My First driving experience was at the Pikes Peak International Raceway. I was a fuzz over fifteen and I took our shop 1988 Audi 80 Quattro. It had an earth shattering 130 bhp. After I was finished going around a new Mini Cooper S, I was hooked on the Audi Quattro. I like, most adolescent boys wanted more power. I explored all types of options to breathe fire into the 80. My father mentioned “ The bigger Audi’s have turbos”. This is analogous to throwing gas on the fire of the turbo infused Childs mind. After a month of reading, my father advised me that I was better off buying one that had the turbo already installed. I searched and I found a 1989 80 Quattro with a 10 valve turbo engine installed. We drove it back from Minneapolis and I was so happy with the car because I had the fastest car in my high school. It started when a Dodge Neon SRT destroyed me as I was driving home one night. Bigger intercooler and more boost. I fabricated and installed an 18X10X3 intercooler. Needless to say I detonated my poor 10 valve turbo after three years of faithful service. Once again that adolescent boy was tugging at my ‘more power”. It then took seven months and countless hours to install the famous 20 valve turbo that Audi had won so many rallye and road races with. I figured my car would be the same as the old Audi 90 IMSA cars. My dreams were dashed. The car was much faster until the cam gear bolt fell off and bent two intake valves, which reside on my desk as I write this. I put the engine back together and it felt about the same. I started turning up the boost and two weeks later, clearly though no fault of my own, I bent the number two connecting rod. Out with the motor again. I vowed that I would sell my Audi because it was nothing but trouble. Then the question dawned on me, what could I buy that had 250 hp, all wheel drive for $10,000? Nothing I wanted, so I kept my Audi. Since then I have disposed of many thousands of dollars for more power. The specifications are as follows: Wagner Tuning exhaust manifold, Garrett Ball Bearing turbo (it can ingest a basketball), Custom three inch exhaust with a muffler bypass, VEMS stand alone engine management system, 600cc injectors, Brembo four pot brakes, coil-over suspension system, Greddy Boost controller, and a South Bend stage four clutch. The car on the dyno made 403 wheel horsepower. That translates to 460 horsepower at the engine. It is a wonderful and earth shaking car. When I drive the car on the race track it performs beautifully. New cars with huge amounts of money invested in them will often see a black Audi 80 in their mirror and then flying around them, with a hint of blue flame from the tail pipe. The car is perfectly balanced on the track and can be used as a daily driver. The suspension makes it a little harsh and the clutch pedal effort is a little much for the street, so sadly, I don't drive it as much as I would like too. I drive my 1989 Renault GTA regularly to work.

Time for an update. I put a larger intercooler on, to keep intake charge temps. down. I also install a different intake manifold for better airflow. The car made more power on the dyno and is even faster on the track.