Supercharged V8 S4 travels across country

[nik@vf]

The VF charged AWE-B7S4 is currently en route from VF-Engineering, CA to AWE-Tuning, PA !
Our driver and head of R&D are brutally tearing their way 3000 miles across the American continent.
They are travelling through dust and rain storms and temperatures from 60-110F and showing no mercy to the S4.
With a host of diagnostic and data acquisition software they are also analysing ECU feedback and making instant adjustments to ECU calibration by GIAC.
Photos will be posted over the next few days subject to 3G/Edge access.
http://www.giacusa.com/images/austin/B7S4SC/B7S4_3.jpg

More discusion on http://www.audizine.com/forum/...23518 (http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=223518)

Sound clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5UMQfe2Qrc
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/SC-unit.jpg

1.00am Tues 07/15/08
Here were started our journey first fill up when leaving California.
Underhood check up. Eaton M90 sits out of site under the cast aluminum intake manifold with integrated charge cooler.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/underhood.jpg
Clean windshield - check. 5 hours sleep.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/tank1.jpg
9.00am Tues 07/15/08 Entering Arizona
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/arizona.jpg
11.30am Tues 07/15/08 Grand Canyon country!
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/grd-cyn-approach.jpg
1.00pm Tues 07/15/08 Lunch in Flagstaff AZ. Classic Arizona landscape.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/az-landscape.jpg

2.30pm Tues 07/15/08 Negotiating our way between stubborn truck drivers in a supercharged V8 requires a lot of patience!
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/fway-traffic.jpg
3.00pm Tues 07/18/08 Entering New Mexico
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/new-mexico.jpg
6.00pm Tues 07/18/08 Downtown Albequerque
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/dwntwn-NM.jpg

[nik@vf]

9.00pm Tues 07/18/08 Fastfood!
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/dinner-NM.jpg
1.00am Wed 07/19/08 Entering Texas. This is what things start to look like, when you have driven for 15 hours, through 2 time zones and covered 1100 miles !
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/texas.jpg
Stay tuned same time tomorrow for pic by pic account of a gasoline guzzling, tarmac tearing, supercharged V8 S4 journey as we "do America".


DAY 2
The supercharged B7 V8 covered 900 miles today.
10.00 AM 07/16/08
The S4 camped overnight in Vega, Texas. A neatly manicured small rural town lying in the path of the Hurricane Corridoor. Below, the S4 fuels up at the local watering hole!
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day2/vega-tx.JPG

10.30 AM 07/16/08
Much of the last 1500 miles has been covered on modern freeway, in the shadow of the Historic Old Route 66.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day2/rte66.JPG

12.00 PM 07/16/08
Leaving Texas we notice a token attempt at tapping alternative energy sources!
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day2/windmills.JPG

2.00 PM 07/16/08
A friendly welcome as we travel into Oklahoma! It seems we just cant curb our enthusiasm. All that torque on tap was just too tempting to resist. Just a mere tap on the throttle sent the car into triple digits. To find out what happened next, email delius@vf-engineering.com
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day2/ok-police.JPG

3.00 PM 07/16/08
Here we are blasting past downtown Oklahoma City.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day2/dwntwn-ok.JPG

6.00 PM 07/16/08
Entering the state of Missouri. So far we have covered 600 miles on our second day and the supercharged V8 just wants to eat up more tarmac. The sound from the motor keeps us entertained and we giggle each time we romp on the pedal sending the motor into peak boost at rpm as low as 2000. This just never gets old.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day2/mo-sign.JPG

The V8 gets a little night cap at a rural station in OK countryside. We point the S4 at St Louis and let it off like an Exocet missile. We are now camped in the Holiday Inn and the V8 is cooling off, until we ignite it tomorrow morning for yet another roller coaster ride to complete the final leg of our 2800 mile trip all the way to AWE-Tuning, PA.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day2/chicken-little.JPG

[nik@vf]

Its 2.58AM on 07/18/08 (the end of the third day of our trip) and we have cranked 3000 miles on the AWE supercharged S4 with no issues at all. 3 days of solid driving through a variety of conditions has proven that our R&D engineers have created a solid product. We set off 2 days after installing a pre-production kit and left with no tools whatsoever or support vehicle.
I remember popping the hood a few times over the trip and looking at each other as we both uttered the words "hmm looks good". We got back in the car and put down the hammer again and again.
When we arrived in NJ we laughed at the fact that we were defintely nuts to have travelled without any tools. Its a true testament to the hardware and software.
On this 3rd day, we covered 1000 miles and started from St Louis, Missouri, travelled into and out of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pensylvania and to our destination New Jersey. Below are a variety of pics we took over the day. After the Waterfest show this weekend, I will gladly answer your questions and expect that AWE may chime in too. Dyno plots will also be posted.
Test pilot aka Delius (Exec Sales)
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20005.jpg
St Louis freehand artwork.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20007.jpg

Choo-choo train - as my son would say.
St Louis has an old functioning instrustrial charm to it.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20008.jpg
Helo Indiana
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20014.jpg

Nearly there
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20017.jpg

Drew Carey's Ohio!
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20018.jpg
Arty shots
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20031.jpg
The wagon tears through tunnels and terrorises unsuspecting motorists.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20040.jpg
A loud thunder emits from the quad tailpipes of the V8 each time we ease on the gas pedal.
http://www.vf-engineering.com/unsecured/S4/CAtoPA/day3/Picture%20or%20Video%20038.jpg
We had a blast - literally! Driving across the country is certainly an experience, especially when you are piloting an autobahn shredding supercharged V8 Audi. Utter opulence. =)

[oc-audica]

oh wow

very very wow. did you guys hit 500hp+ with the kit?

[Rezie@Genesis]

man i'd love to do that.

[EDM]

Very cool!! I like the day by day story. :tup:

[mike]

Nik has some impressive stuff coming out of that shop thats for sure, I have seen this car first hand, it is so stealth its scary, the only way you would know it has a blower is the slight whine, even if you look under the hood, the blower is buried and looks OEM so unless you are familiar with the car, you'll miss it.

[xoutofstepx]

My dream car. :)

Hopefully this will be coming to the BIG Gathering?? If so, you should cruise down with us in the OC Caravan.

[RavinJetta]

Very cool road trip.

[oc-audica]

My dream car. :)

Hopefully this will be coming to the BIG Gathering?? If so, you should cruise down with us in the OC Caravan.
They're bringing the RSR+ for sure :D

[xoutofstepx]

They're bringing the RSR+ for sure :D

Niiiiiice! I would rather see this though. :p

[JETTAone420]

Hey Nik Ill See You (err My Car Will) Next Month Right?!

[bugzy]

wow thats a car !!

nice job nik! have fun at waterfest

[oc-audica]

Niiiiiice! I would rather see this though. :p
my bad i thought giac was in the mix thats why i brought up the RSR+ :p

[jrau13]

Very cool!!!

[mitchholmstrom]

Awesome story! Hopefully I could do something like that one day!

[nik@vf]

Very cool road trip.

Thanks for all the positive comments, we had a great time and sharing it with you all was a pleasure. Reading your comments made me understand why this is regarded as such a friendly forum.

[DarkstaR]

Wow

[John@PureMS]

You know, I'm pretty sure I saw this thing sitting there on Monday while I stopped in at AWE. It looked nice, but it looked like it was bored sitting there behind the Porsche ;)