So my initial research suggests that an S3 Saloon can handle a more aggressive offset than the Sportback (which I have). There also seem to be a few respectable members on here (e.g.
@batch ,
@Rob2k68 and
@jungle650 ) who have previously lowered their Sportbacks, on 19" wheels, without using spacers, and their results look great.
I need to be sure that under load, the wheels (particularly the rears) would still sit behind and not hit the wheel arches, so while I might not end up with the MOST aggressive stance by not going down the spacers route, that is what I'll initially try. Spacers just seem like too much hassle at this stage and could well not be needed on my Sportback (with 19" v-spokes @ et49).
STELLAR write-up from
@jungle650 on his experiences of lowering a PFL Sportback (with 19's on mag-ride, and then re-calibrating the mag) here - this was sooo helpful, and a ****** good read:
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/magride-vcds.273828/page-3#post-3067667
@DJAlix responded to a PM I sent him earlier this week within a couple of days - and he's offered me a cracking deal on mag-ride calibration + start/stop memory module fitting (once I've received the new springs, had them fitted, waited for them to settle for a few hundred miles and had 4 wheel alignment completed). Cheers Alix, looking forward to meeting you soon mate, and thanks for the quick reply - will be in touch soon.
Oh, and had a call from Autodoc this evening, from an exceptionally friendly 'fraulien' to check my order details and confirm dispatch of my Eibach Sportlines. She even asked for my chassis number, to confirm I'd ordered the right suspension kit for my car, and to double check I wanted the Sportline kit instead of the Pro kit. Super helpful.
Looking forward to posting detailed results and my experiences when the project is complete...