8V S3 Tuning Thread

[RobH_S3]

I think the Revo, APR, GAIC and MRC software will be similar to how it is now. I doubt they'll be using a tuning box anyway.

Moving on to these companies that have a box for everything and anything like these Audi 8V S3 2.0 TSI 300 ECU Remap

Honestly you have to question how much r&d they put in when the best they come up with is 330hp. I know the highest hp map isn't always best but when MTM and ABT can get 370hp it does make you wonder.

DTUK can't say I know anything about them or know anyone with one of their maps and considering how long I've been around most the vag forums, personally I'll be sticking with one of the well known vag tuners especially with a £35k car.

 

[Johnnyb]

Agreed

Heading straight to either Revo, GIAC or APR is par for the course when i get a new car...

How much tuning have you got planned Rob? Stage 2+?

 

[RobH_S3]

I dunno stage 1 at the very least. Then wait, make sure these engines are bulletproof then move on from there. You always want more though once you get used to the extra power.

I honestly wonder when when you look at how much cars APR offer maps for and it ain't that many and they only do vag and then you see these other company's with about 50,000 maps available for every car going. Hmmm r&d I think not!!!

plus they don't offer stage 2 and onwards and do they keep looking to improve the map as things develope on the platform NO!

 

[Johnnyb]

I made that fatal mistake with the Bluefin map for my first 8P S3!!

They have a sh*t load of maps for pretty much every make and honestly the car felt quicker before i loaded it on!

Went straight down to Stattlers from a recommendation here and Steve loaded the GIAC software, and my god did it transform the car!!

Tried Revo out on my last one, just as good as GIAC IMO, not much in it, and now that they are both a GIAC and Revo dealer - i will most likely be going there for the tuning because of their brilliant after sales support!

Gonna be a tough couple of days ahead for you until tues!!

 

[RobH_S3]

Tell me about it might have to postpone till Friday as I've got to drive down to London on Wednesday and don't wanna be putting 400 motorway miles on as the first thing I do. But I really want the car... Decisions decisions.

 

[Johnnyb]

Might give you the perfect opportunity to run the car in - the long rev pull way?

 

[RobH_S3]

Yeah suppose but constantly modulating the revs all the way to London will get boring quickly.

 

[Dean_T]

Looking forward to you 8V S3 guys getting the mapping going, should be fun!

 

[S3Alex]

That was the reason for me taking Revo in the first place,and sticking with them until now.

There are very few tuners with the experience of running TFSi's into the 500bhp plus bracket.

 

[Johnnyb]

Your car must be a monster Alex!!

Where did you get all your software loaded? Revo HQ?

 

[S3Alex]

Your car must be a monster Alex!!

Where did you get all your software loaded? Revo HQ?

Thank you!
Just needs a little bit more.

All the work was done at AMDTuning in Lakeside.
The car is logged,mapped then logged again and then logged on the road each time.

The very few problems we've had are simply sent over to Revo as AMD have worked with them for a long time.

 

[Johnnyb]

Thank you!
Just needs a little bit more.

All the work was done at AMDTuning in Lakeside.
The car is logged,mapped then logged again and then logged on the road each time.

The very few problems we've had are simply sent over to Revo as AMD have worked with them for a long time.

Any plans on plumping for the new S3?

How much more are you planning on getting out of it? 500bhp on a 2.0L surely must make it unbeatable on the roads....i bet you have left alot of supercar drivers scratching their heads behind you?

 

[S3Alex]

Any plans on plumping for the new S3?

How much more are you planning on getting out of it? 500bhp on a 2.0L surely must make it unbeatable on the roads....i bet you have left alot of supercar drivers scratching their heads behind you?

To be honest,I'm not mad keen on the shape,but in any case I have too much time and perhaps money "invested" in the current one to want to start all over again right now.

My Romanian mate has managed to drag 740bhp out of his(admittedly on 105RON fuel),and I'd like to see around the thick end of 550-600bhp from mine,but it certainly does leave people wondering what's happened.

