The reason the threads all die is because just like you as a new owner hoped to change turbos to "make more power" and will quickly find out there simply isn't sufficient space to undertake things. The engineers spent a host of time shoehorning this powerplant in to this chassis and you're left with what you're left with. I have spent many hours repairing everything engine and chassis related on this car and over the years have even gone as far as dreaming up new configurations for turbos. This includes splitting the manifolds, using dual throttle bodies, sandwiching turbos between the heads (like they have since done on the new 4.0TT, etc. Hell, I've even tossed around the idea to put turbos on the sides of the engine up front just behind the intercoolers like is commonly done with a TT Buick, but there is simply too much rework to support.
Yes, once you have removed the spaghetti for the SAI off the back of the heads, you have a bit more room, but the front differential makes everything on the passenger side stupidly tight. If you have never gone through the efforts to R&R a stock turbo on this car, then you simply can't appreciate what I'm saying. Swapping to a manual tranny will indeed give you some additional room, but not leaps and bounds. If you are really in love with the idea of taking this tank of a car and trying to make it go quicker than things like a tune, minor head work, and cams can do, then you may consider hacking up your center tunnel to eek out more interior volume to house larger turbos. That IMO is the ONLY way you will shoehorn in anything else than the OEM configuration......
Once you are considering something as drastic as what I've outlined above, it would beg the question why you wouldn't put all that money and effort in to a ride in which it's easier to execute and which would provide better end result - i.e. a purpose built ride with high power vs. a luxury sport saloon.
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