This is the first manual AWD car I've driven. I'm used to driving GTI's and an E36 M3, and both cars feel completely differnet. It seems like I have to rev higher and release the clutch later than normal. I would think that this is a sign of the clutch beginning to wear out. The car only has 75k on it, and is a 2001. It has a year/15k dealer warranty on it anyway, so I'm not really worried about cost, I figured I'd ask. Is revving higher (1500 or so) normal on the A4? I can rev to about 950 and get my father's E36 M3 rolling, and about the same on the GTI, so it kind of feels weird.

Also, while I'm making a post, I may as well kill two birds with one stone.

I autocross my dad's M3, but I finally have my own car to autocross, and I want to get the most out of it. It's a DD, and my first car. It's sitting on some aftermarket 18's, and looks ready to go offroading. I want it to be lowered no doubt, but what else can I do thats low cost to get it ready for autocross and etc as far as suspension and brakes go? I already plan on dropping a GIAC chip into it, a Bosch DV, the airbox mod, and later down the line; an APR exhaust kit.

Thanks for the help guys.
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If you're going to spend APR money, get a milltek. If you want it to sound mean, get non-resonated... resonated is quiet and nice.
Best brake upgrade for our cars is the A8 brake upgrade. You use Audi TT caliper carriers and run the D2 chassis A8 rotors, which are 312mm diameter.
As for suspension, if I ever went coilovers again it'd likely be bilstein PSS9's if I wanted to spend the $ for dampening adjustment, otherwise I'd get something that has no external adjustment. Too much of a PITA to set it up, if it can't be done while they are on the car.
H-sport sways would make a huge difference, too... they can be had for under 400 for the pair.

 

Thanks for the input on the upgrades [sm=smiley20.gif]

What about the clutch?
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The clutch... I don't know. Every car feels a bit different, and if you're new to AWD it does seem that you have to slip them a bit more to learn... You've got a lot more friction and whatnot, maybe that has something to do with it. Also, you can't really spin the tires... not like you can in the m3 anyways.
How high you need to rev to start the car (which is a strange thing to measure...) doesn't really matter... You should know if the clutch is bad -- there are obvious signs of slippage through all the gears. As soon as you notice an increase in revs without an increase in speed, you've got a problem.
The clutch SHOULD be fine with your car, considering its mileage... if it's worn out already, then it's had a hard life.