APR ECU Upgrade MK6 Golf - Customer perspective

[ravun]

I think the 15% off a stage 1 tune is going to be too hard to resist. Just have to rack up some kms first to ensure everything is working well, and get a baseline feel.

[MkVIGTI]

There was an open day for APR last month for which you got 20% off both software & hardware...

[REXman]

There was an open day for APR last month for which you got 20% off both software & hardware...

That's mad, where abouts? I'd be up for that.. Carbonio and Tune!

[REXman]

Ps I'm sorry but I'm an old school modder and find it very hard to believe a tune alone, could give more than 0.5 secs off a 0-100 time.

0.5 sec is a lot!! I know a tune, or a TBE feels like heaaaaps and it is a good mod no doubt, but the difference between an older WRX and an STI was a bout a sec or less and they were completely different cars, and fared differently on the quarter too.

0.5 sec on a 0-100 run could equate to more than that on a quarter mile run.

You can't grab a sec or more from a tune alone, especially on a FWD.

Sorry I can't believe it, but wiling to eat my words.

[REXman]

Adam, please note that the MPS is throttle/torque limited in first and second gear.
this is done to limit torque steer.
that is why the 3MPS doesn't feel very quick off the mark.
But on the highway a 80-120kmh time of 3.5sec is not too shabby.
this is where the car shines, it really is an Autobahn stormer. (for a rice burner)
rolling accelaration on the highway a stock WRX STI can't keep up.
But dragging off the lights, it's a bit average, untill you hit 3rd gear and 3,500rpm and then your getting all the 380nm.

Yep. MPS has more torque than an EVO which is amazing. I know it's only FWD but man it's got a great dose of power also (190KW) and that sound in 3rd is it cranks out the 380 is to die for. Yeah it torque steers a bit but Farq it, awesome feel and it handles awesome too.

It uses that TSI tech (direct injection) on the engine also so it's not tooooo bad on fuel.

[G-rig]

Ps I'm sorry but I'm an old school modder and find it very hard to believe a tune alone, could give more than 0.5 secs off a 0-100 time.

0.5 sec is a lot!! I know a tune, or a TBE feels like heaaaaps and it is a good mod no doubt, but the difference between an older WRX and an STI was a bout a sec or less and they were completely different cars, and fared differently on the quarter too.

0.5 sec on a 0-100 run could equate to more than that on a quarter mile run.

You can't grab a sec or more from a tune alone, especially on a FWD.

Sorry I can't believe it, but wiling to eat my words.

The (MK6 GTI) gives an extra 20% more so it does make a good difference. Haven't done any runs or dyno's myself though.

[Corey_R]

Sorry I can't believe it, but wiling to eat my words.

Trust me.... in the Polo GTI it gives much more than 1 second, bordering on 2. In the MKV GTI it gave at least a second. In the MK6 GTI's I've been into, 1 second is very believable.

You'll be eating your words... but you won't care, because of the grin on your face from how much better the car is once you've had it done

[Corey_R]

That's mad, where abouts? I'd be up for that.. Carbonio and Tune!

It was last month, in Melbourne, for a single day, but the 20% was on US Imported Hardware only. There are open days semi-regularly in each of the states. You just need to keep an eye on the social pages here...

[REXman]

The (MK6 GTI) gives an extra 20% more so it does make a good difference. Haven't done any runs or dyno's myself though.

Yes but 20% more power does not mean 20% more accelerating data.

Example:
You have a 2000kg car with 100KW and it 0-100 in around 20 secs.

You do the APR or other reputable chip and get 20% more power!!!

Your car will not now do the 0-100 dash in 16 seconds. It will feel a lot better, but only relative to its original tune.

On a car that weighs 1000kg, it will feel more pronounced obviously (the extra 20KW). But still 20% more power will not yield 20% more accelerating performance.

Factor in FWD and diminishing returns of power to grip (increase power = even less grip for take off to get to a 100 in a FWD)

I mean in some tuning mags, I see $20000 mods spent on a GTI and it smashes well on a quarter mile run (reasonable for a FWD) but man can't see even then I would get 5 flat in a GTI..

But, 5.anything with just a tune?? No.

Show me slips for this one.

[MkVIGTI]

I do have my doubts on the 5 sec flat GTI with just a tune. Even the lightweight Evo 9 can barely manage a 5 sec flat time with its 206kw and AWD. I'm sure the tune would be very obvious once on the move though.

[Corey_R]

Yes but 20% more power does not mean 20% more accelerating data.

