and would have undoubtedly put up an equally valiant fight. With an old-skool 911, several R32s and some BMWs in the mix, let's hope we selected the right car!