APR

APR ECU Upgrade - 2.0T EA888 Gen 4 (MQB EVO) (MK8 GTI/A3/Formentor/Leon/Octavia)

Fits 2022+ Volkswagen GTI in the USA and additionally the Audi A3, Cupra Formentor, Cupra Leon, and Skoda Octavia in the ROW

Part # ECU-20T-EA888-4-LK2 Be the first to write a review

APR ECU Upgrade - 2.0T EA888 Gen 4 (MQB EVO) (MK8 GTI/A3/Formentor/Leon/Octavia)

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$599.95
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Emissions

This part is legal under the provisions of EPAโ€™s Tampering Policy dated November 23rd, 2020.

See Emissions Details
We're excited to announce our Engine Control Unit (ECU) Upgrades are now available for the Volkswagen GTI (MK8), Audi A3, Cupra Formentor and Leon, and Skoda Octavia with the 2.0 TSI EA888 Gen 4 engine with the Continental Simos 19 ECU! Expect massive gains with up to 328-478 HP with 391-443 FT-LBS of torque on tap, depending on octane and mods! This represents up to 111% more horsepower at the wheels, over stock! Additionally APR Plus is available in the USA which adds a factory term limit matching limited powertrain warranty and is offered on our 87 AKI or 91 AKI ECU upgrades!

Features:

  • Multiple tunes for various octanes, stages, and hardware configurations
  • Installs directly to your factory ECU through the OBDII port
  • Massive gains: 328-478 HP / 391-443 FT-LBS, +63-211 WHP / +96-179 WFT-LBS, +25-111% WHP and +35-90% WTF-LBS
  • Multiple octanes: 87 AKI, 91 AKI, 93 AKI, 100 AKI, 104 AKI, E60-E85 Ethanol, and RON equivalents
  • Maximum focus on engine reliability: Advanced thermal protection, thermal management, turbo shaft speed, knock & LSPI protection, and more
  • Optional factory term limit matching powertrain warranty with APR Plus
  • No hardware required for Ethanol support
  • APR TCU Upgrade unlocks more torque output
  • Standard features such as an increased RPM soft limiter, left foot braking, brake boosting, speed limiter removal, and rescaled gauges
  • Auto Start/Stop defaults to your preference (on or off)
  • Linear and flat torque mapping and optional torque limited files for manual transmission
  • ECO mode limits output to promote fuel savings
  • No hardware required, but supports bolt on modifications and our TCU Upgrade
  • Stages available to support the factory Golf R / S3 Continental turbocharger
  • Flash counter does not increase with each flash
  • Free lifetime updates and 30 day money back guarantee
Brand APR
Emission Code7
Engine AspirationTurbocharged
Engine ConfigurationI4
Engine Displacement2.0L
Engine FamilyEA888 Gen 4
Engine OrientationTransverse
Fuel TypeGasoline
MarketNAR
Product TypeECU Upgrade
Part NumberECU-20T-EA888-4-LK2
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This part is legal under the provisions of EPAโ€™s Tampering Policy dated November 23rd, 2020. The company has reasonable basis (test results) to verify that this product allows the vehicle to operate within legal emissions standards and is therefore legal to be sold for on-street use in all states that accept the legal provisions of the Clean Air Act and the EPA Tampering Policy. This product is NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. Testing with the California Air Resources Board, in order to achieve 50-state compliance, is pending with CARB. Once testing is complete with California, and an E.O. number is issued, this product will be updated to 50-state legal status.
Important fuel quality information
Important fuel quality information
Find your boxcode and revision
Find your boxcode and revision
APR Plus Warranty Booklet
APR Plus Warranty Booklet
Only use fuel equal to or higher than specified. Never use a lower octane fuel. Always follow our fuel guide, especially with race fuel and Ethanol, where available. Dynos are for reference only. Results will vary. Contributing factors include the vehicle condition, vehicle setup, dyno type, dyno setup, environmental factors, fuel quality, and more. When describing fuels, the North American Region (NAR) uses the Anti-Knock Index (AKI), (RON+MON)/2, or (R+M)/2. The Rest of the World (ROW) uses RON. RON is Research Octane Number and MON is Motor Octane Number.

Have a question about this product?

  • Question

    Can I add pops and bangs with this tune ?

    By NL Lim on May 26, 2023

    Answer
    Not more than stock.
    Helpful?
  • Question

    Can I run E85 with a stock fuel system?