 

[Vtec Abuser]

Really looking forward to seeing what the VAG tuning crew (Revo, APR, GIAC etc) come up with for the 8V S3. I had a S-Tronic SB for the day a while back and thought it would be rude not to take my Vbox along for some testing of it's performance out the box.



Definitely a good benchmark to start with and if rumours of a 70bhp increase from stage 1 tuning are accurate, then it will be a seriously capable car (assuming the car isn't running more than 300bhp stock like most VAG engines).
Although I can't see it happening, don't be massively surprised if some or all of them do go down the tuning box route initially. Tuners for the likes of BMW, Merc etc are having to take this method due to not being able to communicate with the ECU (locked out) and they don't see a solution anytime soon. Whether Audi will be the same I don't know..

Do not confuse the latest tuning boxes with the same cheap crap that have been around for years. Boxes like the JB unit used on the BMW x35i engines are very very advanced with loads of safety features, accommodation for future hardware and different stages of tune/fuel, map switching on the move and massive power gains..
Plus you have the added benefit of being able to remove the unit before dealer visits. Something that won't be available for software maps even if they do crack the ECU. As things like the Revo SPS unit will be a thing of the past IMO.

 

[RobH_S3]

Wondered when you'd show up on here mate. Picking the new motor up tomorrow afternoon, got a delivery date for the A45 yet?

 

[Johnnyb]

Really looking forward to seeing what the VAG tuning crew (Revo, APR, GIAC etc) come up with for the 8V S3. I had a S-Tronic SB for the day a while back and thought it would be rude not to take my Vbox along for some testing of it's performance out the box.



Definitely a good benchmark to start with and if rumours of a 70bhp increase from stage 1 tuning are accurate, then it will be a seriously capable car (assuming the car isn't running more than 300bhp stock like most VAG engines).
Although I can't see it happening, don't be massively surprised if some or all of them do go down the tuning box route initially. Tuners for the likes of BMW, Merc etc are having to take this method due to not being able to communicate with the ECU (locked out) and they don't see a solution anytime soon. Whether Audi will be the same I don't know..

Do not confuse the latest tuning boxes with the same cheap crap that have been around for years. Boxes like the JB unit used on the BMW x35i engines are very very advanced with loads of safety features, accommodation for future hardware and different stages of tune/fuel, map switching on the move and massive power gains..
Plus you have the added benefit of being able to remove the unit before dealer visits. Something that won't be available for software maps even if they do crack the ECU. As things like the Revo SPS unit will be a thing of the past IMO.

Cheers for the info!

I actually don't mind the idea of a seperate ECU box running alongside the stock version, and wlll definitely be making a decision on who to go with when things start surfacing, this new S3 is quick, but IMO needs a remap as the torque punch feels rather tame...

I will probably be going Revo due to their reputation for being on the more aggressive side..

Sleepless night for you then Rob?

 

[RobH_S3]

Nah doubt it, only just got in from work an hour ago and started at 8 this morning I'll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Pick up still feels miles away yet for some reason.

 

[Johnnyb]

The last hour before it feels like a day in itself! Well worth it when there are customers gawping at it when you arrive at the dealer...

 

[Vtec Abuser]

Wondered when you'd show up on here mate. Picking the new motor up tomorrow afternoon, got a delivery date for the A45 yet?

You know me mate, I get everywhere..

That has come round ****** quick. I thought it was December you were collecting (albeit we are nearly there anyway). I've got another 5 ****** months to go yet (end of April when BM goes back)..
Make sure you get some pics up and stop being a tart and give it some beans to London.. ha

 

[jimojameso]

Great thread this one. Interesting to hear about the new S3 8V tuning updates coming through. I'll keep an eye on this thread. Some good points raised all round.

 

[geefunk1978]

Well this thread needed updating so here we go!
S3 booked into Milltek the middle of January for exhaust development, mine will be the first 8V S3 they do the development work on....

 

[Johnnyb]

Well this thread needed updating so here we go!
S3 booked into Milltek the middle of January for exhaust development, mine will be the first 8V S3 they do the development work on....

Excellent work geefunk!

I'm at Awesome GTI this week to get my new wheels fitted, so going see what they have got to say on any developments, and I don't think they have had the 8V S3 in yet!

