On this week’s blog entry, Avantturous is back on a roll to showcasing European wagons again. Truth be told, I missed out a on a good amount of 2023 season closure shows due to many pre-planned family events and Big Euro almost slipped through my fingers. In fact, I wasn’t aware of it until the day of when a friend sent a text to see if I was at Irwindale Speedway. I didn’t make it to the event but I was able to catch Chris and his fantastic B8.5 Allroad wagon before his return trip to Las Vegas after the weekend fun at Big Euro.
Chris’s passion for wagons has always been around for some time. Prior to the Allroad ownership, he had a heavily modified Mazda Protege5 wagon. After selling that Mazda wagon, Chris set his mind on building a larger bodied wagon to lay frame on air suspension. As the Allroad currently sits, I think Chris has accomplished that goal… and more!
Let’s start by talking about the exterior: Chris colormatched all plastic claddings (the way it should’ve been from factory), factory S4 front and rear bumpers were added alongside RS4 front grille. To carry on his OEM+ theme, a set of E-codes headlights were acquired. Finally, Maxton Design was trusted to complete the exterior with the brand’s front lip and side splitters. Airlift Performance is a name closely associated to laying frame and 3P air suspension was chosen from their catalog. Chris wanted his Allroad build to be an OEM+ with some JDM twist and I honestly can’t think of a better way to add that twist by acquiring a set of Volk Racing TE37 Ultra in 20×10! Chris quickly realized that big wheels wouldn’t be 100% complete without big brakes peeping behind them. He addressed this matter by acquiring 400mm Audi S6 front brakes and 360mm Porsche Macan Turbo rear brakes. Brake calipers were done in a color close to Porsche’s Acid Green. Power is upgraded to back up the Avant’s pretty exterior appearances. Engine modifications include: Stage 2 Tune from Integrated Engineering complete with turbo-back exhaust, AEM intake and APR intercooler. While it is no slouch as it currently stands, Chris addressed his desire for more power!
The rain poured hard at the Big Euro event and I was glad to see Chris’s wagon still shined bright after all that rain the day before; a telltale when a man is dedicated to keep his ride clean. During the photoshoot, Chris shared his future plan for the Avant; which includes a 3.0 Supercharged swap from an Audi S4! That swap would certainly complete Chris’s journey to have a stylish FAST Avant!
Introduce Yourself:
My name is Chris and I live in Las Vegas, but am originally from the SF Bay Area. I work as an IT Engineer.
WHY A WAGON?
My first wagon was a Mazda Protege5. I went all out on that build from custom parts to engine bay shave and wire tuck, and learned a lot about what it takes to make a quality build happen. After I sold that car, I started looking for a larger wagon to lay out on air suspension. I initially set my sights on a C7 Avant, only to find out the one I saw in the US was an Audi corporate car and were not actually sold here. I was driving a MK5 Jetta TDI, that I was planning on selling back to VW due to Dieselgate to get an Allroad. Instead the funds were used for my wedding and buying a house. After that, I was able to pick up my 2013 Allroad and start working on my vision.
Did you consider a different WAGON instead of this one?
I initially wanted the C7 A6 Avant, but we never got it in the US. Then I started looking at B8 A4 Avants, only to learn about all the oil burning issues. This brought me to the B8.5 Allroad, since we did not get the standard body Avant in the US after the B8.
What was your original objective with your car and has that objective changed?
Even before buying my Allroad, the plan was to dump it on air suspension and run TE37s. 5 years later, I was able to fully execute on that vision, plus a lot more.
What style would you say best describes your car?
OEM+ with a bit of JDM sprinkled in.
Who assisted in the planning/building/modding of your car?
I did a lot of the work myself, but would like to shout out Simplicity in Sound in San Jose, CA for doing the audio build, GarageWorks510 in Hayward, CA for the custom body and paint work to fit the S4 bumpers, and AutoRND in Fremont, CA for sourcing the TE37s. Also would like to add a huge thanks to my good friends who let me bounce ideas off of them and come up with great suggestions – Jack, Calvin, Louie, and the rest of the Audi Gruppe Silicon Valley family.
What do you feel makes your car unique / special in your eyes?
I’d say the TE37s and the front and rear S4 bumper conversion.
What is your favorite part/feature/function of the car?
Its a tie between the TE37s and the audio system. I am a big music lover, so being able to enjoy the system any time I drive is a huge benefit. The TEs are an iconic motorsports wheel that I think goes well on everything.
If you could pick one thing you aren’t satisfied with about your car, what would it be?
The lack of power. Even having most of the available bolt-ons and a tune, the car is pretty slow. I’d love to do a 3.0 supercharged swap from an S4 in the future.
What has been the biggest obstacle you’ve faced while building this car?
The brakes. I upgraded to massive 400mm S6 calipers in the front (and 356mm Macan Turbo rear) and bleeding the system was a huge headache. Huge thanks to Jack for all the help getting them bled.
What one word best describes your car?
Well-rounded
What is your final goal with this car?
A fun weekend car that I can go on drives and take to car shows, or just use to get groceries 🙂
