Recent owner of great 200 A6 4.2

[plato37]

This car is super nice. I have RS6 exhaust and wheel with paddle shifters. Amazing stereo blah blah blah. Newer engine as well. The car just needs suspension and better brakes, though the stockers are very good IMHO. I have had two A4's but never a v8. My thoughts and questions are as follows: What mods would you recommend? I would like to lower the suspension with say HR coilovers and a buddy has them and better roll bars front and back and the look and handling is MUCH improved. I was also thinking of Stoptech brakes up front. Will they fit in the Big 5 forged wheels on this car at 17"? The exhaust note is super awesome and burly but still european with the RS6 exhaust but what about a chip? Is 20 BHP work 600 bucks+? Can you feel that at all? Does it change the shift points as those are clearly set up for fuel economy? Using the tip/paddles is much better but do any of the chips wait to shift at higher revs while in full auto mode? Are there any other mods that people are doing that a decent bang for buck and how much do the ones I am considering cost with install? I have heard different thoughts on cost. Thanks for any advice. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. Jason in Seattle.

[GTA_Driver]

Highly recommend H&R coilovers (lifetime warranty) with H-sport (hotchkis) sway bars. Both ailable from TireRack.com. It will transform your car into a much nimbler one.

The brakes are quite good (HP2) unless you're planning on racing at the track.

I wouldn't bother with the engine chip.

Be sure to change transmission oil in that 4.2 - it will help with longevity of the tranny.

[plato37]

Originally Posted by GTA_Driver

Highly recommend H&R coilovers (lifetime warranty) with H-sport (hotchkis) sway bars. Both ailable from TireRack.com. It will transform your car into a much nimbler one.

The brakes are quite good (HP2) unless you're planning on racing at the track.

I wouldn't bother with the engine chip.

Be sure to change transmission oil in that 4.2 - it will help with longevity of the tranny.

Hey thanks. I will do suspension and forget brakes for now. I have read like 129 ft stopping distance from 60 mph and they do feel very good for a stick car. And no this is no race car... But lowered and tightened w/ HR's and sway bars would be good. Any estimate on cost to do that with installation? I think at one point I heard like 2300 or something. What did you pay?

Thx again

[Boston Driver]

Congrats. Which year? Your post said "200-" As for your mods question, I agree that H-sport sways are a must, makes that car corner much better, which enhances the driving enjoyment. As for the coilovers, it depends on your driving needs. I had the H&R coils on my previous A6 (2.7T) but after time, I found the ride too harsh for my daily commute (over bad roads). My 4.2 has stock sport setup which I like (paired with the H-sports of course).

As for the chip, not worth it IMHO. The HP gain is questionable.
Love the RS6 SE exhaust. The growl is intoxicating!

Maybe after you do the sways (and coils if you decide to go taht route), just drive and enjoy the ride!

[Just Me]

if you put $10,000 brakes on the car you would not improve the stopping distance one inch. Big brakes only deal with heat. Every car on the planet is limited by its tires, weight balance, weight transfer and bias. Non of which will change meaningfully.

Brakes are SOOOOOOOO misunderstood. They turn motion into heat. And since you can activate ABS, you have more brakes than the car can use anyway.

g

[SloopJohnB@mac.com]

Agree for the most part. Had to educate my wife and daughter on the use of ABS...just because you feel the pedal pulsate doesn't mean all 4 wheels are being used....often it's only the back wheels that are pulsating. Newer cars have electronic brake assist that REALLY puts the squeeze on all 4 wheels if it thinks you're applying the brakes fast and hard.

You really have to hit the brakes hard to get the fronts to lock up/pulsate on dry pavement. There's a lot more braking available than people realize if they just go by pedal pulsation.

Sticky tires for short braking distances on dry.....

[Just Me]

all true, but just to keep the message clear and simple and unambiguous:

Tires are the limiting factor 99% of the time --- unless you use your brakes over and over, hard, many times, without a chance to cool down: (by the way, you will smell them from a mile away at this point)

1. racing
2. long, long descents down mountain roads

Then they over-heat. Its not about power. Its about heat.

fix #1: change brake fluid
fix #2: change pads
fix #3: do brakes, but with severe trade-offs in terms of cost, pad cost, wheel fitment, and maybe weight

[2.7Lturbo]

Originally Posted by Just Me

all true, but just to keep the message clear and simple and unambiguous:

Tires are the limiting factor 99% of the time --- unless you use your brakes over and over, hard, many times, without a chance to cool down: (by the way, you will smell them from a mile away at this point)

1. racing
2. long, long descents down mountain roads

Then they over-heat. Its not about power. Its about heat.

fix #1: change brake fluid
fix #2: change pads
fix #3: do brakes, but with severe trade-offs in terms of cost, pad cost, wheel fitment, and maybe weight

Its all true, i race mountain bikes and the big argument is ALWAYS the brakes, everyone thinks new brakes will help them stop better, its all about heat dissipation, i can EASILY heat soak my rotors on a long downhill descent, better calipers wont do anything, and a large rotor will only help the rotor stay cooler, (although there is a slight increase in breaking as rotor diameter goes up. )

[GTA_Driver]

Originally Posted by plato37

Hey thanks. I will do suspension and forget brakes for now. I have read like 129 ft stopping distance from 60 mph and they do feel very good for a stick car. And no this is no race car... But lowered and tightened w/ HR's and sway bars would be good. Any estimate on cost to do that with installation? I think at one point I heard like 2300 or something. What did you pay?

Thx again

The installation of the H&R coilovers varies, but local indy shop charges about $450 here. Add that to the cost of the coilovers ($1250), and you're looking at $1700 - $1800 just for that.

Sway bars, a couple of hours labour, maybe less, and $450 price tag, that's another $700.

[plato37]

Originally Posted by Boston Driver

Congrats. Which year? Your post said "200-" As for your mods question, I agree that H-sport sways are a must, makes that car corner much better, which enhances the driving enjoyment. As for the coilovers, it depends on your driving needs. I had the H&R coils on my previous A6 (2.7T) but after time, I found the ride too harsh for my daily commute (over bad roads). My 4.2 has stock sport setup which I like (paired with the H-sports of course).

As for the chip, not worth it IMHO. The HP gain is questionable.
Love the RS6 SE exhaust. The growl is intoxicating!

Maybe after you do the sways (and coils if you decide to go taht route), just drive and enjoy the ride!

My car is a 2000. Typo. Thanks for the feedback. Interesting on your comments. I will look into this more. It did not occur to me to do sways without coilover suspension.

Jason