APR ECU Upgrade MK6 Golf - Customer perspective

[iBoost]

The rear muffler delete does sound like a cheaper option. I'll have to have a look on Youtube and see if I can find any decent links to hear what it would sound like.

I've had the APR stage 1 tune done and it does make a big difference. I am thinking about upgrading the exhaust next, but the APR exhaust is pretty damn expensive. I've never paid anywhere near $3000 for a turbo back exhaust for any of my other cars.

I've been thinking of a custom built exhaust, but do they set off things like check engine lights though? In all honesty I'd rather a bolt on exhaust, just might have to wait until the price comes down further as it's hard to justify that much.

[G-rig]

Brand name exhausts would be easier to sell later and you'd get decent money back compared to a custom jobby that no one knows what they are getting.. Often are too loud and drone too.

I'd get a full turbo back for performance and sound, don't care about the sound that much but the APR RSC does sound good.

Perhaps check out the new milltek race system as well.

[iBoost]

I guess following on from that then, if you were to go for a Milltek system, will APR still update your tune to stage 2 or is that only if you go for an APR exhaust?

[G-rig]

The next stage retune may not be free if you use other brand hardware but I'm not sure how how much it would be either.

[Fab_R]

I just completed two runs.

I will take a pic of the G-Tech runs shortly and post them up.

I could not believe the results but they are why they are.

1st run with launch control at 3000rpm:
4.68
2nd run with launch control and 2500rpm:
4.88

1/4 tank of fuel and no passengers.

What a car. Very happy!!!
Pics to follow of G-Tech

[REXman]

The rear muffler delete does sound like a cheaper option. I'll have to have a look on Youtube and see if I can find any decent links to hear what it would sound like.

I've had the APR stage 1 tune done and it does make a big difference. I am thinking about upgrading the exhaust next, but the APR exhaust is pretty damn expensive. I've never paid anywhere near $3000 for a turbo back exhaust for any of my other cars.

I've been thinking of a custom built exhaust, but do they set off things like check engine lights though? In all honesty I'd rather a bolt on exhaust, just might have to wait until the price comes down further as it's hard to justify that much.

Hey mate I am in a similar boat to you. I have paid $2500 for 2 different exhausts before.. both very good. But I thought they were very expensive.. I will be looking at getting some bolt ons.

Resale for me is a non issue with things like exhausts. I still have a TMIC from my MY09 WRX that I never got to bolt on.. Brands help with price but they really dont make make enough different to offset there cost anyway imo.

According to everyone on this website, APR is the right stuff, but through various threads and posts, I have an understanding that APR also sponsors this website?

Either way that In no way takes away from the quality work that APR does, Cause I for one will be doing the STG 1 tune with my R for sure!

I guess it would just be nice to take a defender approach as opposed to the "pro-APR' or "APR is the best at everything" approach.

Gotta be diplomatic with these things to be effective I reckon otherwise it sounds a bit too "commercial" to me.

[G-rig]

Agree mods aren't the best return but you can usually sell quality bolt ons when you're done for quite good prices, and get most of your money back (ie 60-70%).

[Maverick]

Hey mate I am in a similar boat to you. I have paid $2500 for 2 different exhausts before.. both very good. But I thought they were very expensive.. I will be looking at getting some bolt ons.

Resale for me is a non issue with things like exhausts. I still have a TMIC from my MY09 WRX that I never got to bolt on.. Brands help with price but they really dont make make enough different to offset there cost anyway imo.

With a prebuilt exhaust you will get the chance to hear the exhaust first and get people's experience with it plus you get the benefits that all the R&D is done. With a custom or slapped together job you will end up with drone and heaps of other undesirable noises and without really deep pockets you won't be able to resolve these. Of course if you think a drone and heaps of noise are acceptable this may be the path to go down.

According to everyone on this website, APR is the right stuff, but through various threads and posts, I have an understanding that APR also sponsors this website?

Either way that In no way takes away from the quality work that APR does, Cause I for one will be doing the STG 1 tune with my R for sure!

I guess it would just be nice to take a defender approach as opposed to the "pro-APR' or "APR is the best at everything" approach.

Gotta be diplomatic with these things to be effective I reckon otherwise it sounds a bit too "commercial" to me.

If APR are _ONE_ of the sponsors on this website so what?

In case you hadn't noticed the website consists of more than sponsors but consists of people who have Volkswagens, who buy different products and who post their opinions of those products and companies.

