My latest Avant - B7 A4 3.2 FSI Quattro
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I have finally satisfied my infatuation with Audi estates and purchased a new toy to tinker with.
The obsession started with my old B5 A4 1.8T which I eventually sold:
And continued with a lovely Allroad 2.7T:
I would still have this car if it wasn't for some twerp side-swiping me and writing it off last August
So the hunt began in September 2015 to find an adequate replacement. Unfortunately for me, the market value of pretty much all petrol vehicles shot up during the time of my insurance claim, leaving me quite out of pocked and unable to find a like-for-like to get me back on the road. Nearly 7 months on, and following some painstaking and time consuming classified searches, I contacted an absolute gent up in Lincolnshire who had a '06 3.2 FSI Quattro A4, which on paper at least, ticked lots of boxes.
I've been addicted to turbo'd cars for a long while, and contemplated a 2.0T A4 of the B7 variety but after test driving a few it was clear I'd have to do quite a lot of work before it was fun enough for me to be happy with. There are relatively few petrol Avants for sale in the UK with a low mileage at present, and even fewer turbo examples, so the 3.2 was a slightly left field option for me.
The seller made the whole experience pain free and was an absolute pleasure to deal with. It's great to know there are still some genuine people out there, amid the mire of liars and bully-boys. Here are some photos from the advert:
So on bank holiday Friday a friend of mine drove us up from SW London and after a gruelling 4 hour trip we saw the car, had a good test drive, and did a deal. The drive home was certainly enjoyable!
After going from turbo'd cars I was dubious about the levels of enjoyment I'd get from the 3.2, but the instantaneous speed and lovely exhaust note make for a very characterful drive - plus the lack of lag and lighter weight than my Allroad means that a car with roughly the same power output feels far quicker off the line.
It's rated at 255hp and 243 lb-ft. Being N/A I don't have the same options available when it comes to power increases, but as it is it's a very well put together machine with a lovely interior and some optional extras that make me think I'd be happy to keep it for a good few years.
Some photos from today after a quick wash:
Picked it up with 72k on the clock, which is very low considering the year and others like it, some with double the mileage in the same time! Full service history and brand new tyres too.
Spec as follows:
- S-Line
- 6 speed tiptronic with paddle shift
- Xenon headlights
- Leather upholstery with alacantara inserts
- Maple wood trim
- Bose 8 speaker + subwoofer audio
- Factory bluetooth
- Dolphin grey metallic exterior paint
It's absolutely mint, and I'm a picky b*stard. I'll need to detail the body and engine properly in due course, plus I want to treat the interior / seats but the weather isn't great at present.
On the list of upgrades / modifications:
- Exhaust: maybe a cat-back system to bring out the lovely V6 noise
- Black grill: I'll purchase an aftermarket one with mesh as opposed to slats
- Paint roof rails black
- Wrap / paint chrome window trims
- Coilovers (although it's only really the front that needs a slight drop,so could get 2x springs)
- Splitter of some sort: I have a Cupra R one but they're quite overused
- Engine dressings: painted cam covers, general tidy up
I also have Rota Grid 6 spokes from my old Avant - they're the right fitment (5x112) but being 9.5J wide and ET20 offset they're very, very aggressive:
But I love the look so I'm going to explore options, or perhaps source some with a higher ET. I think they'd suit the body style very well.
The engine is glorious. Very creamy and light, but with the ability to become an absolute animal if you push it some. The paddle shift is responsive and precise, but auto mode in this car just makes sense and I can't fault it so far. I'd hankered for a V8 for ages but with a looming house purchase this feels like a great compromise.
I will of course update this thread as I go, and as ever I welcome comments / criticisms etc.
Thanks for looking!
I have finally satisfied my infatuation with Audi estates and purchased a new toy to tinker with.
The obsession started with my old B5 A4 1.8T which I eventually sold:
And continued with a lovely Allroad 2.7T:
I would still have this car if it wasn't for some twerp side-swiping me and writing it off last August
So the hunt began in September 2015 to find an adequate replacement. Unfortunately for me, the market value of pretty much all petrol vehicles shot up during the time of my insurance claim, leaving me quite out of pocked and unable to find a like-for-like to get me back on the road. Nearly 7 months on, and following some painstaking and time consuming classified searches, I contacted an absolute gent up in Lincolnshire who had a '06 3.2 FSI Quattro A4, which on paper at least, ticked lots of boxes.
I've been addicted to turbo'd cars for a long while, and contemplated a 2.0T A4 of the B7 variety but after test driving a few it was clear I'd have to do quite a lot of work before it was fun enough for me to be happy with. There are relatively few petrol Avants for sale in the UK with a low mileage at present, and even fewer turbo examples, so the 3.2 was a slightly left field option for me.
