GALLERY: Riiva Design C8 Audi A6

Air and wheels. It sounds like such a simple combination – to the point it’s almost frowned upon when building a car – but there’s no denying just how effective this pairing can be.

But here’s the thing: You can’t just slap this combo on any car and simply expect it to look good. It has to be the right combination to work properly. The simpler a build, the more crucial every aspect is – from tire fitment and wheel offset, all the way to the arch clearance when aired out.

One man who knows this better than most is Henry Gilbert at Riiva Design. Henry’s been an Air Lift Performance advocate for many years now and throughout that time he’s been responsible for a wide range of demo cars, including wide-arch one-off BMWs and fully kitted T6 Transporters.

Put simply, Henry knows what’s required to build a “proper” car, meaning that he knows that doing modifications just for the sake of doing them is even worse than only doing the minimum.

Take his latest demo car, a 2018 C8 Audi A6 Avant.

Most modern cars – especially German – are seriously, seriously good straight from the factory. So chopping and changing various components just for the sake of it doesn’t make sense; the proper way to do it is to work with what you’ve got to make it even better.

First area to improve? Ride height, courtesy of Air Lift Performance!

“Everyone thinks the B9 A4 kit is the same fit, but they’re completely different,” Henry explains. “We opted for a 3H kit specifically made for this chassis with a hidden install located within the spare wheel well, keeping the boot 100% practical.”

Ride height taken care of, the all-important wheels were next on the list to improve. Everyone knows the wheels will make or break the car, and few nail it quite as often as Rotiform. Henry chose the VCE-T design, finished in a satin/gloss combo that work perfectly with the car’s dark grey paintwork, with sizes measuring in at a monstrous 21×9.5in.

The final touch was a good dose of window tinting and de-chroming some exterior parts. Sounds simple (because it is), but it makes a massive difference to the entire package. Clean, simple and perfectly practical.

Whatever your idea of a ‘build’ might be, there’s no denying the Riiva A6 looks absolutely bomb. You could push it further, but who wants a demo car you can’t use everyday?