    By Hector Segura on May 15, 2023

    Answer
    Yes!
    Helpful?
  • Question

    Could I do a stage 2 93 octane tune without the TCU flash?

    By Brian Desrosiers on May 9, 2023

    Answer
    Yes
    Helpful?
  • Question

    Does the tune void the factory warranty?

    By Rastin.G on May 3, 2023

    Answer
    Limited powertrain warranty may be affected by modding
    Helpful?
  • Question

    Do you have a torque diagram for the stage 1 ECU tune on the Mk8 for those of us with the manual transmission?

    By Russell Faulk on March 31, 2023

    Answer
    Yes, use the drop down to select the graph you desire. 6MT/DSG have the same profile.
    Helpful?
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APR ECU Upgrade Stages

We're excited to announce our Engine Control Unit (ECU) Upgrades are now available for the Volkswagen GTI (MK8), Audi A3, Cupra Formentor and Leon, and Skoda Octavia with the 2.0 TSI EA888 Gen 4 engine with the Continental Simos 19 ECU! Expect massive gains with up to 328-478 HP with 391-443 FT-LBS of torque on tap, depending on octane and mods! This represents up to 111% more horsepower at the wheels, over stock! Additionally APR Plus is available in the USA which adds a factory term limit matching limited powertrain warranty and is offered on our 87 AKI or 91 AKI ECU upgrades!


Our new suite of Simos 19 ECU software comes after months of extensive research and development that is typically absent from the aftermarket. Our upgrade makes the engine more powerful and more exciting. Weโ€™ve extensively calibrated the system to work flawlessly in various driving conditions while retaining safety routines to protect your engine in the most demanding scenarios. This was all made possible by our engineering team's pursuit of perfection. Development vehicles were outfitted with additional sensors, including turbo shaft speed sensors, thermocouples, transducers, and more, along with our high speed direct RAM logging equipment, to feed valuable data to the team for analysis. After many hours of testing and tuning we created new calibrations that are fine tuned for several octanes and contain hundreds of map changes, with a vast array of safety features built in.


The result of this work is nothing short of astounding. Not only have we increase power, weโ€™ve added many safety routines to ensure the engine and components are protected under demanding scenarios. Additionally weโ€™ve added features to enhance the driving experience! Weโ€™ve added brake boosting / left foot braking, removed the vehicle speed limiter, raised the standing limiter, set auto start/stop to retain your last used mode, properly rescaled the boost and power gauges, developed a linear and flat torque curve, and linearized the throttle pedal.


To protect the engine and components weโ€™ve spent a considerable amount of time tuning safety routines, some of which were not active from the factory. The engine has advanced LSPI protection to prevent the engine from damage when being lugged in the tallest gears. Excessive intake air temperature, which is common on a dynamometer, will cause power to reduce to protect the engine. Furthermore more weโ€™ve added and calibrated protection routines for turbocharger pressure ratios, shaft speed, exhaust pressure, intake air temperature, turbo discharge temperature, coolant temperature, oil temperature, lambda, fueling system limitations, and more.


Our ECU Upgrades are available in multiple configurations. Installation of additional performance hardware, such as an intercooler or intake systems, may provide further performance improvements.

Performance Stages

OEM Turbo Software (Stage 1 and Stage 2)

The APR Stage 1 and Stage 2 ECU upgrades are designed for use on the factory turbocharger. The ECU alone with no hardware mods produces 328-375 HP and 391-427 FT-LBS with +63-105 WHP and +96-129 WFT-LBS over stock. By adding hardware such as our intake and intercooler, the tune automatically jumps to Stage 2 power levels and produces 345-392 HP and 391-428 FT-LBS with +76-122 WHP and +96-131 WFT-LBS over stock.


For manual transmission vehicles torque can be optionally limited to help alleviate stress on the factory clutch. On DSG/S-Tronic equipped vehicles, torque is also limited, but the limit is removed with our Transmission Control Unit (TCU) upgrade.


This tune is available for 87, 91, 93, 100, and 104 AKI fuel grades, as well as E60-E85 Ethanol in North America and 91, 95, 98, 104, and 108 RON fuel grades, and E60-E85 Ethanol in the ROW.


APR Plus is optionally available and adds our limited powertrain warranty to this stage. It's available for 87 or 91 AKI fuel grades in the USA and requires the use of original factory or APR approved hardware only.


