Does the AWE Touring Edition Exhaust drone on the B8.5 S4 with the S-tronic DSG transmission?

On the stock downpipes with an S-tronic car, drone is a documented issue that AWE themselves address directly. AWE confirmed that the S-tronic transmission causes slight droning even on the stock factory exhaust, and AWE's only money-back guarantee on a drone-free result requires pairing the Touring Edition catback with AWE resonated downpipes. One DSG owner described steering wheel, seat, and dash vibration at highway speeds with stock downpipes until resonated downpipes were installed, at which point the issue resolved completely. On a 6MT car with stock downpipes, multiple owners report far less drone; one 6MT owner described the system as absolutely amazing. AWE resonated downpipes are sold separately and are the strongly recommended pairing for S-tronic owners.

What downpipe setup delivers the best result with the AWE Touring Edition on the B8.5 S4?

AWE resonated downpipes paired with the Touring Edition catback is the confirmed drone-free combination for S-tronic cars, described by multiple Audizine owners as the most civil setup in the AWE S4 lineup. One owner who ran resonated downpipes with the Touring Edition for over 20,000 miles described almost no drone, noting only a slight presence between 1,700 and 2,000 RPM at partial throttle that they described as only slightly louder than stock exhaust drone at that range. Non-resonated downpipes unlock more volume but introduce drone on S-tronic cars, and multiple owners advise against pairing them with a DSG unless drone is not a concern.

Will factory downpipes cause rattling with the AWE Touring Edition on the B8.5 S4?

Occasionally. AWE confirms that factory downpipes can sometimes produce minor rattling when paired with the AWE catback. This is separate from the drone issue; it is a physical rattle from fitment differences rather than resonance. Upgrading to AWE downpipes resolves the rattle entirely. For S-tronic owners, adding AWE resonated downpipes addresses both the rattle and the drone concern at the same time, making them the practical and recommended first addition after the catback.

Should I disable the Soundaktor on my B8.5 S4 after installing the AWE Touring Edition?

Most owners recommend it. The Soundaktor pumps artificial engine sound into the cabin, and multiple Audizine owners noted it was not designed to work with aftermarket intake and exhaust modifications; the artificial sound mixes with the real exhaust tone in a way that makes cabin resonance seem worse and less natural. Disabling it through Drive Select coding or by pulling the fuse is consistently described as making the AWE Touring Edition sound more accurate, with the tone coming from where it should; the back of the car.

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Description

AWE Tuning Touring Edition Exhaust System w/ Diamond Black Tips for B8.5 Audi S4

The AWE Tuning Touring Edition Exhaust System with Diamond Black Tips is a direct bolt-on for the B8.5 Audi S4, with guaranteed fitment right out of the box and no cutting or fabrication needed. It adds 8hp and 9ft-lbs of torque at the crank, leaves every emissions device completely untouched, and is fully street legal in all 50 states. AWE covers the system with a lifetime exhaust warranty, so it’s a clean, long-term upgrade with no compromises on legality or reliability.

Touring Edition Exhaust

Built in the USA from T304L stainless steel, the Touring Edition uses AWE’s patented 180 Technology® to stay smooth and drone-free at cruise while still delivering a strong, aggressive tone when you get on the throttle.

What is 180 Technology?

Exhaust gasses move sound waves through the system, and those waves bounce off the chamber walls as they travel. AWE’s acoustic engineers set the size and position of the ports and chambers based on the sound targets for each specific vehicle, and that placement controls exactly when the reflected waves feed back into the main exhaust flow. Getting that timing right is what produces a sound wave running 180 degrees out of phase with the problem frequencies, which cancels them out before they make it out of the system.

Features

Incorporates AWE 180 Technology®
Adds up to 8hp and 9ft-lbs of torque at the crank
Direct bolt-on for a seamless, factory-style installation
Fully compatible with all emissions equipment; legal in all 50 states
102mm diamond black exhaust tips
Backed by AWE Lifetime Exhaust Warranty
Guaranteed perfect fitment
Optional downpipes available separately

Applications

Audi S4: B8.5 | 2012-2017

Notes

Installing with factory downpipes may occasionally cause minor rattling, this is alleviated with AWE downpipes
AWE exhausts are not designed to mate with other aftermarket front pipes

