Camuyano

Hello:

I recently purchased a 2008 A3 3.2L Quattro S-Line. While part of me enjoys the sporty feel of the S-Line package, this vehicle is intended to serve primarily as a daily driver and fuel-efficient sport-wagon. In fact, the main motivation behind choosing this particular vehicle was that it was equipped with the relatively rare V6 option, which should provide more power for towing a lightweight trailer.

With that in mind, I would like to modify the suspension to get a bit more ride height and to make it less stiff without completely wrecking the drive dynamics. I realize this is a highly unusual step since most people actually want to lower the ride height but I personally dig the "safari rally" look.

Ideally, I would like to be able to adjust the ride height and dampening from standard OEM (or a bit higher) to S-Line. I have looked at adjustable coilover kits but the highest setting is usually about 0.8 inch lower than stock. I understand that the S-Line suspension is already around 10mm or 0.3 inches below standard OEM so these kits would put me about 0.5 inch lower than I already am. I guess I could have some spacers fabricated to put me at standard OEM height at the highest setting and still go down to S-Line height or lower if I wanted to but I am not sure about the dampening effect with the shorter shocks/springs even at the higher setting.

Does anyone know of a kit or shock/spring combo that has the range of adjustment I am looking for? Do the adjustable coilovers have a much harsher ride at the highest setting than the OEM S-Line setup? I would appreciate any information on suspension setups that could allow me to get a bit of lift without permanent modification.

Later,
Camuyano