Beartaez

What do you guys think is the best frist mod for the 2012 tts? Maybe something that is a must for the 012 tts? Below are pics of the car.

A6S4

The baseball stitching looks nice!
The only thing I did on my 2013 TTS was to put MSS springs on it. Reduced the harshness of the ride and lowered it about 1”. I debadged the rear TTS emblem. It has been a great daily driver. Welome to the group!
Oh, and check out TTWest and TTEast for annual events. Both have FB presence.

Beartaez

Yea, so far so good. Need to get use to the lag when in D mode at low RPMs. Coming from 2004 R32 with a lot of torque down low.

northendriod

First mods that come to mind is Vagcom tweaks Awesome car!
http://nickscarblog.com/diy/vag-com-...i-tt-2006-2014

A6S4

DissenTTS

First Mod? What do you want to get out of your car?

I think you could get all kinds of opinions, based on your goals and $$$.

frankttsmk2

I've had my 2012 TTS for 8 months now (pic at bottom).

After I bought it, I thought the stock handling, grip, and ride were just fine. So, my goals were simple: make it 1) quicker, and 2) sound better.

For my first 2 months of ownership, every mod was on the table: turboback exhaust, upgraded injectors, high pressure fuel pump, etc. I weighed all my options (and watched every single YouTube video about modified TTS's) to finally decide what was best / most cost-effective for me and the car.

My goal was to spend under $1000 to accomplish 1 & 2 above, and yes, I was able to do it. It cost me $700 to modify my TTS to do all of the following: 1) get from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, 2) make over 300hp, 3) make the *STOCK* exhaust pop and bang and sound amazing, and 4) get the *STOCK* turbo to whoosh and flutter so loud that my buddies could hear it from 4 car lengths ahead.

Here's how I did all of that, and what I recommend for the most "bang for your buck" performance and sound/personality modifications for your TTS:
I) a Cold Air CONE FILTER Intake with opening on the top (like this one),
II) a Stage 1 Tune to make more boost (22.5psi Tuned vs. 17.4psi Stock) and put it just over 300hp, and
III) a Stage 1 Tune to open up the stock exhaust system's "Active Exhaust"

I. Turbo Whoosh, Flutter, and Wastegate Noise with simple Cold Air Intake Cone Filter:
First, in order to experience the heavenly whoosh and flutter from your turbo, you need to remove the ENTIRE factory airbox and filter, leaving only the opening of the Turbo Inlet Pipe. Then, just put a Cold Air CONE Filter Intake on the opening, tighten the hose clamp, and tie the Inlet Pipe down to the chassis with a zip-tie so it doesn't move. We Mk2 TTS owners are very lucky to have our cars come with K04 turbos STOCK. This mod at least tripled the sound of the "whoosh", and more importantly, unlocked the glorious "turbo flutter" when you hit the throttle for a second and let off... BONUS: Another benefit to a cold air intake on your k04 is the ever-rare WASTEGATE FLUTTER! Yes - after installing your Cold Air Cone Filter Intake, accelerate to about 30mph, drop down to 3rd gear, press the throttle for a second, and listen closely - you will hear the flutter of your K04's internal wastegate almost immediately as your RPMs climb. So yes, your cold air intake mod on your TTS gets you two unique flutter sounds for the price of one!

Here is what my engine bay looks like with my old Factory Airbox Setup -vs- with my new Cold Air Cone Filter Setup:
Above: TTS Engine Bay w/ Factory Airbox & FIlter (lots of restriction and sound muffling) Above: TTS Engine Bay with Cold Air Cone Filter (much less restriction and less sound muffling)

II. Increased Horsepower, Torque, and Boost with Stage 1 Tune:
Next, purchase a Stage 1 Tune from any reputable Tuner (APR, Unitronic, etc). I went with Integrated Engineering's Stage 1 Tune 6 months ago, which is specifically programmed for the Mk2 TTS, and have not had ANY problems whatsoever, only smile after smile after smile. They were slightly cheaper than APR and Unitronic, and included the DIY "Flash" tool - meaning you can Tune your car at home with your PC (no need to make an appointment at a garage and have to leave your car with them, you can do it right in your driveway). You can also re-flash your TTS back to the completely stock setting in case you have to bring it in to Audi Service and it's under warranty.

