Anybody here running an APR TSI Stage 3 kit?

[ace009]

I'd like to know what your impressions are, and if you think it's worth the hefty price tag. Dyno numbers and/or quarter mile times would be nice also.

Thanks,
Ace

 

[PRND[S]]

I've got an APR Stage 3 '09 GTI, but I haven't had it dyno'd or taken it to the strip. I'll try to get you some rough (Dynolicious) 1/4 mile numbers later today.

I have no regrets other than what may happen if I need to make a warranty claim down the road on something engine/drivetrain related. I went from APR Stage 1 which I could have hidden from the dealer to APR Stage 3 within about four months of buying the car new. It is a blast to drive and has been 100% reliable with no CELs, which is a good thing given that it is my daily driver.

Let me know if you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them when I return with the 1/4 mile numbers.

 

[PRND[S]]

OK, here are some results. I made two runs, the first I had to abort when I saw another car turning onto my "track", so I'm not including it here. The second run is shown below, but I either let off the gas early or the car was still fighting for traction -- there is a big gap in between the 50MPH and 60MPH mark. I'll try to get more data tomorrow.

I have the weight set at 3350 (best guess for curb weight plus 3/4 tank of 91 octane gas and myself) and 0% drivetrain loss, so you're seeing WHP numbers. I'm on the stock Continentals with about 8000 miles on them.

 

[dubbin]

Peak hp259?? Am i reading this all correctly?

 

[PRND[S]]

Yes, peak 259WHP on 91. I'm traction-limited with the Continentals, I'm pretty sure they spun most of the way to 60.

 

[dubbin]

O ok i see, so a full run would have yielded higher numbers/better results i take it?

 

[PRND[S]]

I don't think the (possibly) short run is the culprit, I'm simply not able to put all the power down with the stock Continental tires -- if the tires slip, you won't see as much acceleration and that results in a lower HP or WHP number. I'll do another run tomorrow without Launch Control and I'm also going to lower the tire pressure to 35 (currently 40), I think both will help.

 

[eurocars]

I don't think the (possibly) short run is the culprit, I'm simply not able to put all the power down with the stock Continental tires -- if the tires slip, you won't see as much acceleration and that results in a lower HP or WHP number. I'll do another run tomorrow without Launch Control and I'm also going to lower the tire pressure to 35 (currently 40), I think both will help.

go even lower with the tire pressures. when i hit the dragstrip, im usually around 28 psi front. at that point, wheelhop is more of an issue than anything else

 

[PetrolHead]

I'm also going to lower the tire pressure to 35 (currently 40), I think both will help.

Yea, I've found ~35 to be the sweet spot for traction on the craptastic stock contis. When are you upgrading tires? :wink:

 

[PetrolHead]

wheelhop is more of an issue than anything else

Another good point. How's wheelhop with stage 3? It's bad with stage 1, I can't imagine 3.

 

[eurocars]

Another good point. How's wheelhop with stage 3? It's bad with stage 1, I can't imagine 3.

the stock conti's at a psi that low arent nearly as bad as a full on summer tire, but im sure its not pleasant either

 

[PRND[S]]

My intention was to drive these tires into the ground, and I'm nearly there. The last Auto-X session nearly did them in, there are deep gouges on the outside shoulder.

My local tire shop (very knowledgeable, they race themselves) put 40 PSI in my tires when I had my car there, and since the Auto-X instructions from the club PetrolHead and I went to said to run at least 38 PSI, I left it there -- I assumed they wanted a high pressure to make sure people don't lose the bead under hard cornering. I almost lowered the tire pressure for the last session but got lazy and didn't want to air up again for the drive home. I'm an idiot.

Anyway, I'll drop to 35 first for the next test and see how that goes. I have the BFI dogbone insert (installed by the tire shop for a warm handshake), that should help with wheelhop.

Any advice on my next set of tires? This is my daily driver. I looked at the Continental ExtremeContact DWS, seems like a good compromise between all-season ability and performance, and they are actually cheaper than the OEM tires.

 

[UGgti12]

Yea, I've found ~35 to be the sweet spot for traction on the craptastic stock contis. When are you upgrading tires? :wink:

When I went to the track, I ran 35psi my first two runs and ran 14.2 and 14.4. For my second 2 runs I dropped em down to 33psi and 30psi respectively and ran 14.10 @ 100 mph twice. 35psi is wayy too much IMO. If I had to do it again I'd even go down to 28 or 26psi. Just my .02.


I feel you about the wheelhop though, esp. on stock suspension. Take a look at this craptastic wheelhop through first:

 

[ace009]

I've got an APR Stage 3 '09 GTI, but I haven't had it dyno'd or taken it to the strip. I'll try to get you some rough (Dynolicious) 1/4 mile numbers later today.

I have no regrets other than what may happen if I need to make a warranty claim down the road on something engine/drivetrain related. I went from APR Stage 1 which I could have hidden from the dealer to APR Stage 3 within about four months of buying the car new. It is a blast to drive and has been 100% reliable with no CELs, which is a good thing given that it is my daily driver.

Let me know if you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them when I return with the 1/4 mile numbers.

Thanks for the responses, didn't see them 'til now.
How long have you been on Stage 3, and how many miles?
Did you notice any additional lag?
How does going from stock to stg 1 compare to stg 1 to stg 3.

I'm currently at stg 2 and I'm thinking about going this route.

 

[PRND[S]]

I've been Stage 3 for about 8 months / 5000 miles. There is a little bit more lag at the low end, but it isn't bad -- the real fun starts around 3200 RPM. Going from Stage 1 to Stage 3 is a much more substantial change than going from stock to Stage 1.