2Bennett Audimotive Coupe Quattros - Ringside Seating - Part 1
Three Audi Coupes, Three Ways To Own The Road - A three part series originally appearing in the May 2009 issue of European Car Magazine.
By Les Bidrawn
Photography by Les Bidrawn

We've known the 2Bennett boys for almost a decade, crossed paths at various Audi track days, and kept tabs on their latest online Audi project cars. While 2Bennett Audimotive is capable of pure restoration work, their specialty is more slanted toward "restification." None of these cars would win points for historic accuracy, but that seems just fine with 2Bennett clients. "Our customers drive their Audis all the time, and drive them hard," says Andrew Bennett. "We engineer our cars to make sure that's possible."

This trio coalesced over several years, built entirely within the 2B garage. It should give you a good idea what 2Bennett Audimotive can do.

'83 2B Sport long wheel base quattro-
Next to driving a Porsche 917 down the Mulsanne Straight, one should also experience the intoxicating thrust of Audi's five-cylinder, 20-valve turbo engine. Developed jointly with Porsche, this mill was used to power the vaunted Audi RS2 Avant, a gorgeous sport wagon that broke North America's heart (it wasn't imported here). Developing a healthy 315 hp, this engine was something of a poster child of potential for European tuners. A few well-placed mods and that number quickly went north.

As I'm driving down a seldom-used farm trail, I have to wonder just how far north 2Bennett has taken it. In typical old-school turbo style, there's not much torque beneath 3100 rpm. After that it feels like being hurled from the world's biggest slingshot. The power isn't 930-juice-your-spleen-scary, but more progressive, like it'll keep accelerating until it creates a wormhole. The pedals are situated for aggressive left-foot braking, a setup Hans Stuck would dig. The only reason I'm doing so well is my massive work boots cover both pedals. For 20 minutes I'm a star.

I intentionally seek the silt-covered sections and pitch it sideways. It's got more than enough power to keep all four wheels spinning with very direct steering. Although it feels somewhat vague, I manage to find each gear with the five-speed shifter. The cabin has its share of squeaks and groans but none of this makes any difference. The chassis feels like it's carved from titanium.

This car wears 2B's proprietary 2Bennett Coil Program suspension comprised of adjustable coilovers and camber plates and super-stiff Delrin bushings. 2B did a masterful job of integrating a six-point cage within the cabin--getting in and out of this thing is a non-issue (a Lotus Elise should be so lucky). Combined with fore and aft tower braces, the car feels as rigid as Audi's latest generation of laser-welded vehicles.

Yeah, this Audi is fast, too fast even. I find myself out-driving halogen headlamps dimmer than birthday candles. I'm "feeling" my way down the road. When the tires stop making noise, it means I'm in the dirt--time to start steering. I can drive like this until the cows come home, which happens to be now. Three tons of Angus beef comes into view; I literally stand on the brakes and release a quick succession panic farts. The bovines just stare at me, refusing to budge. In fact, I think the little one gave me the finger (if cows can do such things).

Fortunately, this car has been fitted with 2B's Stage2 big brake program comprised of a custom blend of Brembo calipers and 2B 330mm directionally vented rotors. Moreover, 2B converted the system from hydraulic to pneumatic with an auxiliary vacuum booster. Whatever the case, those brakes saved me from eating hamburgers for the rest of my life.

When it first arrived at 2Bennett it was mid 10- valve turbo engine retrofit. "It was about 70% there," says Andrew Bennett about engine swap that was in the car. "And then we started digging and found all kinds of mistakes and problems. We decided to start with a clean sheet and use a 20- valve turbo engine. We have significant experience with these transplants. Plus it always leaves the the owners very happy".

2B spared no expenses on the engine, essentially refitting it with go-fast parts from the oil pan on up. Most of the bits are proprietary 2B parts. There are also RS2 pieces and 2Bennett's own carbon-fiber airbox, ducting and silicone hose set. The turbo is a 2Bennett "Thrust Series" complimented by RS2 intake and exhaust manifolds. RS2 injectors and MAF provide the fueling with a 2B 3" Stainless turbo back exhaust system. 2Bennett designed and modified the cooling system to make it work with the factory spec AC and heating system with their 4 row Aluminum radiator that accepts the original condenser and super clean looking 2B shroud and 500w fan kit.

