Audi A5 Tuning

"Making the A5 go as well as it looks"

The A5 is arguably one of the best looking cars to come from Audi in recent times and was launched in 2007.

It is a very sporty looking coupe with some beautiful sweeping lines.

Sadly at the time of writing this there is no S5 or RS5 option so it looks like we will have to explore the best A5 Tuning options ourselves until Audi finally announce a much anticipated RS5.

To improve the handling you could drop the car by no more than 35mm and fit stiffer dampers, bigger drops will need other modifications in most instances and the standard A5 setup is pretty good.

Our aim in A5 engine tuning should be to increase peak power and Torque at the top end.

Your engine choices are much along the A4 line with the 1.8 and 2.0 TFSi. There is also an interesting choice of V6 Tdi's and 4.2 V8 Fsi and 3.2 V6 FSi to choose from. All models have the 6 speed box and there is also the tiptronic auto available.

The best power gains usually come from larger engine sizes but we cannot dismiss the relative ease of remapping the Turbo models and power gains on offer. The more you start with the bigger the return on investment so engine swaps are good value mods if you have the 1.8 TFsi and want to drop in a 2.0 TFSi block.

Audi A5 Tuning modifications.

Your aim when tuning should be a nice flat torque curve and a wide power band. We would strongly recommend that you start with a Turbo engine, even the Diesel has lots of potential.

Audi A5 Intake and Exhaust Tuning.

The next area for modification is the intake and exhaust. Derestricting the airflow into the engine is the primary part of tuning so get a better flowing air filter. Induction kits sound great but due to the warm air in the engine bay they will not add noticeable power and actually rob you of power. Sports exhausts balance the flow of air throughout the engine. But if your exhaust is too large, ie it is over 2.5 inches bore, you will lose a lot of the flow rate and lose power on most engines.

Gas flowing the head will allow you to maximise your air/fuel charge. TorqueCars suggest you leave this to a professional though, with a proper flow bench and machine tools When you start tuning your A5 you will find that the standard clutch starts to complain at around 300bhp so get an uprated clutch if this applies to you.

NASP engines do not achieve big power gains if you remap them, unless you have done extensive modifications like cams and head work.

With turbocharged engines (including the diesel) this is another story. A remapped turbo will give phenomenal power gains and take full advantage of the strength of the block. We have seen power gains of over 50bhp on the A5 from a remap and the standard block can be pushed to around 300bhp without issues.

The diesels will offer up a further 30 - 50 BHP with a remap and still offer loads of Torque and retain a lot of the economy you bought it for!

Larger gains are around if you go with a big turbo conversion. TorqueCars recommend a ball bearing based turbo and if you just want a simple drop in replacement then hybrid turbos are your best option.

Audi A5 Wheel modifications.

It is worth noting that although they can look cool on the A5 big alloys will actually decrease your performance. Firstly they increase your unsprung weight. Also you need to look at the gearing.

The larger you go the lower you top speed will be due to the change in your effective final drive ratio. Although some people have gone larger we would stick to a 17 inch rim size as the maximum.

For more information on Tuning your car please join us in our friendly forum where you can discuss A5 options in more detail with our A5 owners. It would also be worth reading our unbiased Audi tuning articles to get a full grasp of the benefits and drawbacks of each modification we have outlined in this article.