Vijay

The first time I really hammered my RS4, it was the winter of 2007. That was a good thing because this motor LOVES cold air. I remember almost snapping the tach needle as it flawlessly and speedily revved through the powerband to its full 8300rpm glory.

And so it was today...Sunny, dry and cold. The perfect day to have the APR flash done to my RS4. Was I expecting miracles? No. Am I happy with my $600 purchase. The answer is a resounding yes. Is the change noticeable? Without a doubt. No placebo effect here, folks. It is the real deal.

I started up without any fuss. Nothing seemed different. I inched out of the parking lot of North American Motorsports in Vernon, CT. The road ahead was straight and empty so I immediately nailed the throttle, ESP full off, S mode engaged. Well, I almost snapped the needle on the tach again. It pulled harder and faster than I was ready for, and above 6k rpm, it's like an asthmatic who just took two puffs of his inhaler. It's just more opened up. Period. The power band is also more linear ( as impossible as that may seem on this motor) especially over the 5500rpm transition point. The way the engine hooks up after downshifts is much smoother and with much greater authority. My 45 minute drive home was pure backroad bliss.

I'm not concerned over actual numbers. That was never my goal, nor did I expect some monumental gain. How the car feels, however, is undeniably improved. It's like someone added a second S button on top of the S button.

Would I spend $2000 for an MTM ECU upgrade? Probably not, given the overall effect of this mod on this car. It's not worth that much. For $600, however, in conjunction with APR's vast dealer network that is so convenient if one has problems, it is money well spent for any RS4 enthusiast.

ELEVENS

So how do you like it

Congrats VJ. Wish there was a shop over here in the sticks where I live. Looking forward to seeing some logs.

CHEERS