I have a 99 2.8 b5 a4 that I'd like to turn into a great tuner/sleeper. I know the 2.8s are more expensive to upgrade than the 1.8 but I have the time and money to do it right. Does anyone have any suggestions or a list of parts on how to make my car a stage 2 or 3? It's also tiptronic so is it worth changing it to manual?

 

Power depends mainly on the mass of air the engine can consume, and the crank speed. The 2.8 does about as good as it ever could, stock (stage 1, I guess). The 1.8T on the other hand, being turbocharged, can be boosted as much as you dare, until destruction. I suggest that you clean that V6 car up and sell it, then buy what you really need; a manual trans 1.8T. I've had both engines in Passats and A4s, and personally prefer the V6 for my driving style.