aj6

I had the fine folks at European Road and Racing here in Charleston flash the A3 today with the APR tune. I'll write up my thoughts and answer questions to anyone who is interested.

Relevant info about the car: 2.0 Quattro with sport package and a T-series turbo, 9,200 miles.


First impression is simply how blisteringly fast this car is now. It's downright astonishing. No full up launches or timed runs yet, but the feel is as if a significantly more powerful engine has been dropped in.

The transmission seems to be snappier in the shifts, and there's a bit less throttle lag down low in RPM. I was hoping for a little bit more improvement in the throttle lag department, but I've only put a few miles on it thus far and have yet to get a solid feel for it.

Fuel economy gauge is showing higher numbers by 2-3 mpg during a small sample size of highway cruise. I'll track the actual tank for a bit and see if there's been an actual improvement.

911sOldnNew

APR claim 316hp and 381 ft lbs torque. I guess it is a lot faster.
Probably faster than a S3.

aj6

I see pitchforks on the horizon

911sOldnNew

drober30

Wow.. could these numbers be possible with just a flash? Almost 100 more horse power?

I would think about it if it did not void the warranty.

gamegenie

Is this the equivalent of like overclocking a processor in a computer or video card?

Wouldn't this add more strain and wear on your A3 overtime leading to possible turbo failure?

Spoonie G

Depends on how hard it's driven. If he doesn't get on it all the time he should be OK. Now on the other hand, if a person has a stock A3 and beats the crap out of it everyday, he will have problems long before a respectively driven car like this one. Only thing that scares the crap out of me with a modified car is warranty issues. I did have a transmission replaced (under warrant) on my last car which was flashed and had a catback exhaust. Yolo

aj6

I obviously had all the typical concerns you could think of prior to getting this done, which is partly why I've waited so long. After all is said and done, I have gained faith in APR's tuning software based on research on this and other forums. The consensus is that they develop proven and conservative (i.e. safe) tunes, and ultimately I determined that I could trust my drivetrain to that level of quality.

Personally, I'm going to do plenty of spirited driving and use it for what it is, an incredible driving machine. The tune helps bring out the best in that. There's the 30 day free try out period for it as well, which gives me peace of mind should I feel like it's too aggressive.

If anyone is on the fence like I was, I'll be more than happy to answer specific questions or take data the best I can. Even if you don't go the route I did, hopefully I can help someone make that decision and be happy either way.

Evolvd

Caveat, those posted numbers are crank, not wheel HP.

Tuning the ECU, when done properly by knowledgeable tuners, does not increase the wear and tear on a car, the motor or any other aspect of the vehicle. In fact a good tune will optimize your Air/Fuel Ratio, ignition timing and boost response. This gives you better MPG and extends the life of your catalytic converter.

The biggest wear and tear on your car is your right foot.

YuiS3

How does this tuning work? Do you have to download stock tune and send them and upload the tuned file? or you replace your stock ECM with theirs? If so, do you get to keep your stock ECM?