Sarge

A few people have been emailing me with questions and requests for an update, so here's a brief summary:

I have driven Das Beast for a few days and about a thousand miles, and overall the car is unbelievably fast. Far faster than my previous 997 C2S or Bentley Continental GT, and seems faster than my recollection of driving others' SL65, M5 or 997 Turbos. Really, really fast.

The dynos have shown around 570 wheel horsepower running a 91 octane program on 89 octane gas (to approximate the really bad 91 octane gas we get in California). I forget what the hp number was on race gas (105 octane IIRC) but Mark's estimate was somewhere around 850 at the crank as I recall. I realize these numbers mean 'nothing' without the dyno charts, which I don't have with me, but suffice to say that I don't doubt the numbers given the performance I experienced in this car vs other high HP cars I've owned or driven.

I played with a 996 C4S on the freeway and it was about like a race between a Corvette and a Chevette - it was that disparate. I'd let him get about 1/4 car length and then go, and would leave him behind like he was standing still. I'd slow down well before maxing out 5th gear, and 5 seconds or so later he'd blow by at about 150 or so I'd guess (empty highway). Then I'd let him take off on me from around 80ish, give him a few hundred yards and reel him in like some kind of Chevette. Really.

All that said, Mark is still tweaking some things - it seems the allroad ECU is slightly less accomodating at these HP levels than the S4 ECU, and there are issues with MAF sensor limitations that need to be ironed out. I'll not bother discussing the specifics of the things that need addressing until the solutions are fully resolved (and it's beyond my expertise to discuss it anyway), but suffice to say the car is very, very powerful.

Surprisingly, I was getting 23 mpg cruising around 75-85 for hundreds of miles. My trip average was 19 mpg with frequent 'rides' for friends/family over the holiday week. No worse, maybe even better than 'stock' - and not bad for nearly triple the power!

The RS6 steering rack is a definite improvement, but the 30mm spacers make the car tramline on rutted pavement a little - as you'd expect with a roughly 'zero' offset.

The stock air suspension is not firm enough on acceleration or braking, but the H-sports on full stiff make the cornering attitude sufficient, until you throttle down exiting the corners. It's nearly inconceivable to use full throttle until you've mostly got the car pointed straight anyway, but firmer air springs would definitely be welcome. Currently the suspension is not '402'ed' and running in 'Level 1' at factory settings.

Here's a photo. Crummy weather, but I do like the way these wheels look on the car. It will look even better once the black rails and window surrounds are fitted, and the lower sides and bumpers are painted, but you get the idea.

<img src="http://www.sargentschutt.com/photos/225737638-X2.jpg">

Note that the tires are also RS4 take-offs, so the outside diameter is also approx 3% too small. It will be fitted with 275/40/19 tires instead of the 255/35's in the photo, which will be slightly larger than stock OD, but will fill in the wheel flares nicely. Presently there are 30mm spacers on the car, but I may have those trimmed down a few mm also. First I need to see the clearance against the air springs, etc.

SpeedTriple

What a sleeper...allroad perfection.

quackroad

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/122289/blacktrim.jpg"></center><p>All I'm sayin' is that the aluminum trim around the windows is the most aesthetically pleasing part of the design, well, next to the waist line that runs the length of the car. Without the articulated window surround, you're left with the messy shape of the three windows ala my lame p'shop skillz above. btw, I like the extra ponies in the background, very subtle.

Sarge

The door blades need to be body color and the bumpers and sides as well.

While I'm generally never a fan of window tint, I may add a light tint as well, which resolves the 'black' frame. In the below photo you can see the photographer raised all the side shades in the car to 'simulate' tint and achieve a similar effect.

The car will also end up with black RS6 exhaust tips, a black strip at the trunk (vs brushed/chrome) and probably a black grille surround instead of chrome. The chrome under the headlights will probably end up body color as well. The grille will have the RS6 mesh center grafted onto a factory black trim surround.

The emblems may get a matte finish and the front and rear quasi skid plates will remain 'brushed' in order to retain some of the'allroadness', although they won't contrast a lot once the bumpers are painted.

In the end, all the little details come together quite well. Replacing much of the chrome with black reduces the 'froofiness' and visual mass they 'added' to make the car 'SUV-like' and returns it to a more sporting demeanor, a la many of the cues you see in the RS6+ avant.

This photo (shop) shows the black trim with the full paint and the MTM flares. (much of this is photoshopped, including removing the ugly MTM chrome bullbar) but it gives a more complete rendition of my target (though still missing some things):

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/SESchutt/allroad/ses-allroadOEMRS4.jpg">

no.radar

Sweet. REALLY sweet.

Tenacious auDi

Just so I could drive this monster when I come home for the holidays?

Since my 'current parents' home is no where near Cali I will also need a plane ticket and some back allowance payments.

I don't think any of us can truly imagine driving our allroads with that much power, stage 3 impresses my... this thing would probably scare me.

alrightroad

So Sarge, are you still on the East side of the country? Still planning South Carolina driveby?

finiki

Thanks for generating respect for station wagons ;-) Looks Niiice!

myroad

--you did say 850 at the ctank, right? shnikies

I think the beast looks great the way you have it now. The full body paint/black trim looks like its trying too hard imho.

I really like the fender paint only. more of a tool.

keep the reports coming. what engine is in there, again?

audialex

Great write-up! Thanks or sharing.