I have a 97 a4 1.8t quattro right now but was looking for more performance. I was either thinking to rebuild the bottom end and go with a gt28rs or just get an S4. I love the A4 because it is easy to work on but the S4 is just a sweet car. Would it be more cost effective and performance wise to just get the S4 and put on some bolt ons or build up the 1.8? Any help is appreciated, trying to get done before Waterfest 13

 

Most 1.8t's I pull up next to have had nothing done to them... And the ones that do surprise the hell outta me... Keep the a4 and build it... You get an s4 and your put in a different league where people expect a lot out of you... If you keep the a4 and get it going fast than the s4 which isn't too hard to accomplish you'll be shocking the hell out of people... There's a bunch of people on here who have very fast 1.8t's... Talk to them i'm sure they get a lot of gratification out of beating s4's and cars that are suppose to be in their racing class

 

The difference between moding your 1.8t and going straight for the S4 is thousands of dollars. To buy an S4 in decent shape/miles youd have to spend at least $10k for a B5 chasis S4. Im guessing you couldnt get that much out of your A4... You can get S4 power with about $3500 into your 1.8t. I doubt you could sell your car, get into an S4 and mod it even slightlywith twice that much money.

 

I agree with NYgiants44..people expect s4's to be fast.if you build your a4 and fly by these fools..thats something..just keep in mind maintance factor when you start going BT.. but its still cheaper than selling and then buying a s4

 

I also want something that I can drive year round with no problems. It just seems like the S4 would be the right way to go. I don't want to drop a lot of money into the 1.8 if it isn't going to be reliable.

 

What does the S4 run in the 1/4 mile with a chip intake and exhaust?

 

Also was thinking about dipping into the 225 TT roadster

 

Exactly what on a BT is not reliable?
The only thing I'd go new B6/B7 S4 over 1.8t is for the sound of a V8, and the fact that it's fast out of the box and that means you have a car covered under warranty.
If anything happens to my big turbo 1.8t, a dealer would laugh at me.
But beating S4's is fun.... however non-Audi people think mine is an S4 anyhow. Only Audi people know it isn't.
I would def get a 1.8t over a B5 S4, though.
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A BT'd A4 would be so much easier to fix than an S4. S4's are a pain to work on, and when you have to work on them, there is usually 2 of everything... Lots of people have reliable BT setups. I dont understand why everyone always thinks BT setups reduce reliability that much. Everything is easy to access on a 1.8t. The s4 has a good engine, but i would not want to ever change a turbo or do anything too involved with one. I think the bigger factor in all this might be insurance. You might want to check out what the insurance rates will be like for you before you make up your mind. I know people who pay $200+ per month for their S4 (just insurance)

 

factory stock2000 Audi S4 – from 0 to 60 in 5.5, and ¼ mile in 14.1
in with some mods S4 will do ¼ miles 12-12.5 if you a good driver, have a good clutch, and nicely picked mods
PS:don’t forget S4 is 6 speed and some other updates … it’s hard to compare …