A proper stage 1 result from one of the best platforms to tune.
This Audi S3 8V 2.0 TFSI was in with us for a stage 1 custom ECU and TCU tune. The only hardware mod on the car was an APR cone intake, otherwise completely standard.
The results
Stock: 308hp / 310ft-lb
Tuned: 371hp / 380ft-lb
That's 63hp and 70ft-lb gained. Strong, consistent gains from a stage 1 tune without needing to throw a load of parts at it. The EA888 platform responds really well to just software and the S3 is one of the best examples of that.
Why pair a TCU tune with the engine tune?
A lot of people focus purely on the engine remap and leave the gearbox on its stock calibration. It still works, but you're leaving a lot of the driving experience on the table.
The stock gearbox calibration was set up around the factory power output. Once you've added 63hp and 70ft-lb on top of that, the gearbox doesn't know any different. It's still shifting the same way it always did, with the same shift points and the same response times.
A TCU calibration matched to the engine tune changes that. Sharper shifts, better paddle response, increased clutch pressures to handle the extra torque, and the gearbox actually making proper use of the power that's now available. It turns the whole drivetrain into a properly matched package rather than just an engine tune with a stock gearbox trying to keep up.
It's one of those upgrades that once you've had it, you wouldn't want to go back.
Thinking about getting your S3 tuned?
See what we can do for your car at www.WP-Tuning.co.uk
