I've been away from VW for a few years (okay, maybe more than a few since my MK5 GLI)....but was curious what tuning possibilities will likely exist for the MK8 R. I've been using BMS (Burger Tuning) JB+/JB4 on my BMWs for the past 10 years. What do you guys use and why do you prefer it? Any ideas on potential gains over the stock MK8 R?
I prefer to not use any piggy back solution such as the JB series. I would entertain tunes by industry leaders such as APR, Unitronics, United Motorsports, cuatom map by EPL, etc.
Here is a comparison of the 7R turbo and the 8R turbo, courtesy of APR:
Here we see the compressor is a bit larger. Interestingly, it is very close in dimensions to the Garrett PowerMax Stage 1 turbo for the Mk7 Golf R, which has a 47mm inducer and 60mm exducer. That turbo is capable of 485hp.
Between the larger compressor, smaller turbine, ball bearing turbo, relocated diverter valve, and higher fuel system pressure, I expect a typical downpipe and intercooler stage 2 COTS pump gas tune on the 8R will produce ~450hp at the crank, but with much better response than the Mk7.
Surfing the web a while back, I recall stumbling upon a tuning company getting 385 bhp on a tune. I would think this more robust turbo could safely achieve more. Staying within the safety envelope is important to me as I really don't want to down the B5 S4 monster build just yet
I would go with a JB4 until warranty is up and then go for a tune. I did that anyway, and had it serviced by the dealer with no complaints. There's only so much a JB can do before you need to grab a few extra hp out of the set-up.
Besides, you need to consider the TCU (if you are going that route) tune so you can extend its life
Yeah, that's been my approach with the BMWs when under lease. JB+/JB4 is pretty easy to do without completely changing the vehicle (plug and play), whereas I know that there are definite additional stages that require hardware changes.
I always thought you could go with an APR tune without affecting warranty. Doesn't their warranty cover the part of VW's warranty that they void?
Maybe someone with experience in this department could chime in.
I typically take my VW's to an independent VW shop. They deal in Unitronic, which I like, but 93 octane can be hard to find in my area. It's likely they can work with APR cars but I'll need to confirm.
I always thought you could go with an APR tune without affecting warranty. Doesn't their warranty cover the part of VW's warranty that they void?
Maybe someone with experience in this department could chime in.
I typically take my VW's to an independent VW shop. They deal in Unitronic, which I like, but 93 octane can be hard to find in my area. It's likely they can work with APR cars but I'll need to confirm.
It can have a negative affect your new car warranty and then again may be a non-issue. I never had a problem with a tune and warranty, buy have never had to have any warranty work done.
It can become costly as the vehicle gets older as parts and systems will wear at a faster rate. Is it worth doing? Most would say yes I suppose. For myself should I get an R I will wait for some time before considering and see what shakes out.
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