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the AWE Touring Edition Exhaust drone on the B8.5 S4 with the S-tronic DSG transmission? On the stock downpipes with an S-tronic car, drone is a documented issue that AWE themselves address directly. AWE’s president confirmed on Audizine that the S-tronic transmission causes slight droning even on the stock factory exhaust, and AWE’s only money-back guarantee on a drone-free result requires pairing the Touring Edition catback with AWE resonated downpipes. One DSG owner described steering wheel, seat, and dash vibration at highway speeds with stock downpipes until resonated downpipes were installed, at which point the issue resolved completely. On a 6MT car with stock downpipes, multiple owners report far less drone with the Touring Edition; one 6MT owner described the system as absolutely amazing. AWE resonated downpipes are sold separately and are the strongly recommended pairing for S-tronic owners.
What downpipe setup delivers the best result with the AWE Touring Edition on the B8.5 S4? AWE resonated downpipes paired with the Touring Edition catback is the confirmed drone-free combination for S-tronic cars, and it is described by multiple Audizine owners as the most civil and wife-approved setup in the AWE S4 lineup. One owner who ran resonated downpipes with the Touring Edition for over 20,000 miles described almost no drone, noting only a slight presence between 1,700 and 2,000 RPM at partial throttle that they described as only slightly louder than stock exhaust drone at that range. Non-resonated downpipes unlock more volume but introduce drone on S-tronic cars, and multiple owners advise against pairing them with a DSG unless drone is not a concern.
Will factory downpipes cause rattling with the AWE Touring Edition on the B8.5 S4? Occasionally. AWE confirms that factory downpipes can sometimes produce minor rattling when paired with the AWE catback. This is separate from the drone issue; it is a physical rattle from fitment differences rather than resonance. Upgrading to AWE downpipes resolves the rattle entirely. For S-tronic owners, adding AWE resonated downpipes addresses both the rattle and the drone concern at the same time, making them the practical and recommended first addition after the catback.
Should I disable the Soundaktor on my B8.5 S4 after installing the AWE Touring Edition? Most owners recommend it. The Soundaktor pumps artificial engine sound into the cabin, and multiple Audizine owners noted it was not designed to work with aftermarket intake and exhaust modifications; the artificial sound mixes with the real exhaust tone in a way that makes cabin resonance seem worse and less natural. Disabling it through Drive Select coding or by pulling the fuse is consistently described as making the AWE Touring Edition sound more accurate, with the tone coming from where it should; the back of the car.

About AWE Tuning

AWE is driven by a singular goal: Unleashing Performance. Renowned for their handcrafted, award-winning performance exhausts, along with rigorously tested carbon fiber intakes and high-efficiency intercoolers, AWE is at the forefront of innovation, design, production, retail, and global distribution of their performance products. These products are available through a select network of dealers, online, and directly from their advanced facility located near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1991, AWE’s team of experts, comprising researchers, engineers, innovators, and seasoned drivers, has been dedicated to developing and introducing top-tier performance enhancements for some of the world’s most prestigious vehicles.

Additional Information

The Bulletproof Automotive website contains many thousands of products purchased in multiple different currencies. All of the prices are entered manually and accurately at the time of entry. Due to the consistently fluctuating international exchange rates, at times prices may not be able to be honored at their original intended rate. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, unfortunately our website is unable to compensate dynamically for what can at times be volatile changes in the cost of items due to currency values fluctuating, changes in prices from suppliers, changes in shipping and import duties, and other factors. Rest assured that any order you place on line will be at zero risk to you in this area. If in the event your order cannot be fulfilled at the original intended website price we will offer you a 100% refund, no questions asked. We will continue to do our best to maintain updated prices and we will always continue to offer our price match guarantees as well to ensure our prices are always the best for you. In short, prices may change without notice. It is always advised to give us a call prior to placing your order online to confirm availability and to confirm current pricing.

Shipping Policy

Items that are in stock in the US, either at Bulletproof’s warehouse or at a supplier’s warehouse, are generally delivered within 7-10 days. Special order items from overseas take considerably longer. As a courtesy Bulletproof offers delivery estimates to our customers which take into consideration manufacturer availability and shipping schedule. These estimates represent our best guess based on previous orders from the manufacturer and do not in any way imply a guaranteed delivery window. Many manufacturers work in a “just in time” inventory system and often take 2-20+ weeks to produce an item once an order is submitted. All deliverable items are then sent to our Japanese warehouse. Bulletproof ships a minimum of one full ocean freight container every month from Japan, oftentimes more than one a month. Ocean freight takes an average of 4 weeks. Typically it breaks down to one week in Japan for paperwork and customs, two weeks by boat and one week in US customs/clearance. Due to the wide number of variables between manufacturer and shipping schedules, delivery estimates are simply just that – estimates. We attempt to estimate conservatively and we usually deliver faster than our estimates suggest. It is not Bulletproof’s policy to guarantee delivery time of any special order item, this is impossible for us to do. By ordering you acknowledge that there is no required delivery ETA and an order may not be canceled or altered due to manufacturing or shipping delays, all ETA’s are provided as a best guess only. Please review the full Terms & Conditions here.

BP Pricing Difference

We do pricing a little differently on our JDM brands and we believe in making things simple and clear. No hidden fees or surcharges. Every price you see includes the shipping cost to our office in Los Angeles, California and all the associated taxes/duties/fees for bringing the products into the US. The only shipping you ever pay is from our facility in the US to your location. Be wary of resellers that don’t include the cost of international shipping in their pricing on JDM parts. While we believe we’ll always have the lowest all-in price on JDM products, we offer a price match guarantee for all authentic parts purchased from authorized dealers as well. For many international customers, it’s much more affordable to ship from the USA than from Japan directly, as the air freight and ocean freight costs are typically much less. However, for customers looking to ship directly from Japan outside of North America, or domestically in Japan, we can provide pricing specifically for that scenario. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any pricing questions or concerns. Please email us at sales@bulletproofautomotive.com with any inquiries.

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AWE Tuning Touring Edition Exhaust System w/ Diamond Black Tips for B8.5 Audi S4 [3010-43012]

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AWE Tuning Touring Edition Exhaust System w/ Diamond Black Tips for B8.5 Audi S4

Touring Edition Exhaust

What is 180 Technology?

Features

Applications

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

About AWE Tuning

Reviews