November 2011 Featured AZ'ers: A4rce1 and RE5PECT

The brand new Audi S4 is considered by many drivers to be the perfect balance of style, power, and driveability. With so many features and styling cues presented, many look at the new S4 and consider it to be absolutely perfect as it rolls off of the showroom floor.

That is not the case for John Holdridge (AKA: A4rce1) and Alex Andonian (AKA: RE5PECT), two friends from Southern California who both recently purchased new S4s from their go-to Audi dealer in Carlsbad, CA (Hoehn Audi) and immediately saw potential for improvement. With prior experience modifying cars, both have taken the knowledge from the past and delivered two Audis that not only highlight the OEM quality of the vehicles but also improve upon the driving characteristics so often loved with the four-rings.

Alex calls it "OEM plus" and for John it's "organic tuning", but both share the same principals of not ruining the dynamics of the vehicle as it was delivered. The concept is simple; build the car beyond the US-standards to meet the much sought after European-standard in a manner that is not only organic for the vehicle but enough to set it apart from others on the road. The two Audi S4s you see here have not only reached that goal but we feel they've exceeded it with a great look and performance to match.

It is the natural flow of these modifications that caught our attention. These vehicles have been transformed into subtle road eating beasts. They've had as much time and energy put into the research of the next mod, as has been put into the actual work. The balance of OEM and aftermarket parts, from the upgraded headlights to the beautiful aftermarket wheels and aggressive stance, all help to bring out the true colors of these rides. 

Long thinking of building vehicles in a sort of 'yin and yang' manner, Alex and John pushed each other the whole time with the building these S4s. The idea was to build two similar vehicles that would compliment each other while also maintaining distinctive touches that allowed them to be set apart. It has been through the shared vision of each other's S4 - along with a little poking and prodding to go beyond the comfort zone - that has produced these fraternal twins. They may not look exactly alike, but when unleashed on the open road, they are almost identical.

Alex and John are not only friends, but are also closely involved with SoCal tuning shop TAG Motorsports, and so it wasn't a hugely difficult decision to work with each other in building their two S4s. They've each added individual touches that separate their cars beyond the white and black paint jobs. We cannot say one is better looking than the other as that's personal preference, but both certainly do accentuate the style and performance of the S4 perfectly.

The modification process for the cars has been more than just building a show car. Both Alex and John chose the AWE Tuning intake and exhaust in order to improve the performance as well as give the cars a new more exotic tone. Along with the improved breathing, both cars are running aftermarket software to unleash even more potential from the 3.0 V6 supercharged motors. Rounding both vehicles off are H&R coilovers and equally drool-worthy sets of custom 20 inch HRE P40S wheels to improve the stance and help them deliver the increased power to the asphalt. Alex chose a satin bronze finish for his car's shoes while John was encouraged to get brave with his set in powder coated gloss white.

For both gentlemen it's not just about the modification of these cars that drive them forward. It has been the building of friendships and the sense of community that's come from being involved in the Audi scene. Combining their passion for quality and high attention to detail, they have not only built S4s that look amazing, but can deliver the performance deserving of the S-badge. That's what being an automotive enthusiast is all about.