Nothing stopping you from buying from companies that don't have any feedback on here

[Corey_R]

According to everyone on this website, APR is the right stuff, but through various threads and posts, I have an understanding that APR also sponsors this website?

From what I can tell, several other tuner companies (or suppliers) are also sponsors of this forum as well....

Btw, in relation to the exhausts, have a look around at other pre-built exhausts for the Golf (and other european cars and brands for that matter). They're typically more expensive than those for Japanese cars, and DEFINITELY more expensive than "custom exhausts", but the reasons for that should be obvious!

For example, the Neuspeed Catback GTI MK6 exhaust is more than the equiv APR (source, Neuspeed's site)
The Billy Boat (has anyone heard of them?) Turbo Back is less than US$200 less tha the equiv APR, although interestingly if looking at Cat-back only, the APR is cheaper. (Source, ECS Tuning)
Although difficult to find prices on Milltek, everyone I have spoken to personally who has purchased one has spent more than the APR... (source, forum members)
The Oettinger exhausts are far more expensive (at least in Australia). I'm running out of names here guys, someone help me out... (Harding Performance)

Anyway - you get the picture. Before you start complaining that they're expensive, have a look around at the alternatives

[G-rig]

Milltek isn't overly expensive and fairly good, had one on the R32.

There is a new one out for the GTI Rennenhaus (Ian) sells them.

Anyway there are some good exhausts out there so may come down to various factors including what type of sound you want. IMO the RSC is still the best one out there for MK6 GTI.

[Corey_R]

Yeah - I had a look at the Rennehaus page, but they don't list prices, instead ask you to contact them. Personally if I was selling a competing product and was cheaper, I'd be advertising that!
I agree that they are a good product though... but I'm not sure any brand can compete with an APR RSC exhaust (unless you actually WANT a loud and droney exhaust! )

[noone]

With a custom or slapped together job you will end up with drone and heaps of other undesirable noises and without really deep pockets you won't be able to resolve these. Of course if you think a drone and heaps of noise are acceptable this may be the path to go down.

Cant say I agree. You MAY get these results, but if you go to the right place, you should get a great result and save a few bucks.

The exhausts from Milltek / APR / etc are all designed by good exhaust specialists. Why not go to one of these places and see what they can do for you without the brand-name markup?

I have had Carline at gladesville recomended to me a number of times. From memory, my last mechanic who used to do rally support said they had done a number of exhuasts for brand name companies and did many of the rally cars in Sydney. Not cheap for a fabriacted unit, but far from Brand name pricing.

[ravun]

Any idea how much the Sport-Wheels.de exhaust would cost to land in Australia?

It sounds pretty decent, but there are not many other up yet on youtube to compare it to. Still early days yet though.

YouTube - VW Golf 6 R 2.0 Turbo 325PS/450NM www.Sport-Wheels.de

[Corey_R]

The exhausts from Milltek / APR / etc are all designed by good exhaust specialists. Why not go to one of these places and see what they can do for you without the brand-name markup?

I'm not sure NASA have a space-agency in Australia that would be willing to build you your APR exhaust

[Maverick]

Cant say I agree. You MAY get these results, but if you go to the right place, you should get a great result and save a few bucks.

The exhausts from Milltek / APR / etc are all designed by good exhaust specialists. Why not go to one of these places and see what they can do for you without the brand-name markup?

Leaving the RSC technology out of the equation for the moment but please explain how many iterations of exhausts companies like Milltek/APR and so on go through to get the sound right and/or maximise performance? 20 exhaust designs? 50? Take into account the numerous different mufflers, different materials available as well and you have a lot of iterations to go through to get the right sound. Each exhaust would have to be tested extensively as some will start droning after a few hundred km's and testing will need to be performed under many different conditions to make sure the exhaust is right.

Now even taking into account the RSC technology you would be looking at least ten iterations to get it right (weight, sound, flow etc).

I have had Carline at gladesville recomended to me a number of times. From memory, my last mechanic who used to do rally support said they had done a number of exhuasts for brand name companies and did many of the rally cars in Sydney. Not cheap for a fabriacted unit, but far from Brand name pricing.

An exhaust for a rally car doesn't have to worry about how much noise it makes, an exhaust for a road car is a completely different kettle of fish and noise plays a big factor in how successful it is. No offence but try and make your own exhaust and see how (un) successful you will be, the smallest of changes can change an exhaust sound and performance in a major way. The price you pay for a name brand exhaust like APR/Milltek etc is pretty reasonable considering the costs that go into developing it.