2008 Audi A4 with a 5.3 L LSx V8

Caleb Kipp always wanted an Audi RS4 (B7). The car’s V8 power paired with a manual transmission and AWD drivetrain is his dream. Caleb could not justify the price so he set out to build his own.

Caleb purchased a 2008 Audi A4 with a 3.2 L V6 that did not run. He swapped it for a 5.3 L LS4 V8 using custom mounts made by Caleb that bolted to factory Audi mounts. The mounts along with a front sump oil pan and Pierburg CWA400 electric water pump allowed the V8 to clear the factory subframe. Caleb also made a custom adapter which bolted the V8 to a A5 six-speed manual transmission. This allowed the car to retain the AWD drivetrain.

Caleb drove the car a few times before the LS4 V8 lost oil pressure from an oil line failure. He’s using the setback to build another LSx V8. The new motor will feature a 5.3 L LC9 V8 with 243 heads, Brian Tooley Racing (BTR) Stage 4 camshaft and valve springs, Holley intake, 102 mm throttle body, and Moroso front sump oil pan.

Behind the V8 will sit a A5 six-speed manual transmission with 4.11 gears and factory 3.0 L TDI twin-disc clutch. Caleb designed a custom single-mass flywheel for the combo as there is not an aftermarket solution. Caleb will eventually upgrade to an Audi S4/S6 manual transmission or 8HP90/8HP95 automatic transmission if the manual does not hold up.

You can view more photos and follow the progress in the build thread or on Caleb’s channel.