While 3 Ring Circus is a very old school movie. Audi’s four ring entries continue to dominate the Euro tuning scene. While the whole world is out drooling on the new B8 S4, we’re still suckers and huge fans of old school Audi styling, much like the movies of old.
Brian Bement’s 1997 Audi A4 Quattro is one of those fine examples on just how timeless Audi’s styling is. Even though this car is 13 years old and several generations back, Bement’s car still cements itself as one of the finest ever built and you would hard pressed to think that this chassis came out at the same time the Civic EKs were leaving the production line.
On the outside, Bement started the overhaul with several coats of pristine Porsche Aqua Blue metallic paint. Custom widened fenders are subtle but just enough to set off the car without going too far. Last thing we dig are completely unproportional widebodies. Much of the body has been shaven and smoothed – and yes, that was meant to be a double entendre. Kerscher front styling finds its way, matched to the widened fenders while OEM S4 pieces were molded on and modified to flow with the rest of the car.
As you can tell by now, Bement’s all about keeping it subtle and clean. The inside has received a nice sporty overhaul with Status Racing Ring carbon fiber seats taking center stage. Much of the interior has been swapped for black pieces, while the headliner, pillars and armrests have been covered in grey suede. Audio and visual hasn’t been overlooked with a Jensen 7-inch touchscreen int he dash while Blapunkt, Sony and Kicker all have their products in the trunk and cabin.
Under the hood, the 2.8L V6 has gotten its fair share of bolt-ins to enhance breathing and performance. A polished intake with a K&N filter handles the ins along with a port and polished throttle body and MAF housing. Out the rear is a 2.5-inch Supersprint RS exhaust system from the cat-back of course.
For rollers, Bement chose to sport a staggered set of 19×8.5/19×9.5 iForged Seneka wheels. Sacrilegious to some Audi AWD owners, Bement believes a small staggered fitment is just fine for the Quattro. Wrapped with Falken FK-452 high quality rubber, this A4 is build to last on and off the streets. Getting the stance he needs is a set of Neuspeed Race Springs matched with Bilstein S4 struts. Porsche 996/911TT Brembo calipers peer behind the wheels matched with PureMS stainless steel brake lines.
It’s always nice to look back and see just how far our industry has come – from OE manufacturers and aftermarket. But it’s also really refreshing to see a project like Brian Bement’s. Sure, a 1997 Audi A4 isn’t exactly a timeless classic, but the way things are progressing these days – you could argue it is.
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