Originally Posted by N8!

As time goes by, there will be more aftermarket options. If one could wait 12-18 months, one could save a bundle.

Originally Posted by BreedsAs

There is nothing wrong with making a profit. It just becomes very expensive when a grille is sold as a part by Audi, then a middle retailer like TAG and/or EuroPrice add their own profit margin on to it. That is how a plastic grille ends up costing $1k! Imagine if your front end was bashed in during a front end collision and your only source of parts had such profit margins. The S5 would be totaled that quickly from just cosmetic damage. I personally can't justify paying $1k for a black replica of the grille that came on our cars. I can almost guarantee you that the replacement costs for the regular A5/S5 grille in Europe is more than the cost for the black optic version. Those black parts are generally cheaper to make. It is a guarantee that once the B9 S5 BO package is available in the US, TAG/EuroPrice will not be able to sell those black grille anywhere over 70% of what they are currently listed at.
Compare the price of the US available B9 A4/S4 BO main grille to that of the European market only B9 on TAG's site for proof. The S4 version is $549, while the S5 version is $900.

If someone sourced the part number and a retailer willing to ship international, that alone would make these black optic parts significantly cheaper.
I am just waiting for a company to come out with a grille that has a style I like, and fits the front camera/sensors.
TAG and EuroPrice are smart on trying to make money on a part that is not readily available in the US currently, but they will not make that money off of me. I only bought the other grilles from them (lower side grilles from EP, lower center from TAG) because those will never be available on the aftermarket, and I wanted them black without painting and/or wrapping the pieces. TAG literally took 7 weeks to get it to me. One excuse after the other. EP I had no problems with.

Originally Posted by 3cat

I've never been good at waiting. Although I will wait for the grill that I want and that is plug and play.

Originally Posted by Quattrings

I agree with what you're saying BreedAs... There is no way that I could justify paying a company over $1000.00 USD for an already marked up standard Audi front grill. The worst part of it all is I've removed the S5 OEM Audi grill two times now and it really is a much different level of quality compared to the other Audis that I've had in the past. There was definitely cost cutting involved with the front bumper/grill. In my hands it felt like a myriad of cheap plastic parts that are snapped together into a single unit. I felt that my B8 and B8.5 were better made. The aftermarket grill really surprised me with its quality. It feels and looks up to the level of what Audi has produced on the RS5 of the past. The only thing that puzzles me, is why the designers decided to alter the design from the 18 RS grill standard of a single-piece mesh and make it two sections, similar to the 14-16 RS style. I was looking at it on my car and had the PDC sensors been located in the proper spot, there would be plenty of room to continue the mesh down to the bottom and still have the lower wide lip for the 'QUATTRO' logo. Maybe they were making sure that it was different than Audis version, but then they could have simply kept the rings off and sold it as badgeless like they do for the '18 A4/S4. Either way, this grill @$500 is a steal in looks/price/quality compared to the companies selling the standard OEM BO grill for over $1000 USD

Originally Posted by stratman222

I was about to request new hole placement for the sensors from that same eBay seller but if you click on the info tab about the grill, they mention that in some B9's that the sensor placement holes may be off and hit the crash bar. And that they'll send "replacement brackets that fit new holes/placement" I wonder if that's because of the problem you had and this will allow us to move the parking sensor placement down one row of combs? Do you think moving the hole placement down one row would then clear the crash bar or would the hole placement neee to be moved significantly to clear the crashbar?

Originally Posted by 3cat

I'd sure like to see how and where those replacement brackets would go. From the looks of the grill the mounting points are part of the grill itself and it doesn't look like there would be room below to add the sensors. Of course I don't have the grill so it's hard to tell just by looking at pics.

Originally Posted by stratman222

Can you let us know how difficult the install was minus the problems with the parking sensors? Was it easy to remove the front bumper and all other components? Also how hard was it removing the OEM grill? I remember that being the hardest part on my B8.5 grill swap. Bumper removal was straightforward, but getting the old grill out was tough. I'm leasing so I'll need to put the old grill back on.

I was about to request new hole placement for the sensors from that same eBay seller but if you click on the info tab about the grill, they mention that in some B9's that the sensor placement holes may be off and hit the crash bar. And that they'll send "replacement brackets that fit new holes/placement" I wonder if that's because of the problem you had and this will allow us to move the parking sensor placement down one row of combs? Do you think moving the hole placement down one row would then clear the crash bar or would the hole placement neee to be moved significantly to clear the crashbar?

Lastly, do the parking sensors just snap into the new grill? I don't have to worry about a front camera since I just have a P+. I'd really like to order this new grill, I've never been good at waiting either! Your car looks so much more aggressive with that grill.

Originally Posted by Quattrings

I think the B9 does follow the experience you had on your B8. The bumper is easy to remove, the only difference that I can remember is that it has the pop tab at the top of each corner of the bumper. The grill is a pain to seperate from the bumper IMO. The plastic clips in everywhere and it takes some patience and time.
I am puzzled by the vendors 'replacement bracket' comment. There is no other place to relocate the sensors to. There is one place, but that is the section below the grill, in the center opening part of the bumper itself.
Sounds like you're good with the camera. It comes with a cover over the hole, so you wont have to touch that. I had to pop the cover out to install the camera, which was easy enough too. The parking sensors do just clip into the grill, and as long as you use the rubber gasket, its super solid. My PDC sensors are tight and dont move anywhere in the grill.







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Originally Posted by steviekallday

This is my sentiments exactly.

I have messaged the ebay user to ask if they have any idea on if production will take place of these grills which do not require modification to the Sensors.

It seems to me that it would be quite easy for them to do (just lower the brackets a bit). But my thoughts are as long as people are ordering them they will not have any incentive to change.

Perhaps if more people messaged them and requested the same change it may incentivize them to re-vamp their product. I am jealous of the look that Quattrings has right now.