You can do all the maths you want, but one of our own forum members has already shown an increase of 1 second from JUST a tune on the Golf R. From the stock Golf R DSG time of 5.7sec to 4.68 second from simply having the APR Stage I ECU. We've also had hundreds of members over the past 4 years who've done the ECU tunes on their GTI's (both Polo and Golf), and whilst they haven't posted photos of the times in any threads I can recall recently, there are plenty of people who in the past posted times (inc Quarter mile times) if you search back through the forums (especially MKV Golf and MKIV Polo owners).

No point hypothesising with maths about how we're wrong when it's already been proven on many many times at the track with the proper timing gear.

I do have my doubts on the 5 sec flat GTI with just a tune.

Yeah, 5 seconds flat would be very difficult...

[Sharkie]

Ps I'm sorry but I'm an old school modder and find it very hard to believe a tune alone, could give more than 0.5 secs off a 0-100 time.

0.5 sec is a lot!! I know a tune, or a TBE feels like heaaaaps and it is a good mod no doubt, but the difference between an older WRX and an STI was a bout a sec or less and they were completely different cars, and fared differently on the quarter too.

0.5 sec on a 0-100 run could equate to more than that on a quarter mile run.

You can't grab a sec or more from a tune alone, especially on a FWD.

Sorry I can't believe it, but wiling to eat my words.

Start eating .....

It really depends on the car and what the tuners have to start with. Some are more receptive to power gains from just a chip than others .

Mk5 Polo GTIs pick up 38% in KW and 49% torque with the APR chip alone. Stock quartermile of 16.8s drops to 14.2s in the hands of a good driver and 13.9s (thats 3 seconds faster) in the hands of a great driver. Slips have been posted on this very forum.

Stg 2 Polo GTIs (Mk5s) do 80-120 in 3.2s and drops STIs and MPS's quite easily once moving ..... something about 350NM+ and 1100kg .... the Polo's however have huge problems launching as the FWD's struggle to cope with that power output.

0-100km/h improves (for stg 1) from 8.2s to 6.2s .... a whole 2s just from a chip. Tested a 5.7s personally in my own Stg 2 using a G-Tech Pro SS (same as Fabs)

[brad]

Ps I'm sorry but I'm an old school modder and find it very hard to believe a tune alone, could give more than 0.5 secs off a 0-100 time.

0.5 sec is a lot!! I know a tune, or a TBE feels like heaaaaps and it is a good mod no doubt, but the difference between an older WRX and an STI was a bout a sec or less and they were completely different cars, and fared differently on the quarter too.

0.5 sec on a 0-100 run could equate to more than that on a quarter mile run.

You can't grab a sec or more from a tune alone, especially on a FWD.

My non-APR tune gave me a 2 second improvement on my 3rd gear 40-120. 80-120 was just under 4.5secs. I have no idea how that equates to 0-100 but hope that shows that significant, measurable increases are possible.

40-120 in 3rd gear. 40kmh is just off boost at just on 1500rpm (didn't really look).
Before: 10.99 / 10.92 / 10.96 - call it 10.95?
After : 8.82 / 8.80(det)/ 9.02 - call it 8.95?
~2 seconds/ 18% reduction

[REXman]

You can do all the maths you want, but one of our own forum members has already shown an increase of 1 second from JUST a tune on the Golf R. From the stock Golf R DSG time of 5.7sec to 4.68 second from simply having the APR Stage I ECU.

Yeah, 5 seconds flat would be very difficult...

Yes but that is a GOLF R. Its AWD and 0-100 like AWD. Its NOT A GTI or FWD that is what I am talking about.


Im fully aware of other cars performance, a GTR R33 for example with just a TBE and Tune will net 400HP. Amazing returns.

But taking a 150kw Fwd to a 190kw FWD will never yield a 1.0-2 sec increase 0-100. EVER.

Its just not possible. I know its not, If you think your chipped GTI can run in the 5 sec bracket, that is great. Just dont run a 5 sec M3 thinking you have a chance..

Guys Im not hating on the tunes.. I love the tunes.. I have nearly always had fully custom tuning done on all my cars.. They yield great results, Im not denying that.

But please dont think a tune can take your car from nice hatch to ferrari with a tune!!

[Sharkie]

But taking a 150kw Fwd to a 190kw FWD will never yield a 1.0-2 sec increase 0-100. EVER.

Maybe not in a MK6 Golf GTI, but most definately so in a MK5 Polo GTI .... going from 110kw to 152kw will net you a 2s 0-100 increase .... every time ... ... and that is FWD

Personally I agree, I don't believe a MK6 Golf GTI with a chip only will do better than 5.5s (DSG or manual), having driven them, but close to that certainly and that is a good 1.5s improvement, which is a great return for the money spent.