Video: Diesel Audi Wagon Tears Up the Nürburgring
This sedate-looking diesel Audi wagon is full of surprises, packing 550 lb/ft of torque from a 3.0 liter TDI V6.
In the United States, if you’re daily driving a diesel, chances are it’s got mud tires, a six foot bed, and four wheel drive. That’s not the case in Europe, where diesels come in all shapes and sizes for all lifestyles.
Diesels are well-loved for their efficiency in gas-starved Europe, but there’s another benefit: torque. Diesel engines can produce boatloads of torque, and it comes low in the RPM range where it’s most useful. Expert tuners know this, and are able to wring eye-water torque figures out of seemingly unremarkable cars.
Of course, a B7 Audi A4 wagon is anything but unremarkable. In this YouTube video from Nürburgring-regular Misha Charoudin, a tuned B7 wagon tears up the legendary road course while we ride along with the owner, Dean Mackenzie Bell. The popularity of Charoudin’s channel can be directly attributed to his talent behind the wheel. The Nürburgring is notoriously challenging, but he makes it look easy.
So, how does one prepare a diesel Audi wagon for one of the world’s most challenging roads? You’d be surprised. At the time this video was filmed, suspension and brake modifications were more or less limited to KW springs, EBC brakes and 034 Motorsports sway bars. For those interested, the owner is going through another round of suspension upgrades currently, including BC Racing coilovers and Powerflex polyurethane bushings.
Big Bolt-On Power
What we’re most interested, though, is just how Bell managed to squeeze 330 horsepower and 550 lb/ft of torque out of this otherwise stock-appearing Audi. Not bad for a car that made just over 200 horsepower and around 300 lb/ft of torque when it was stock. Incredibly, no internal modifications were required. An upgraded intercooler, turbo, and exhaust were fitted, and a remap from Darkside Developments made the most of the 3.0L V6 TDI’s power potential.
The end result is a fun, fast, and efficient diesel Audi wagon daily driver. Thanks to its S-Line trim, we wouldn’t call this a sleeper per se. However, to the uninitiated, it would certainly blend into the background with the rest of traffic. There’s a certain appeal to having a somewhat stealthy – but potent – daily driver.
Throughout the lap, we found ourselves impressed by just how planted this dieselAudi wagon was. We all love modifying our cars, but it’s easy to forget just how good they are even with basic bolt-ons. After all, that’s why we all fell in love with the brand.
Unfortunately, the limiting factory wasn’t tires and suspension, but temperature. Cooling can be an issue when you track a street car, and Bell is handling it with this round of upgrades. Not only is he fitting an oil cooler, but he’s also cut a vent into the hood. So much for stealth. We’re eager to see the next step in the development of this A4 wagon. If you’d like to follow along, we encourage you to follow along on Instagram.
Click HERE to join the AudiWorld forums!
