Hey Dave, differences between C4 I5 and C4 V8 ?

[macspring]

As you have now had both cars

A RS2 spec C4 I5 Saloon

and a

C4 oem V8 Avant

for a while, I am curious to know what the pros and cons of each one are ?

I have C4 I5 Avants and Saloons, and while they are great, the idea of a 4.2 V8 in a C4 body really appeals. Browned off Audi never did a RHD C4 V8.

Any impressions or comments welcome.

Will either help me get over my problem, or make it worse. :roll eyes:

Thanks.

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Good question!! I am looking forward to the answer to this.I know Varsity says the V8 C4 is the best car Audi has built and he owns the I5 turbo C4 version plus an RS2 an RS4 etc etc. Awaiting Daves opinion.

[Error404]

Performance wise, RS2 spec will piss all over it. Hell, my coupe is faster than our B6 S4 with only a mapped K24 7000
I'm sure the V8 is real nice cruiser though, and sounds great

[UrS4boy]

Some thoughts on driving a RS2'd UrS4 sedan vs a V8 UrS4 avant back to back

I wrote this last year (April 11, 2014 to be exact). Sadly it's almost a carbon copy of the current situation, including house renos, issues with the sedan, etc.

**************************

Surprise to me, but I actually hadn't driven the 93 UrS4 sedan since about Jan. 21st (2014) when I got the V8 avant back after the clutch replacement. I was away for most of February and was busy with a house reno project in March. Plus it was raining and I had an UrS6 sedan headliner on the roof of the UrS4 in the garage. Bottomline, I was having too much fun with the V8 avant to bother with the UrS4 sedan. I started the UrS4 once and a while but it never moved until today (nice sunny spring day in Vancouver).

As I backed it out of the garage, I noticed a big wet spot under where the engine bay was - Oh,yeah, I still have a coolant leak that I need to find and fix. (Lazy). Then I took it for a manual spray wash, a fill up and a bit of a run. That is when the contrasts started to come out.

1. Clutch: The sedan clutch is heavy and awful compared to the new avant (Sachs) clutch. I'll have to move the replacement of the sedan clutch up the maintenance schedule. I almost stalled the sedan a couple of times, now being used to the smoother softer avant clutch.

2. Steering: The sedan has Servotronic and an UrS6 steering wheel. The avant has non-Servotronic power steering and the four spoke wheel with a squeeze-over thick aftermarket leather cover. The sedan is nicer to steer (IMO) than the avant. Love the feel of the UrS6 sport wheel. I'll have to install one on the avant. All that said, a couple of times, on a turn, I over-turned (too much turn)the sedan, maybe because the steering effort is so much less with Servotronic. Definitely have to get used to that again.

3. Brakes: The sedan has big blacks and Textars up front (with 323 x 30 rotors). The avant is OE HP2s (with 314 x 30 rotors). Both are hydraulic "bomb" assist. Not sure what is up with the sedan but the HP2s on the avant feel better (quicker stops) than the sedan. Might need some investigation.

4. Acceleration: Around town, I would say that the V8 avant is quicker. More torque sooner and with the 6 spd., a better selection of gears (3-4-5-6) compared to the sedan (3-4-5). The RS2'd sedan definitely seems (is) laggy compared to the V8 avant. Might not be totally fair because of the clutch and transmission differences. The sedan is by no means slow. You just have to think more about what gear you are in and what gear you need to be in to get the boost up ASAP. (Not much thinking in the V8 avant- I've even been using 6th gear around town a bit).

UPDATE 2015: The sound of the V8 is intoxicating. I don't like noisy exhausts and have the OE system on both. The V8 just sounds better.

5. Ride: The sedan rides better. The sedan is on Eibachs/Bilsteins installed in 1999 whereas the avant is on a German Fintec aftermarket spring and shock set (no longer made) of unknown age. The sedan has 214K km vs the avant at 93K km. BUT to be fair, I did completely rebuild the front end on the sedan in 2011 whereas the avant is probably all original, with 20 years of rubber bushing deterioration. The avant is also very (too) low. I will need to replace the springs (I happen to have a new Eibach V6 auto box avant spring set that I might try on the V8 avant).

Don't get me wrong. Both are great and I am happy with both of them. Just different.

A couple of UrS sedan things I still have to look into (besides the coolant leak):

1. Hmm...why did I remove the warning buzzer on the instrument cluster. It's laying under the ashtray. I know it was sticking on but I don't know why.

2. The hot/warm restart issue is still there - still can trick it by opening up the throttle a tad as I try to start the engine. Might have to investiate the throttle position switch again.

[UrS4boy]

UPDATE: I am about to make a trip to the recycling depot and then the tip with the back seats down and the entire area filled with recyclables and home reno trash. Try that in a sedan/saloon.

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

UPDATE: I am about to make a trip to the recycling depot and then the tip with the back seats down and the entire area filled with recyclables and home reno trash. Try that in a sedan/saloon.

[mdz]

I5t can be easily modified and built to insane power levels, but V8 will be better daily driver as it is.

[UrS4boy]

I5t can be easily modified and built to insane power levels, but V8 will be better daily driver as it is.

My AAN is at RS2 plus levels (around 360 hp) with all OE RS2 goodies and it is very reliable. Personally, I don't need more hp than that.

The V8 has tonnes of torque so it is easier to drive around town. I forget what gear I am in sometimes and it will lug away just fine even if I am in one too high.

All that said, I would consider adding a supercharger system if one was available, plug and play, for the 4.2L ABH for not too much money.

[Zoig]

Aside from all the performance related discussion, the V8 Automatic C4 is basically a separate car from other C4 lineup - floor pan is different because of the huge gearbox. This means that carperts, centre console, air ducts and probably more pieces are different from other C4 siblings.

[mdz]

I forget what gear I am in sometimes and it will lug away just fine even if I am in one too high. .

Completely agree, this is the thing with V engines. Even with the V6.

[caterpillar]

sorry; the gearbox are NOT different from the 5pot.. its direct fit....( the v8 does have the oilpump) and the oilcooler... in 97 the c4 are a v8 pluss verson... but only in 97... but may not a righthand steering verson, right?? ... go for it...!!! make one

[UrS4boy]

All I can say is that my 94 S4 4.2L V8 avant (4A58T9) has a CMG 01E 6-spd that is geared very much like the RS2 CRB but it has the oil pump, as mentioned. It might even have the 01E311105H mainshaft (same as the RS2). Trans oil is pumped to the radiator which has built-in tranmission cooling tubes, much like the autotrans C4 V6 radiators.

[Vorsprung durch Technik]

Completely agree, this is the thing with V engines. Even with the V6.

Agreed.That is why Audi dropped the I5 in favour of the V6 for it's effortless willingness to spool quicker than the I5.I have both V6 and I5 and each are special in their own right.Floor the throttle of a standard 80 FWD 2.6 ABC at 80 mph in 5th gear and it takes of like a scalded cat.Very underrated power plant.

[Morris400]

I also went to the depot to return bottles in my sedan with kids in the back seat.

UPDATE: I am about to make a trip to the recycling depot and then the tip with the back seats down and the entire area filled with recyclables and home reno trash. Try that in a sedan/saloon.

[macspring]

I also went to the depot to return bottles in my sedan with kids in the back seat.