The seller made the whole experience pain free and was an absolute pleasure to deal with. It's great to know there are still some genuine people out there, amid the mire of liars and bully-boys. Here are some photos from the advert:
So on bank holiday Friday a friend of mine drove us up from SW London and after a gruelling 4 hour trip we saw the car, had a good test drive, and did a deal. The drive home was certainly enjoyable!
After going from turbo'd cars I was dubious about the levels of enjoyment I'd get from the 3.2, but the instantaneous speed and lovely exhaust note make for a very characterful drive - plus the lack of lag and lighter weight than my Allroad means that a car with roughly the same power output feels far quicker off the line.
It's rated at 255hp and 243 lb-ft. Being N/A I don't have the same options available when it comes to power increases, but as it is it's a very well put together machine with a lovely interior and some optional extras that make me think I'd be happy to keep it for a good few years.
Some photos from today after a quick wash:
Picked it up with 72k on the clock, which is very low considering the year and others like it, some with double the mileage in the same time! Full service history and brand new tyres too.
Spec as follows:
- S-Line
- 6 speed tiptronic with paddle shift
- Xenon headlights
- Leather upholstery with alacantara inserts
- Maple wood trim
- Bose 8 speaker + subwoofer audio
- Factory bluetooth
- Dolphin grey metallic exterior paint
It's absolutely mint, and I'm a picky b*stard. I'll need to detail the body and engine properly in due course, plus I want to treat the interior / seats but the weather isn't great at present.
On the list of upgrades / modifications:
- Exhaust: maybe a cat-back system to bring out the lovely V6 noise
- Black grill: I'll purchase an aftermarket one with mesh as opposed to slats
- Paint roof rails black
- Wrap / paint chrome window trims
- Coilovers (although it's only really the front that needs a slight drop,so could get 2x springs)
- Splitter of some sort: I have a Cupra R one but they're quite overused
- Engine dressings: painted cam covers, general tidy up
I also have Rota Grid 6 spokes from my old Avant - they're the right fitment (5x112) but being 9.5J wide and ET20 offset they're very, very aggressive:
But I love the look so I'm going to explore options, or perhaps source some with a higher ET. I think they'd suit the body style very well.
The engine is glorious. Very creamy and light, but with the ability to become an absolute animal if you push it some. The paddle shift is responsive and precise, but auto mode in this car just makes sense and I can't fault it so far. I'd hankered for a V8 for ages but with a looming house purchase this feels like a great compromise.
I will of course update this thread as I go, and as ever I welcome comments / criticisms etc.
Thanks for looking!
TurboHatchback said:
That looks very nice, I've tried the saloon version and thought it was a very good car. Personally I'd keep the original wheels, they look good and will stop it looking like yet another barry special but each to their own.
Appreciate the feedback - having had it a few days now I think it's an excellent all round car, can't really find fault yet. The Rotas are a bit marmite but I think they look great, and to be honest I've never liked the current Ronal 5 spokes (much prefer the later B7 7 twin-spokes). Decisions decisions!ManOpener said:
Think you could only get away with those Rotas if you ran RS4 arches or some sort of bolt-on over-fender like on the Allroads.
Do think they suit the car well, but suspect you might need to go narrower...
I did think about bolt-ons but the body work is so good I'd feel reckless for punching in holes for over-fenders.. although that would look mean as all hell!Do think they suit the car well, but suspect you might need to go narrower...
Edited by ManOpener on Sunday 27th March 15:36
Drums said:
Looks great. Avants always look very purposeful on a set of grids.
100% agree. Hopefully I'll find a way to get around fitment issues so I can get some on before show season kicks in properly!ManicMunky said:
Do love these VR6 engines. Very left-field choice in the A4! The Rota wheels should look good on it, too.
Thanks! The engine has certainly grown on me - very characterful and mated to the 6 speed tip / estate body it makes for an overall quite interesting vehicle. Fingers crossed I can get the wheels on it soon as I think they'd make a massive difference.ZX10R NIN said:
I think you'll have to sell your current set of Rota's to buy a new set with the right offset but they should look good though.
Probably right there - I'm going to see what other fitment options are available to ensure I clear brakes and suspension components - the ET20's do just fine but boy do they poke out..!Thanks for the comments - still getting used to it but very much fallen for N/A charm and the more compact body style than the Allroad. The 26mpg compared to 16 is also certainly appealing!
More progress soon
I think Mrs Hoonigan's 2 mile cross town commute may have something to do with that though 
Lovely thing mate, the colour is delicious! Do you know what it's called? I was tempted by an A6 but I know deep down I'd always want an Allroad equivalent and it'd annoy me.