When selecting a fuel grade, a minimum of that fuel grade must be used. Using higher fuel grades is permissible.

Upgraded Turbocharger Software (Stage 3)

The APR Stage 3 OEM ECU upgrade is designed for use with the larger OEM Continental turbocharger found on vehicles such as the MK8 Golf R and S3 (8Y)! This tune produces up to 410-478 HP and 400-443 FT-LBS with +142-211 WHP and +119-179 WFT-LBS over stock.


Transmission:

For manual transmission vehicles, torque can be limited to help alleviate stress on the factory clutch, but upgrading is highly recommended. On DSG/S-Tronic equipped vehicles, torque is also limited, but the limit is removed with our Transmission Control Unit (TCU) upgrade.


Fuel grades:

This tune is available for 91, 93, 100, and 104 AKI fuel grades, as well as E60-E85 Ethanol in North America. When selecting a fuel grade, a minimum of that fuel grade must be used. Using higher fuel grades is permissible.


Hardware requirements and recommendations:


  • OEM Golf R/S3 Continental Turbocharger System
  • APR Intake System (to achieve and sustain advertised power levels)
  • APR Intercooler System (to achieve and sustain advertised power levels)
  • APR TCU Upgrade or 6MT clutch upgrade (to run higher torque levels)


No modification is necessary to any exhaust components, fueling system, or sensors!


This upgraded turbo makes several changes to the GTIโ€™s factory intake system, diverter valve, and charge pipes routing. Depending on your current setup, different parts will be necessary.


Turbocharger:

Factory Golf R/S3 Continental Turbocharger (06Q145703G)


Fit Kit:

Factory Oil line (06Q145778D), gaskets, o-rings, and other one-time use bolts will need to be replaced.


Intake Pipes/Hoses:

The intake system requires a different turbo inlet that fits the larger Continental turbo. It also requires a DV recirculation bung. If your intake is stock, run the APR (CI100053) Intake System designed for the Golf R/S3. If you are running the APR (CI100052) Intake System, swap to the APR (CI100053-B) Intake Back Pipe and use the APR (CI100052-C) Turbo Inlet Adapter.


Charge Pipes/Hoses:

The continental turbo moves the factory DV off of the turbo and onto the throttle body inlet pipe, and uses a different DV. The turbo also removes the turbo muffler from the turbocharger. Use the APR (MS100222) Throttle Body Pipe with a factory DV (06N145710B) and DV recirculation hose (5WA145693C). The DV harness will need to be extended, or removed from the loom and relocated. If you have the APR (MS100227) turbo muffler eliminator, remove the eliminator and reuse the Turbo Outlet Hose. If you have the factory hoses, use the APR (MS100225) Turbo Outlet Hose.


Stay tuned for future APR conversion kits to make this process easier!

Horsepower and Torque Dyno Charts

Select a DynoSelect a Dyno Type

APR Calibration Report

StageHPTQMax GainMax GainWHP % Gain
WTQ % Gain
Stock As Reported by OEM (87 AKI) 241 HP
245 PS 
273 FT-LBS

Stock As Measured by APR (93 AKI) 272 HP 314 FT-LBS

Stage 1

87 AKI / 91 RONยน328 HP 391 FT-LBS +63 WHP +96 WFT-LBS 25%35%
91 AKI / 95 RONยน337 HP 398 FT-LBS +69 WHP +101 WFT-LBS 28%37%
93 AKI / 98 RON345 HP 404 FT-LBS +75 WHP +108 WFT-LBS 32%39%
100 AKI / 104 RON358 HP 410 FT-LBS +88 WHP +114 WFT-LBS 39%41%
104 AKI / 108 RON365 HP 416 FT-LBS +94 WHP +120 WFT-LBS 42%43%
E60-E85 (Ethanol)375 HP 427 FT-LBS +105 WHP +129 WFT-LBS 47%47%
Stage 2

87 AKI / 91 RONยน345 HP 391 FT-LBS +76 WHP +96 WFT-LBS 34%35%
91 AKI / 95 RONยน353 HP 398 FT-LBS +84 WHP +101 WFT-LBS 36%37%
93 AKI / 98 RON358 HP 404 FT-LBS +88 WHP +108 WFT-LBS 38%39%
100 AKI / 104 RON371 HP 410 FT-LBS +101 WHP +114 WFT-LBS 45%41%
104 AKI / 108 RON377 HP 416 FT-LBS +107 WHP +120 WFT-LBS 49%43%
E60-E85 (Ethanol)392 HP 428 FT-LBS +122 WHP +131 WFT-LBS 57%50%
Stage 3 OEM