The Stage 1 Tune did ALL of the following for my TTS:

• increase HP by at least 30, from 265hp to 295hp (NOT including gains from the less-restrictive Cold Air Cone Filter)
• increase Torque by at least 35, from 258lb-ft to 293lb-ft (NOT including gains from the less-restrictive Cold Air Cone Filter)
• increase Boost by at least 5psi, from 17.4psi to 22.5psi
• Made throttle more responsive (less lag)
• Removed the 155mph Top Speed Limiter
• Increased Redline to over 7,000
• My favorite feature of the Stage 1 Tune: Activates the car's stock Active Exhaust

III. Increased Exhaust Sound and Pops/Crackles with Stage 1 Tune in "S" gear:
In a stock TTS, when you put the car in "S" gear with the gear lever (TipTronic Sport Mode), an exhaust bypass valve opens up, and you hear a bit more exhaust noise from the rear when you accelerate. However, in a properly tuned TTS, when the car is in "S" gear (again, NOT the S "button", but the "S" gear), the STOCK exhaust 1) pops/crackles on downshifts in the 2500-5000 RPM Range, and 2) pops when you accelerate to 3000-5000 RPM and take your foot off the throttle without shifting.

After speaking with several Mk2 TTS owners, they say that if you want more exhaust sound and personality, it is NOT worth spending the money on a cat-back or turboback exhaust. This is because we are dealing with 4-cylinder turbo engines won't sound that much better with an aftermarket exhaust system anyway, and that the Stock exhaust when in TipTronic "S" Gear sounds almost as good. I've seen every aftermarket TTS exhaust video on YouTube and can say my stock exhaust in "S"/TipTronic Gear sounds almost identical to the TTS's with aftermarket systems, so its not worth the $600-$1500 you would be spending on a cat-back or turboback system. Just get the Tune instead, pop the gear lever into TipTronic, and shift manually - you'll be able to control the exhaust to pop and bang whenever you'd like, without breaking the bank.

"Why didn't you want to improve the handling, grip, or ride comfort?"
My TTS came with brand new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Tires. The grip is amazing at every corner. Exiting a corner? Never once lost traction. The grip is especially jaw-dropping when the tires are warmed up after about 10-15 minutes of driving. I also didn't feel a need to put coilovers or adjust the ride height of my TTS, it already has the perfect "squat" being 40mm LOWER than the standard TT's, and the "Sport" button lowers it another 10mm to keep you planted. I kind of like the "harshness" of the ride; it was a reminder of the type of car I was in, it matched the car's personality, and made me choose my roads wisely.

Hope this helps, and best of luck on your TTS!


My 2012 Audi TTS Premium Plus in Solar Orange

northendriod

Have you considered that the cone setup now draws hot air from the engine bay instead of cold air like the OEM setup. When doing a cone style setup the filter should be isolated from the heat soaked engine bay air and draw air from the front of the vehicle, like the setup below on a 2.5L Golf.

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Beartaez

Thanks, very detailed. I like the idea of not having to take the car into the shop to get it programmed. How easy is it to do?

frankttsmk2

Depending on who you choose for the Tuner, you can "flash" your car at home in under 30 minutes, and it will be ready to roll.

I know Unitronic and Integrated Engineering offer at-home "Dongles" that they ship to you, and they provide full, easy-to-follow instructions. Basically, here's how it works: plug the dongle into your OBD-II port under your steering column, plug the dongle USB cable into your PC, install and run the Tune Software program they email you, and then follow the instructions on the program.

The only thing you will need while you "flash" is a car battery charger that you can hook up to your TTS' battery and plug into an outlet (I bought mine at Kmart for $24, and you can use it in the future for charging your car's battery when it gets too low). The battery charger will ensure your battery stays fully charged WHILE you're flashing (like I mentioned, flashing can take up to 30 minutes), so that the battery does not die, which will be problematic for your ECU. I have never had any issues, and as long as you hook up your charger to your battery, you'll be fine.

NOTE: If you purchased your TTS with an Audi Warranty or Extended Warranty something, and you later bring your TTS into an Audi Service Center for any maintenance that involves them checking the car's computer (ECU), Audi will notice that the car has been tuned, and they will void your warranty. However, thankfully, my tuner (Integrated Engineering) allows me to "flash" my car back to the Stock Settings, so I never run into this issue.