I'd imagine a Milltek (especially on the S-Tronic) is going to sound ridiculously good!

 

[geefunk1978]

Yep should sound pretty mega as I'm guessing it'll be turbo back. Can only imagine the bangs it'll make on upshifts!
Ben who owns Shark Performance rang them earlier when I was with him and they were only talking earlier about ordering an S3, so now they don't need to! Winner for me! Hopefully soon Ben will develop a map for it too...It'll take the p1ss out of most things on the road then!

 

[geefunk1978]

Oh and I'm going to ask for black exhausts, now that will look good with it being white and having the black pack!

 

[paullowther]

Oh and I'm going to ask for black exhausts, now that will look good with it being white and having the black pack!

See if you can have them tapered too rather than straight and round as they are stock! Are you sticking with quad or can you go dual?

 

[geefunk1978]

I'll have to ask but I'd like them looking as standard as possible to be honest! I want to stick with quad exhausts otherwise it'll look like an A3 diesel lol
Bet you're getting excited.....

 

[Johnnyb]

Could maybe organise a group buy at some point further down the line?

The black will look good, but are you at risk of them being unnoticeable when it's clearly the biggest stand out feature on the S3?

 

[geefunk1978]

Guess it depends on how they sit in the rear diffuser, I like the RS4 pipes in black, but they are a lot bigger!

 

[paullowther]

Guess it depends on how they sit in the rear diffuser, I like the RS4 pipes in black, but they are a lot bigger!

That's sort of what I was thinking look wise. One pipe each side but a bit bigger? Not both pipes on the same side!

 

[Johnnyb]

That's sort of what I was thinking look wise. One pipe each side but a bit bigger? Not both pipes on the same side!

That would look amazing tbh...

I'd still go for silver though, but yes it's gonna be interesting to see if they keep them OEM looking or if they go down the RS4 / 6 esque route with 2 big ovals..

Having re-read the ABT article again on their stage 1 software, they have managed to shave 0.5 seconds off the 0-60 time, which would propel the S-Tronic to 60 in circa.....4.3 seconds....


And that's being conservative, would be more like 4.1...

Good things

 

[GNJ_Motorsport]

Well this thread needed updating so here we go!
S3 booked into Milltek the middle of January for exhaust development, mine will be the first 8V S3 they do the development work on....

Ours is going to Cobra Sport so be interesting to see/hear them both. We work closely with Cobra and are trying to crack the VAG scene a bit over the next couple of years. We sell loads of their Vauxhall and Ford systems and quality is always good without being a million pounds. We do a lot of Millteks as well though so I'm glad it is being done ASAP!

I thought about getting black tips but I think I'm going to ask them to make ours as close to stock as possible. Possibly even offer an option to keep the standard pipes (I'll have to look to see if this is possible) as we have noticed a trend recently for newer cars where customers want to keep them looking as OEM as possible.

Still to hear back from Forge on what products they plan for it, will update when I know.

 

[paullowther]

How much different do we think these exhausts will make the S3 sound. Overall I'm quite happy with the note, especially when changing gear, but it can sound... I don't know how to describe it but rattly maybe? It's doesn't sound as powerful as it actually is!

Do we think it's possible to get any kind of RS like sounds coming from the exhaust? I always find those are a bit more high pitched, with a few pops and bangs thrown in for good measure!

 

[Johnnyb]

How much different do we think these exhausts will make the S3 sound. Overall I'm quite happy with the note, especially when changing gear, but it can sound... I don't know how to describe it but rattly maybe? It's doesn't sound as powerful as it actually is!

Do we think it's possible to get any kind of RS like sounds coming from the exhaust? I always find those are a bit more high pitched, with a few pops and bangs thrown in for good measure!

It will definitely be louder, and depends if you go resonated or non-resonated. Personally i love the sound of the standard exhausts, and i would only consider an aftermarket for performance gains..

I actually feel the opposite with regards to power in this new S3, i think it sounds more powerful
than it is, i really think it's begging for a remap!

This is all down to the fact i have came from an extremely tame sounding but aggressive feeling 8P S3...