91 AKI410 HP 400 FT-LBS +142 WHP +119 WFT-LBS 74%60%
93 AKI419 HP 402 FT-LBS +153 WHP +124 WFT-LBS 80%64%
100 AKI453 HP 431 FT-LBS +186 WHP +156 WFT-LBS 98%79%
104 AKI469 HP 439 FT-LBS +202 WHP +168 WFT-LBS 106%86%
E60-E85 (Ethanol)478 HP 443 FT-LBS +211 WHP +179 WFT-LBS 111%90%
ยน APR Plus available.


Limited torque software is available for 6MT. DSG/S-tronic vehicles require an APR TCU upgrade to meet advertised torque levels, otherwise torque will automatically limit.

Only use fuel equal to or higher than specified. Never use a lower octane fuel. Always follow our fuel guide, especially with race fuel and Ethanol, where available. Dynos are for reference only. Results will vary. Contributing factors include the vehicle condition, vehicle setup, dyno type, dyno setup, environmental factors, fuel quality, and more. When describing fuels, the North American Region (NAR) uses the Anti-Knock Index (AKI), (RON+MON)/2, or (R+M)/2. The Rest of the World (ROW) uses RON. RON is Research Octane Number and MON is Motor Octane Number.

The APR Difference

Who we are - Weโ€™re a global automotive engineering firm nestled in Opelika, Alabama. Our 80,000ftยฒ state-of-the-art facility is home to some of the best engineers in the industry, who have mastered hundreds of engine management systems. We have multiple engine and chassis dynos, and the resources necessary to create our ECU Upgrades in-house, from the ground up! We're not a new company either. We've been around since the 90's and we have a strong financial backing to ensure we'll be here to support you for decades to come!


What we do - We optimize everything to make your engine more powerful. We adjust air-fuel ratios, advance ignition, increase boost pressure, alter cam positions and lift profiles, and more, all depending on the type of engine and management system, of course! We donโ€™t take shortcuts, and we donโ€™t take risks. We do it the right way.


How we differ - With our proprietary calibration and direct ram access data logging tools and operating system code changes, weโ€™re able to make some of the strongest and fastest ECU upgrades, without needing costly end user adjustments. We work with the ECUs intelligent modeling and closed-loop systems, and beta test in multiple environments to create upgrades that work no matter where you drive!

APR Software Pricing Guide

Our performance software upgrade is available in multiple stages with optional features.

APR Plus (USA/Canada)
APR Plus ECU Upgrade with Limited Powertrain Warranty$1,599.95
APR Stage 1 and 2
APR Stage 1 and 2 ECU Upgrade$599.95
APR Stage 1 and 2 ECU Upgrade from APR PlusFree
APR Stage 3 (OEM)
APR Stage 3 (OEM) ECU Upgrade $999.95
APR Stage 3 (OEM) ECU Upgrade from APR Plus, Stage 1, or Stage 2$399.95

Purchasing, Guarantee, and Updates

Purchasing Optionsยน: Locate an APR Dealer. They will physically install software on your vehicle at their location. Alternatively with the APR Remote Tuning Service (RTS) you'll purchase an APR Tuning Cable and we, or a participating dealer, will remotely install software on your vehicleโ€ .


Money-Back Guarantee: Try our Software Upgrades for up to 30 days, risk free! If you are not satisfied, have it removed and refunded.ยฒ


Free Updates: If we make an update, add a standard feature, or if the manufacturer issues an update, you are entitled to a free update.ยณ


1. Availability: APR Software may not be available for all vehicles. Stages, programs, and features may not be available for all ECUs.
2. Money Back Guarantee: Excludes some Software Upgrades, such as those included with a hardware purchase. Labor charges are at the discretion of the installer.
3. Free updates: Subject to availability. Labor charges are at the discretion of the installer. Applicable to the original purchaser. Second hand owners may inquire with an APR Dealer about a software license transfer fee.
โ€ . Remote flashing: Excludes APR Plus. Excludes some platforms. Dealer participation will vary. Visit our product page for details.
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