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European
Car Select Gear: Best of the Aftermarket 2002
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Assuming you want your wife driving the kids to hockey practice in a 295-hp Audi, Performance Engineered Systems’ supercharger kit for 30-valve V6s is a great way to accomplish it. If you want the power, but she wants the niceness, you’ll both be happy. PES’ first objective in engineering this supercharger system was to preserve the integrity of the vehicle: A customer has already paid a premium for an Audi and expects perfection. If the goal was the quickest quarter mile for the least amount of money spent, the customer would have bought a Camaro. PES’ supercharger kit is based on the Eaton M62 Roots-type blower, which is highly efficient at moderate pressure ratios and has proven its reliability as original equipment on Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Aston Martin. An Audi must idle and drive perfectly, and PES’ demonstrator A4 does just that. It also made a ton of power, with excellent throttle response and no lag. Around town, it was quiet. The supercharger was audible only with the throttle open, at which point people will know there’s something under the hood anyway. And even then, it didn’t howl the way some installations do. Ultimately, this system asks questions a chipped S4 may have a hard time answering. Perfect drivability is achieved by keeping the factory engine management happy, not by tricking it. PES add larger injectors to go with a remapped ECU. Take everything you’ve heard about the difficulty of tuning Audis turbo cars, and multiply it a few times to put boost on a non-boosted car. More than 1,000 hours of tuning and road testing were required, but PES got it dialed in. Internal fuel and timing trim corrections are held to a few percent. Another element of a seamless experience is a truly bolt-on installation, with no guesswork and everything in the box. The manifold and inlet pipe are shipped assembled to the supercharger so it’s ready to mount. The PES system will work with the factory or aftermarket intake and exhaust systems, though improvements are recommended for maximum power, and the factory plastic spark coils and valve covers remain in place. PES provides the installation manual on CD. PES’ own technician can install the kit in 6 hours, but a first-timer is better off reserving 12. No stock parts are modified with the installation, so a car can be completely returned to original condition. With naturally aspirated engines, the 2.8L A4 and A6 are the "luxury" versions of their platforms—meaning no intended for high performance. If that pains you, PES has a cure for your ailments. You won’t be driving just another chipped 1.8T.
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