034Motorsport B9 Audi A4 Performance Development Vehicle

This Tango Red 2017 Audi A4 is the latest addition to the 034Motorsport stable, and is instrumental in the development of Performance Hardware & Software Upgrades for the latest generation of Audi's best-selling sedan. 034Motorsport's Product Development Team has spent a significant amount of time and effort identifying ways to improve the B9 A4's power delivery, handling, and driving experience through professionally engineered performance enhancements. Every 034Motorsport part is thoroughly evaluated before release, which means many of these upgrades are currently undergoing long-term testing before release. Keep an eye on our B9 Audi A4 Performance Upgrade Catalog to see the latest 034Motorsport Go Fast Parts for your new A4. 

Chassis & Suspension Development

Equipped with Audi's Dynamic Suspension, the latest-generation A4 handles day-to-day commuting and the occasional spirited drive quite well. When pushed hard on the street or track, however, it becomes apparent that the design focus heavily prioritized comfort over performance. Luckily, 034Motorsport has decades of experience engineering chassis and suspension ugrades to make Audi sedans go faster, and its team was quick to apply that experience to the B9 A4.

 

Due to its weight disribution and conservative suspension setup, the B9 A4 (like most Audi models) is prone to excessive body roll and understeer. 034Motorsport's engineers set out to create a complete suspension solution to improve the driving dynamics of the B9 A4 without sacrificing refinement and comfort. First, Dynamic+ Lowering Springs were installed on the A4, undergoing multiple iterations to ensure excellent ride quality with the factory dampers. Unlike typical lowering spring kits which simply lower vehicles by a certain amount over stock, Dynamic+ Lowering Springs are carefully developed to match the factory dampers for superior ride quality, while optimizing spring rates to enhance handling characteristics. With the Dynamic+ Lowering Springs serving as a solid foundation, attention was turned to the factory sway bars in order to further hone in the handling dynamics of the A4.

To address the A4's natural tendency to understeer, a stiffer 034Motorsport Dynamic+ Adjustable Rear Sway Bar was the first to be developed. Manufactured from solid spring steel, this bar yields a significant increase in stiffness over stock, reducing unwanted body roll and allowing for lift off oversteer for increased car control. While developing the rear sway bar upgrade, a stiffer front bar was also evaluated to further reduce body roll and improve steering feel and response. Last but certainly not least, the flimsy factory strut braces were replaced with the all-new 034Motorsport B9 Audi A4/Allroad Strut Tower Brace to help increase steering precision by limiting strut tower deflection. This combination of Dynamic+Lowering Springs, Dynamic+ Adjustable Rear Sway Bar, and Strut Tower Brace was able to positively transform the A4's handling without diminishing ride quality.

 

Power & Acceleration Upgrades

Once the A4's handling was addressed, attention was turned to the powertrain in a search for ways to squeeze more power and acceleration from the 2.0T engine. Rated at 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque at the crankshaft from the factory, this Tango Red example was able to consistently put down peak figures of 208 horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque at the wheels on 034Motorsport's Mustang AWD Dynamometer.

 

Once factory baseline numbers were obtained, attention was turned to evaluating hardware upgrades that could yield improved horsepower, torque, and acceleration from the latest-generation A4. The factory air intake and exhaust systems were evaluated, and significant restrictions were identified at both the airbox and downpipe. 034Motorsport's hardware engineers focused on the induction side first, designing a complete air intake system to replace the restrictive factory airbox and turbocharger intake pipe. Early testing of a 3D printed plastic prototype unit showed promising horepower gains and reduction in pressure drop through the system, while also ensuring that the turbocharger continued to receive cool, dense air. Next, a high-flow racing catalytic converter was installed, reducing backpressure behind the turbocharger outlet, allowing for quicker spool and increased horspower and torque over stock.

The factory transmission mount was also upgraded with a 034Motorsport Billet Aluminum Transmission Mount Insert to improve shift quality and throttle response by reducing unwanted drivetrain movement. Finally, a 034Motorsport Res-X Exhaust Resonator Delete was installed to give the A4 a sportier, more aggressive exhaust note.

 

What's Next?

The next step for 034Motorsport's B9 Audi A4 will be proprietary ECU Performance Software, which will turn up the boost and optimize timing/fueling maps to unlock the 2.0 TFSI engine's hidden potential. In addition, 034Motorsport expects to offer TCU Performance Software to speed up shifts from the S-Tronic transmission, and allow for more aggressive launches.

As always, more 034Motorsport Hardware Upgrades are also in the works for this platform, so stay tuned to our website and social media to keep up to date with the latest and greatest in performance parts and tuning for the 2017 Audi A4/Allroad!