I've been easing the A4 in as it appears to have lived a very quaint life in Lincolnshire - the roads down south are undeniably sh*te and I'm being precious I suppose, new toy and all. I hope to get much nearer to the 20's in due course
I've been easing the A4 in as it appears to have lived a very quaint life in Lincolnshire - the roads down south are undeniably sh*te and I'm being precious I suppose, new toy and all. I hope to get much nearer to the 20's in due course
ManicMunky said:
Do love these VR6 engines. Very left-field choice in the A4!
It's not the VR6, that's a completely different engine found in transverse engine cars. The V6 in the A4 is a traditional wide angle V6 with separate heads, related to the 4.2 FSI V8 in the S5 and A6 and the 5.2 V10 in the S6, all very nice engines.TurboHatchback said:
ManicMunky said:
Do love these VR6 engines. Very left-field choice in the A4!
It's not the VR6, that's a completely different engine found in transverse engine cars. The V6 in the A4 is a traditional wide angle V6 with separate heads, related to the 4.2 FSI V8 in the S5 and A6 and the 5.2 V10 in the S6, all very nice engines.Nice car OP, enjoy.
TurboHatchback said:
It's not the VR6, that's a completely different engine found in transverse engine cars. The V6 in the A4 is a traditional wide angle V6 with separate heads, related to the 4.2 FSI V8 in the S5 and A6 and the 5.2 V10 in the S6, all very nice engines.
Ah, so it is - couldn't tell from the picture in this thread so had a look online. Is there anything else that uses this traditional V6?Resolutionary said:
Lovely thing mate, the colour is delicious! Do you know what it's called? I was tempted by an A6 but I know deep down I'd always want an Allroad equivalent and it'd annoy me.
I've been easing the A4 in as it appears to have lived a very quaint life in Lincolnshire - the roads down south are undeniably sh*te and I'm being precious I suppose, new toy and all. I hope to get much nearer to the 20's in due course
Thanks, the colour is great, I wasn't too sure when I first saw the pics but I love it now, I believe it's called Canyon Red pearlescent and its a fairly rare colour too, certainly never seen another?...I've been easing the A4 in as it appears to have lived a very quaint life in Lincolnshire - the roads down south are undeniably sh*te and I'm being precious I suppose, new toy and all. I hope to get much nearer to the 20's in due course
Sorry, totally overlooked that bit of the comment - quite rightly these aren't a VR layout, but a more traditional V6. Started cleaning the bay up a bit this week so I'll post up some progress shots soon - it's scrubbing up a treat!
Hoonigan - I haven't seen that colour before, certainly not in the flesh. Thought about a red A4 but they're few and far between, especially in petrol form. However the metallic grey of mine is really growing on me and responds very well to a wax / polish! Again, progress shots to follow soon.
In other news I've managed to pick up a genuine B7 RS4 mesh radiator grille and number plate bezel from the black optics range by bugging one of my contacts for a hefty discount. Should arrive in a few days and is apparently a drop-in modification so hopefully little to no faff involved.
Hoonigan - I haven't seen that colour before, certainly not in the flesh. Thought about a red A4 but they're few and far between, especially in petrol form. However the metallic grey of mine is really growing on me and responds very well to a wax / polish! Again, progress shots to follow soon.
In other news I've managed to pick up a genuine B7 RS4 mesh radiator grille and number plate bezel from the black optics range by bugging one of my contacts for a hefty discount. Should arrive in a few days and is apparently a drop-in modification so hopefully little to no faff involved.
Funnily enough it went in for a service today and I got a phone call regarding the colour, seems it is quite a rarity..
Luckily all good bar a new pads all around, and it was a bit smokey when giving it the beans but a new a "full of crap" fuel filter later, and it seems to have stopped that in its tracks
17mpg here we go again...
Luckily all good bar a new pads all around, and it was a bit smokey when giving it the beans but a new a "full of crap" fuel filter later, and it seems to have stopped that in its tracks
17mpg here we go again...Tiny update - finally got round to test fitting the back wheels..
They're definitely.. um.. pokey. But I really like the look! Time will tell..
Also I managed to give the wagon a good clean over the weekend:
The car is still proving itself to be an excellent all-rounder. Once my RS4 grille arrives I plan to fit that along with the front splitter, and take the Audi rings off the back of the car, which should smarten it up nicely.
I also have some spacers which I'm tempted to throw on each corner so I can get an idea of what it'll be like to drive day-to-day with flush wheels - my main concern being a chance of rubbing / tyre contact against the arches during spirited or bouncy driving.