The cabin was updated with Recaro CS front seats and 2B custom reupholstered rear seats and door panels with generous expanses of black suede. The instruments are augmented with a 2B auxiliary gauge panel and feature the same "Audi Red" glow as the stock instruments. Apparently it's also got a great stereo system, though I didn't really notice. Driving sideways makes you prioritize your needs.

2Bennett has been manufacturing Sport quattro body panels for years, but Sports are a short wheel base version. This car is an '83 Ur quattro. "One day while we were working on the car, we took a few of the Sport front end parts and taped them to it and sent photos to the owner for laughs", Bennett says. "When Chris, the owner, saw it he went wild." His reply email just said "Let's do it". The rear wide body parts to fit the long wheel base car then needed to be created. "We now make the entire carbon-fiber wide body system"

Any body man knows such a job takes both skill and time. To do the conversion correctly, 2Bennett needed to remove 25 years of use and essentially make the body better than when it rolled off the assembly line. Audi Sport LWB rear quarter panels were temporarily installed to create the basic shape, then 2B painstakingly reworked the shape, fit, and finish for truly smooth straight lines. Molds were then created to reproduce the complete quarter panels with correct bonding surfaces for installation at the OEM spot weld seams with Aerospace grade panel bond.

"We do everything in-house," Bennett continues. "Engine, chassis, electrical, suspension, paint. We do everything. It's really the only way to maintain our standards of quality."

Purists may take offense with this conversion, claiming "it's not a real Sport Quattro." Pffft. I've driven a few real Sport Quattros and found them extremely demanding cars, both physically and mentally. This Audi was tame enough to use as a daily driver yet has serious teeth when the road gets dirty. I bet even Audi would approve.

		Layout- Longitudinal front engine, all-wheel drive. Engine- 2.2-liter 5cyl, 20-valve AAN code, 2B modified Bosch Motronic management, 2B software, RS2 fuel injectors and air mass sensor, 2B connecting rods, 2B Thrust Series turbo with 2B oil and water line set, 2B baffled oil pan, 2B front mount sport intercooler with custom built core support, 2B carbon-fiber airbox, 2B silicone intake hose set, RS2 intake and exhaust manifolds, 2B 3-inch turbo-back Stainless exhaust system, 2B 4-row radiator, 2B 500 watt cooling fan upgrade with shroud and wiring harness, 2B carbon fiber and ABS cooling duct shrouds, 2B oil cooler kit, 2B HVAC system. Transmission- Five-speed manual, 2B Full Clutch kit- 2B Aluminum flywheel, 2B pressure plate,and 2B disc. Suspension- 2B Coil Program ride height adjustable suspension system with custom 2B externally Koni dampers, 2B Revolution camber/caster adjustable upper strut mounts, 2B strut tower braces, 2B six-point roll cage, 2B Supreme Bushings delrin/stainless control arm bushings, 2B high durometer transmission and diff mounts, Audi Sport OEM front frame and bumper reinforcements. Brakes- Front: 2B Stage 2 system (Brembo four-piston calipers, 330mm two-piece directionally ventilated and slotted rotors, DOT-approved braided stainless steel lines). Rear: 2B brake caliper carrier and larger calipers, 311mm two-piece ventilated and slotted rotors, pneumatic assist with auxillary vacuum accumulator. Wheels and Tires- Ronal ET-24, 9.5x17 with Bridgestone Potenza, 225/40 Performance- Peak Power: 375 hp @ 6900 rpm. Peak Torque: 440 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm. -Optional 2B Race software over 400 hp- Body- 2Bennett Audi Sport quattro LWB carbon-fiber body system- Complete with Fenders, Quarter panels, Bumpers, Hood, Grills, Fuel door, and Carbon-Kevlar fender liners- All made in house at 2B.

We've known the 2Bennett boys for almost a decade, crossed paths at various Audi track days, and kept tabs on their latest online

Audi project cars. While 2Bennett Audimotive is capable of pure restoration work, their specialty is more slanted toward "restification." None of these cars would win points for historic accuracy, but that seems just fine with 2Bennett clients. "Our customers drive their Audis all the time, and drive them hard," says Andrew Bennett. "We engineer our cars to make sure that's possible."

This trio coalesced over several years, built entirely within the 2B garage. It should give you a good idea what 2Bennett Audimotive can do.

'85 Ur quattro V8
If there's one constant in this business, it's people stuffing huge engines into small spaces. We've seen both ends of the spectrum, from a Buick V6 shoved into a 914 to a Northstar V8 in a GTI. We're even guilty ourselves, stuffing a 3.6-liter 911 engine beneath Project Boxster R's bonnet. It's a proven method to improved performance. Look what it did for the Sunbeam Tiger.

