Boge are OEM on these cars, but the ProGas or TurboGas are probably stiffer than stock and are reasonably priced. Bilstein are very good, but you may have problems finding them for the rear. Bilstein America doesn't officially support quattro models, but Bilstein Germany does, and several vendors in the U.S. will supply the right shocks. I've heard good things about Koni Sport which are adjustable, but I've also heard of a few reliability problems.
Here is a list of P/Ns for several of the high quality brands:
| Front | Rear | |
| Boge TurboGas | 32-846F | 32-301F |
| Bilstein Sprint (use w/lowered springs) | P30-3006 | P36-3058 |
| Bilstein Sport (aka Heavy Duty) | P30-3005 | P36-3017 |
| Koni Red (Special) | 86-2066 | 80-2403 |
| Koni Yellow (Sport) 86=gas, 8610=hydraulic & ext. adj. ?maybe? (check with Koni) |
86-2066 SP 8610-1262 SP (ext. adj.) 86-2066 SPD7 (50mm drop) 8610-1262 SP (50mm drop, ext. adj.) |
80-2403 SP 80-2403 SP20 (25mm drop) 86-2433 SP |
Make sure you replace the upper strut bearings in the front during installation. Use OEM bearings only! Aftermarket ones won't last. Some people have gone to the blue ur-quattro upper bearings for a bit of added stiffness, and some report that their CQ came with them from the factory. These supposedly lower the car a fraction. They are P/N 857 412 323 B and can be had from The Parts Connection.