 

[paullowther]

It will definitely be louder, and depends if you go resonated or non-resonated. Personally i love the sound of the standard exhausts, and i would only consider an aftermarket for performance gains..

I actually feel the opposite with regards to power in this new S3, i think it sounds more powerful
than it is, i really think it's begging for a remap!

This is all down to the fact i have came from an extremely tame sounding but aggressive feeling 8P S3...

All of this is based on me watching YouTube videos so the sound in reality may well be entirely different! I remember hearing it once, back in August but that was just on tickover! I guess I'll find out in 42 hours! Not that I'm counting!

 

[RobH_S3]

Be interesting to see the black tips, mentioned I was gonna do that from the off but tbh I quite like the silver tips. They definitely need to be a little bigger and I'll be going for a Matt anthracite colour very similar to the style of akrapovic exhausts and as said tapered. Will start off with a map and removing the pre cat.

Will be going down the HPA route with gearbox software and haldex competition controller. Statllers are now a dealer for them so happy days there.

Will be going back shortly to drop the oil and get it on the dyno to see what we're working with in standard trim.

loving the car btw just been really busy with work and my brothers wedding at the weekend so no chance for any pics plus it's filthy!!!

 

[Johnnyb]

All of this is based on me watching YouTube videos so the sound in reality may well be entirely different! I remember hearing it once, back in August but that was just on tickover! I guess I'll find out in 42 hours! Not that I'm counting!

Yeah ticking over the car just sounds like a typical 4 cyl..

But even in Auto mode which i have it in most of the time - the exhaust sounds great, nice and boomy and pretty much pops and blips on every gear change, 2nd and 3rd sound great even at minimal throttle...

Dynamic is a different story, it even blips on downshifts, all very dramatic, but because i'm so used to the 300bhp on previous cars, i feel it needs to be 350 + to match up with the sound..

Anyone not used to that kind of power will no doubt be blown away though..

Need to keep yourself busy Paul!!

 

[Johnnyb]

Be interesting to see the black tips, mentioned I was gonna do that from the off but tbh I quite like the silver tips. They definitely need to be a little bigger and I'll be going for a Matt anthracite colour very similar to the style of akrapovic exhausts and as said tapered. Will start off with a map and removing the pre cat.

Will be going down the HPA route with gearbox software and haldex competition controller. Statllers are now a dealer for them so happy days there.

Will be going back shortly to drop the oil and get it on the dyno to see what we're working with in standard trim.

loving the car btw just been really busy with work and my brothers wedding at the weekend so no chance for any pics plus it's filthy!!!

Nice plan!

Did Stattlers have any news on any GIAC or Revo software?

 

[paullowther]

Yeah I'm sure I've just assumed wrong and will be blown away by the whole experience and sound! I took the day off today to try break up my week! It's gone a bit quicker & I've just watched top gear all day!

 

[Lock & Load]

Hi guys here in Australia due to hot weather conditions our S3 have been detuned to 206 KW with 380 nm however i will be looking at upgrading the ecu exhaust etc .

Found a German company MTM that apparently already have increased the power of the S3 to 265 kw with 450 nm

Audi S3 8V Sportback Tuning - 2,0 TFSI 221 kW (300hp) Quattro

They already have upgrades to ECU , ENGINE and are working on the exhaust system .

Cheers
Michael

 

[Johnnyb]

Hi guys here in Australia due to hot weather conditions our S3 have been detuned to 206 KW with 380 nm however i will be looking at upgrading the ecu exhaust etc .

Found a German company MTM that apparently already have increased the power of the S3 to 265 kw with 450 nm

Audi S3 8V Sportback Tuning - 2,0 TFSI 221 kW (300hp) Quattro

They already have upgrades to ECU , ENGINE and are working on the exhaust system .

Cheers
Michael

I might have to give them a call and find out exactly what their stage 1 map is and how they go about tuning it i.e. Whether it's the same as ABT's bolt on seperate ECU, or if they need to take it out to remap it, the latter of course needs to be done very skillfully to avoid tell tale markings of tampering..