This feature originally published in the Q4_2022 issue of quattro Magazine. This magazine is a benefit of members of Audi Club North America. If you’d like to subscribe, please join the club HERE.
By: Ryan Ponto, photos by Vijay Sankar
Josh has been a fan of Audi for a long time and to no surprise, it began for Josh the same way it starts for most Audi enthusiasts… the first encounter with a now favorite example. For Josh, it was his father’s friend who drove an Audi 5000S with a moonroof (Josh had never seen a car with a moonroof before and thought this was beyond fantastic). Within a few years, his dad picked up his own Audi 5000S Avant that solidified Josh’s love, pushing him from enthusiast to obsessed. Josh eventually managed to get his own hands on one, a ‘91 200 Turbo quattro 20V with the sport seats.
Time flew by, too quickly as we all know, but a mere 22 years later, Josh was perusing the classifieds and stumbled upon this 1995 S6 with 113,000 miles – all original save tint on the windows. It was owned by the son of the original owners and was in Arizona, so no rust!
He tapped Audi North Scottsdale for a pre-purchase inspection, confirming everything was in order and within no time at all, the car had been delivered to its new home in Northern California. When he finally got the car in his possession, Josh learned it was actually a bit of a rare gem. The tornado red “Ur” S6 now sitting in his driveway was a 1999.5, meaning it was actually one of the last imported into the USA. Even cooler, the VIN registry revealed it was near the tail end of 5-cylinder Audis produced for the U.S.A. by about 150 cars.
Josh had modest plans for the S6, wanting to keep it fairly period correct and as reliable as a 25-year-old German car could be and looking like it rolled off the factory floor. To do this and achieve a few OEM+ goals, he broke his plan into phases that were executed for the most part with the help of 2Bennett Audimotive and European Autoservice.
Phase 1 began with the installation of a new clutch paired with a short shift kit and six-piston Brembo brakes paired with 350 mm slotted rotors. Larger rolling stock was necessary to clear those new Brembos and for that, Josh dipped into the European partsbin, sourcing a set of 18-inch early S8 wheels, a design never sold in America but identical to the 16-inch Avus wheels fitted new to the S6. Wrapped in Michelin Pilot 4S tires, they may very well be the perfect OEM+ upgrade for an ur S6.
Phase 2 brought the S6 closer to the ground with H&R sport springs paired with Koni sport shocks and Thuppu caster/camber plates to keep everything aligned nicely.
Phase 3 bumped the inline-5’s power with the upgrade to RS2 turbos, exhaust manifold, larger injectors and fuel pump to ensure the beast was fed properly. It also got an RS2 Stage 1+ ECU tune to manage the new hardware. This would see the red sled go from the stock power of 227 hp to somewhere between 325 to 350 hp. Josh also had an Apikol rear sway bar installed to help reduce the understeer that is so common to this era Audi.
Furthermore, Josh wanted to really let the 5-cylinder sing with a 3-inch exhaust system, but living in California does have its downsides… specifically when it comes to emissions standards. So, to avoid the risk of it failing the smog check, the custom made 3-inch downpipe for this part of the plan still sits in his garage.
Along the way, Josh ensured to stay on top of maintenance as it came up along with a number of other little tweaks here and there, to not only bring the UrS6 up to a new level of potential, but make certain it stays there for years to come given that Josh loves bringing it out to local car shows, cruises and of course events by Golden Gate chapter local to him. And of course, geeking out over the UrS6 any chance he gets with his fellow enthusiasts.
