Hot off the dyno at RGMotorsport comes an Audi S4 quattro with a dollop of attitude – and not just from cosmetics and signature Ed Hardy colour scheme.

Nope, it’s what speed merchants Rob and Steve Green have done under the bonnet what impresses most; and thanks to a package of hot goodies the output of the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 has swelled from 245 kW, to 287 kW. That’s enough extra urge for this particular car to punch through the 100 km/h barrier in 4.9 seconds – half a second quicker than Audi’s 5.4 second sea level claim.

There is no doubt that this car has serious pace: a standing kilometre takes just 23.5 seconds, the VBOX datalogger stopping at 231 km/h….those are numbers which put it in the top echelon of four-door performance sedans. Acceleration to 160 km/h takes just 10.7 seconds, and the quarter comes up in about 13.1 seconds – all these numbers achieved at Gauteng altitudes without resorting to the use of intermediate rubber or slicks.

The secret to the success of the conversion is precise ignition and fuel timing. This is made possible by the use of the acclaimed Unichip Q, which enables master tuner Steve Green to tailor electronic signals en route to the spark plugs and injectors, and optimise these settings across the rev range, under load in a simulated environment. The second key ingredient is the use of Torco race fuel concentrate, along with a separate, driver-activated map which increases ignition advance (only possible thanks to the elevated octane of the Torco-enriched fuel) when the switch is flicked.

But these systems can only be exploited thanks to RGM’s understanding of the Audi/VW FSI direct injection technology, discovered and perfected over the last few years with numerous successes in production car racing.

A dual 63 mm, Techniflo (RGM’s own brand)  stainless steel exhaust system – CAD-designed and then fabricated in the company’s Randburg workshop – culminates in a quartet of man-sized chromed tips. The performance outlet system not only helps spent gases to escape with minimal hindrance, but also results in an exhaust note like an angry swarm of oversized wasps…

“This car is a perfect example of what can be achieved with carefully matched aftermarket tuning components and a high level of mechanical and electronic skills,” says Rob Green. “Take one properly engineered exhaust system, add in a Unichip piggyback computer and Torco fuel enhancer and mix carefully on our four-wheel-drive dynamometer under the watchful eye of our tuning gurus,and you have a recipe for consistently reliable high performance!”

This Stage 1 conversion to the Audi S4 (or S5) costs R26 500 including RGMotorsport’s six month/20 000 km warranty.

Tags: performance, RGMotorsport, Rob Green, tuning, Unichip