This V8 transplant involves an UrQ with a gigantic chunk of Audi A8 beneath its hood. Hugely refined with respectable power, a 4.2-liter ABZ engine has replaced the original five-cylinder, leaving this Coupe with more than twice the hp and torque.

2Bennett received the car from it's prior owner as one of those "never realized" project cars. Completely disassembled and in various boxes, 2B sold the car to its next owner on a chassis cart, who put it somewhat back together and returned it engineless in search of upgrades.

The transplant required 2B subframe modification and 2B V8 engine lower cradle bracket and mounts. The relocation of engine framerail mounts required shape adjustment and welding to their new location followed by repainting the engine bay. Custom Stainless Steel 2B downpipes connected to dual CARB approved OBD2 compliant Catalytic Converters were fabricated. They join 2Bennett's production 3" Stainless Steel Cat-Back exhaust system which produces a confident grumble at idle and an unmistakeable growl at full throttle. 2Bennett also lengthened and re-sculpted the front bumper lower valence to make room for a substantially larger front-mounted radiator and AC condenser system.

The coupe features 2B's carbon-fiber airbox, fully functioning and very effective 2B updated air conditioning system, 2B's complete clutch kit featuring aluminum flywheel, 2B disc, and up-rated pressure plate. The chassis was re-balanced with 2Bennett Coil Program height adjustable suspension featuring 2B Koni externally adjustable dampers and sizeable front and rear anti-roll bars. The brakes are larger 2B modified OEM units from later models to fit inside the stock 15"x 8" wheels.

After its mechanical work, it became apparent that the paint was not on the same level as the rest of the project. The desision was made and the entire car was stripped and painted in two-stage Standox ultra- premium paint in the 2Bennett paint shop, and fitted with European one-piece headlamps and smoked taillamps. The Sport-motif black cabin includes an A8 gauge cluster with updated Coupe Quattro multi-function switches.

"The owner loves Ur Quattros and owns others but grew tired of reliability issues," says Andrew Bennett. "He's got the power and sophisticated engine management of a more modern Audi with the aesthetics which define the classic quattro."

With more than 350 hp, this V8 Quattro has more than enough power to hold its own. Though not as quick off the line as the tubocharged cars, this one gets up to speed with frightening brevity. I know for a fact the 2Bennett ECU programming removed the 155 mph limiter.

1985 Ur Quattro 2B V8

*Layout
Longitudinal front engine, all-wheel drive

*Engine
4.2-liter V8, 32 valve. 2B carbon-fiber airbox, 2B front-mount Aluminum radiator and shrouded electric cooling system, dual 2.5-inch 2B downpipes with dual flanged catalysts, 2B 3-inch cat-back exhaust with single exit, 2B software

*Transmission
Five speed manual, 2B clutch kit with 2B Aluminum flywheel with Audi RS4 clutch

*Suspension

2B Coil Program height-adjustable coilovers featuring 2B Koni externally adjustable dampers, front and rear anti-roll bars

*Brakes
Power hydraulic assist system converted to pneumatic assist (to reduce weight and improve reliability), 2B Stage 1 front upgrade (to retain stock wheels), 2B Stage 1 rears

+Body

2B complete in house re-finish, 2B European front bumper kit, shortened rear bumper, European spec twin bulb headlights

*Wheels and Tires
OEM Audi alloys, 8x15" Falken Ziex ZE512, 225/50

*Performance estimate
Peak Power: 350 hp @ 6000 rpm
Peak Torque: 300 lb-ft @ 3300 rpm

2Bennett Audimotive Coupe Quattros - Ringside Seating- Part 3
Three Audi Coupes, Three Ways To Own The Road - A three part series originally appearing in the May 2009 issue of European Car Magazine.
By Les Bidrawn
Photography by Les Bidrawn

We've known the 2Bennett boys for almost a decade, crossed paths at various Audi track days, and kept tabs on their latest online Audi project cars. While 2Bennett Audimotive is capable of pure restoration work, their specialty is more slanted toward "restification." None of these cars would win points for historic accuracy, but that seems just fine with 2Bennett clients. "Our customers drive their Audis all the time, and drive them hard," says Andrew Bennett. "We engineer our cars to make sure that's possible."