I'm contemplating getting some decent coilovers soon as the front of these B7's (and indeed a lot of modern German vehicles) appear to have serious reverse rake which just looks poo. I expect body-roll will be greatly improved, although I don't want to hinder the ride which is already quite firm, but perfectly acceptable with the S-Line setup.
More soon!
They're definitely.. um.. pokey. But I really like the look! Time will tell..
Also I managed to give the wagon a good clean over the weekend:
The car is still proving itself to be an excellent all-rounder. Once my RS4 grille arrives I plan to fit that along with the front splitter, and take the Audi rings off the back of the car, which should smarten it up nicely.
I also have some spacers which I'm tempted to throw on each corner so I can get an idea of what it'll be like to drive day-to-day with flush wheels - my main concern being a chance of rubbing / tyre contact against the arches during spirited or bouncy driving.
I'm contemplating getting some decent coilovers soon as the front of these B7's (and indeed a lot of modern German vehicles) appear to have serious reverse rake which just looks poo. I expect body-roll will be greatly improved, although I don't want to hinder the ride which is already quite firm, but perfectly acceptable with the S-Line setup.
More soon!
Update time!
The car continues to impress - both in power and comfort. Still seeing 30mpg+ on a run, and following a full service and thorough checking over with my mechanic friend the car has been given the all clear, in fact he said this was a particularly well looked after example. Happy days!
In other news my genuine RS4 grill arrived:
And I took the rings off the back, plus gave the exhausts some treatment with Coca Cola as they were quite sooty and horrible:
Much cleaner looking now. I took the car to it's first show at the weekend - Incarnation in Brighton. It was a pretty perfect day all in all!
I've decided I'll definitely be getting coilovers soon - just exploring options at the moment and welcoming any suggestions!?
Hopefully I'll get the chrome trims wrapped, and have fitted the grill in a few weeks. More to follow soon
The car continues to impress - both in power and comfort. Still seeing 30mpg+ on a run, and following a full service and thorough checking over with my mechanic friend the car has been given the all clear, in fact he said this was a particularly well looked after example. Happy days!
In other news my genuine RS4 grill arrived:
And I took the rings off the back, plus gave the exhausts some treatment with Coca Cola as they were quite sooty and horrible:
Much cleaner looking now. I took the car to it's first show at the weekend - Incarnation in Brighton. It was a pretty perfect day all in all!
I've decided I'll definitely be getting coilovers soon - just exploring options at the moment and welcoming any suggestions!?
Hopefully I'll get the chrome trims wrapped, and have fitted the grill in a few weeks. More to follow soon
It's been a month now since my last update, and it's been a month of ups and downs to be honest.
Early in May I had a bit of a run in with a van on a narrow lane in Guildford - the result being that I curbed the crap out of the otherwise mint NS front alloy:
Then on the M25 one afternoon out of nowhere I heard a loud 'pop', which I couldn't identify at the time. After returning to my car I found this:
This was rectified on Monday via insurance - £60 to replace which isn't bad at all.
I decided that, even though I dislike the OEM wheels, I would get the damaged one refurbished, and a local company offered to re-colour all four for £220 so I decided on a metallic charcoal grey gloss:
Personally I think they make a world of difference visually - not too dark and very glittery when the sun catches them. Now I'll avoid curbs like the plague!
I also fitted my RS4 grill - it's such an improvement and being OEM it was literally a drop in replacement:
Finally, I got those horrid chrome window trims wrapped in gloss black at BossDog in Dorking (great service):
How it sits now:
Hopefully next month will see the arrival of some adjustable suspension, and subsequently some proper test fits of my Rota Grids. Watch this space!
Thanks for reading
Early in May I had a bit of a run in with a van on a narrow lane in Guildford - the result being that I curbed the crap out of the otherwise mint NS front alloy:
Then on the M25 one afternoon out of nowhere I heard a loud 'pop', which I couldn't identify at the time. After returning to my car I found this:
This was rectified on Monday via insurance - £60 to replace which isn't bad at all.
I decided that, even though I dislike the OEM wheels, I would get the damaged one refurbished, and a local company offered to re-colour all four for £220 so I decided on a metallic charcoal grey gloss:
Personally I think they make a world of difference visually - not too dark and very glittery when the sun catches them. Now I'll avoid curbs like the plague!
I also fitted my RS4 grill - it's such an improvement and being OEM it was literally a drop in replacement:
Finally, I got those horrid chrome window trims wrapped in gloss black at BossDog in Dorking (great service):
How it sits now:
Hopefully next month will see the arrival of some adjustable suspension, and subsequently some proper test fits of my Rota Grids. Watch this space!
Thanks for reading
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