travs

Another vote for grey/charcoal/anthracite. I find black wheels tend to lose any definition in the design. A lighter shade helps bring out the difference.

Google says yes. Pretty sure the Reiger and Maxton sites don’t list different parts for both.

Ah gotcha - soz for getting mixed up. @tombee are you happy for a rear diffuser from a 2021 280 L&K with cutouts for tailpipes but also towbar cutout? You cannot see the layer unless you’re being reversed over by said car

I thought you wanted cutouts because you were toying with the idea of tailpipes chatting with Martini? Either way - the one from the donor car doesn’t have cut-outs so that should serve your needs. Depends on whether tombee wants cutouts in that case…

No chrome on this part thankfully - just the matte abs plastic type thing.

I can't see any difference between the L&K and Sportline - are there differences you expect to see and I can go looking for them? I just thought it was just down to accents and colours (i.e. black pack on Sportline, Chrome on L&K). Certainly the towbar cut out is just a hole in the area you wave your foot for virtual pedal. Literally have to lay on the floor to see it and wouldn't be able to tell otherwise.

Traditionally, diesels are for higher miles but the gearing on the DQ381 will be decent for longer journeys. If you were on the 7-speed DQ381 then no change. If you were on the DQ250 6 speed, it was required to be serviced every 40k miles and the 7 speed is officially every 80k miles but most stick to the 40k service period. The 190bhp I presume is an EA888 engine which is a decent block. Waterpump issues are a known fault but there are some decent replacements. Not sure on the the remap potential but the turbo only looks to peak around 230/240bhp.

I did check the donor bumper - and took me a while to notice that although its off a pre-FL L&K it doesn't have the cutouts so not from a 280. you're welcome to my old one with the tow-bar cut out. You'd never notice unless you lay down under the car. Either that or you can have them both - the one without the cut-outs you can use as a test for trimming and my old one for a fallback. I'll be swapping the parts over this weekend so aside from the 3-week delay, a mountain of swearing and grazed knuckles and then having to get someone capable of doing it, it'll be free from the car pretty soon.

Interesting. Glad it was only a small period of 11 years-worth of production.

Work done. Oil service and DSG service. Tried to change the front ARB but no go. Skoda have changed the bush clamps to sealed units with rivet nut so the H&R bushes can’t be clamped in. The OE unit comes as one - bar and bushes in clamps. H&R haven’t caught up with the design change. Top mounts changed and now all quiet. 4wa done and all the errors have disappeared. Car runs nice and smooth. Just needs a clean now!

If you have a 280bhp you have 340mm vented front discs, 310mm rear vented discs. Every other model, be it petrol, diesel, FWD or AWD will have 312mm vented front discs, 300m sold rear discs. Most motor factors are hit and miss despite claiming to confirm the make/model/trim you have; so make sure you check the size is correct. BTW, if you're just going to for plain discs, I highly recommend the ATE Ceramic pads as they are very low dust. I've read they leave a film on the disc and the pad then grips that rather than friction on the surface of the disc. No idea if that's true but the results spoke for themselves with me.

Yes its that but I think there's a spot weld in the mix too. It may well be in response to the ARB bushes originally being a classic source of creaking in the pre-FL versions. I wonder if putting it all together stops any chance of moving causing noise. H&R just haven't caught up with the design change. I did note that some places like Hardrace or Whiteline include new clamps so I'll mull over the idea of buying replacement clamps and fitting it on an Alu subframe next year some time when finances have recovered a little...

I swear VAG just cannot leave anything alone. Latest update. Car’s in to do the front ARB as I can’t be assed to do it given the feedback from the car. H&R one - you take the clamps off, replace the bushes with the H&R ones, then fit it all back. Garage phones me up and shows me this: The clamps are welded together. You can’t get the lower section off to replace the bushes in the clamps. It now all comes as one 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

When it comes to selecting parts - it’s check, check and check again. Do not rely on the make and model selection on the website. Autodoc presented brake disc sizes for all models even though they confirmed my model. Progressive Parts (and others) list my engine as CJXA/DNFE when they’re the EA888 Gen3 and Gen4 with differences. The Superpro Lower arms TRC1070 are advertised as applicable to basically every car made by VAG, yet they’re only applicable for Golf/Octavia. Because the Superb has a much wider track, as does the Audi RS3 which is suggested too. Turns out the MQB chassis which is the MQB chassis is not the MQB chassis. It’s MQB-A0 (Fabia) MQB-A1 (Golf/Ovtavia) MQB-A2 (Q2, Ateca, Tiguan) and MQB-B (Superb, Passat). Nuances like that really make a difference.

There’s also spareto but I’ve bought some lower arms from there recently and then got a bill from DHL for import taxes that wasn’t really announced.

Sorry that this becoming a bit OT on a pad thing - thought Blue were meant to be for harder usage than Yellow. Good to know the feedback and agree the colour mix is triggering - unless you get some aero hubcaps 🤯🤢

Fronts have been fine for squealing but the rear started to after a while - not getting enough heat in them. The rears on the 280s are a little oversized for the balance and the pads would glaze. Some enthusiastic braking would sort it but I wasn't about to stand the car on its nose a few times every other time I went out in the car. Went back to standard pads and all was fine. They're not R90 certified and I wonder if actually the DS Performance are more appropriate for road; lower dust, better cold bite - designed to work in the more appropriate operating window so less likely to glaze from under-use.

I got the unpainted matte version on the basis it’ll be most subtle. Just postage is good! Let me know which version you want (although I’ll check the one from the donor car is all good).

I’ve just taken delivery of a Reiger diffuser valance. You’re welcome to the standard one that I’m taking off. Seeing as I’m changing my rear bumper (driven into) I’ve actually got 2 - one off my bumper with cutout for dropdown towbar, and one off the donor bumper with no cutout. Just as an option if you wanted to retain the standard look.

I’ve got Clubsport reps holding up well. Online place called powerbrakes do SHW performance versions (I think SHW are OE supplier to BMW and Audi). Golf CS reps I made the mistake of DS2500 though which are made of more brake dust than every other brake pad put together.

Well moral as in whether you want to get rid of it or not and live with it. It was never an issue about emissions as it would still pass without it. Interesting read on MOT regs changes. Certainly looks to ramp up the MOT requirements and enforcement.

Personally next choice would be downpipe. But if you have a GPF you have a moral dilemma about what you do with that…

Potentially. I had a 2026 Audi A5 estate for a hire car over the summer and, aside from having 3 screens (digidash, normal screen and a third for the front passenger), it mirrored Google Maps in full. So perhaps this brings that software into our version…?

1 - not 4x4, but the 280 is the only one (it’s not the only 4x4 as there is a diesel one). 2 - do you mean can you cut the tailpipes off the 280 exhaust and fit it to a 220? Ummm no. The 220 will be a FWD variant of the ea888 design which routes differently because of the haldex. There will be better things to do. The thread I linked to had some chat - did you replace the resonator @tombee ?

Whereas I like Martini’s option of subtly changing the tailpipes despite keeping the exhaust standard. Like this badboy