This trio coalesced over several years, built entirely within the 2B garage. It should give you a good idea what 2Bennett Audimotive can do.

91 Coupe Quattro

A Coupe Quattro was the first Audi I ever drove. Actually, it was the first press car I ever drove. I remember marveling at the interior, how perfect everything was. I remember how solid it was on the road, how anchored to the ground it felt. And apparently, it had some high-tech all-wheel-drive system that was so good it was actually outlawed in racing.

I also remember it wasn't as quick as I thought it should be. Something this sexy deserves more power, I remember thinking. Dean Treadway, former president of the Audi Club of North America, thought the same thing. And he knew just the guys to make that happen at 2Bennett Audimotive.

Compared to the Mars Red car, this coupe is much more refined. Wearing a version of 2Bennett's Coil Program height and rate adjustable coilover suspension, its extra weight seemed to disappear with 2B's spring and damper combination. Ride quality is ideally balanced to retain street comfort in a straight line with track worthy cornering.

2Bennett had acquired for Treadway the very last set of genuine Recaro Sport Quattro seats, a suede-covered RS2 steering wheel, and leather wrapped RS2 shift lever, leaving this Audi's interior in ergonomic nirvana.

Like its athletic cousin, this Coupe was also fitted with a complete RS2 engine conversion. But this car delivers its torque sooner and is extremely well mannered. On one particular straight, I took it to 130 mph in third gear. I probably should have up-shifted but the Coupe didn't seem to care. You gotta love these 20-valve turbos. I could take corners in a full drift and still have enough power to pedal out.

Andrew at 2Bennett says they actually stock all these parts and build different variations of all these cars on an ongoing basis. As if the infamous "rare and hard to find" Audi parts got sucked up into a black hole and spit out onto 2B's parts shelves. "We still make all the upgrade parts on these cars we that think they should have come from the factory with". The custom 2B goodies are everywhere on this trio. 2B Aluminum radiators, intercoolers, swaybars, coilovers, brakes, braces and brackets, and all the other go fast stuff that transform mere cars into the sculpted and balanced machines they give to me to drive. I love my job.

Treadway's car wears a 2B Stage II big brake kit and features five-lug wheels fastened with 2Bennett studs to 2B 5 lug hubs (the stock car was 4x108). It was a good idea considering the Coupe is now making twice the horsepower. 2B fitted European-spec RS2 front bumper assembly, headlamps, clear turn signals, Audi B4 hood and RS2 grille, it's one of the few cars that deserves to wear such an RS2 badge. 2B handles body and paint in house and they say they will even ship the parts worldwide repainted. Owner Treadway tracks it every chance he gets. I can't blame him. It is one of the most enjoyable cars I've driven in recent memory, a perfect blend of power and control. Audi may be onto something with this Quattro thing.

*Engine 2.2-liter I5 ADU Code RS2 20-valve. 2B-modified RS2 wiring harness with 2B software, 2B Quick Rev downpipe (3-inch 304 stainless with internal ceramic coating), 2B 3-inch exhaust (304 mandrel-bent stainless), RS2 intercooler mounted to 2B Stainless cross-over pipe, 2B silicone hoses, 2B aluminum four-row radiator with OEM condenser Mounting, 2B 500-watt cooling fan upgrade kit with auxiliary wiring harness and 2B fan housing, 2B baffled oil pan *Transmission RS2 "CRB" code 6-speed manual, RS2 shift linkage and knob, RS2 dual mass flywheel with 2B pressure plate and 2B clutch disc, 2B high-durometer transmission and differential mounts *Suspension 2B Height and rate adjustable coilovers with double external adjustable Koni shocks, 2B Supreme bushings Delrin/Stainless control arm bushings, 2B tower braces, 2B Swaybars, 2B camber/ caster adjustable upper strut mounts *Brakes Front: 2B Stage II brake system (Brembo four-piston calipers, 2B 2 Piece 330mm x 32mm ventilated and slotted rotors with aircraft Aluminum hats, 2B DOT approved braided stainless steel lines) Rear: 2B Stage II brake system 311mm 2 piece ventilated and slotted rotors, 2B caliper brackets *Wheels and Tires 2B five-lug conversion with 2B wheel studs, BBS RX, 8.5x18 Bridgestone Potenza, 255/35/18 *Performance With 2B's ''mild" software Peak Power: 350 hp @ 6650 rpm Peak Torque: 401 lb-ft @ 3200 rpm