5 Great Performance Upgrades for Your Audi or VW

01/24/2025

5 Great Performance Upgrades for Your Audi or VW

01/24/2025

Over recent years, Audi and Volkswagen have produced some of the most potent road-going performance machines in the brands’ storied histories. The sophisticated engineering in models like the Audi S3 and RS3, along with the VW GTI, Golf R, and Jetta GLI, allows these vehicles to deliver both impressive capability and remarkable everyday civility. For enthusiasts looking to push these machines further, there are options to extract additional performance without sacrificing their practical, daily-driver appeal.


“At APR, we support multiple ways to go about that – whether you’re after quicker acceleration, improved handling, or better braking,” says APR’s Arin Ahnell. “There’s really no wrong path to take.”


That said, having a sense of the direction you want to go with your modifications ensures that you’re getting the best bang for your buck. It can also help avoid situations where you might need to replace an upgraded component with a different one further down the road. With that in mind, we’re taking a closer look at a collection of upgrades offered by APR that work in concert with one another to deliver balanced performance improvements to your vehicle.



Ultralink

APR’s revolutionary Ultralink device lets you select from a number of different tunes available, and install new software calibrations for your vehicle’s engine and transmission. Ahnell says that, for most folks, this is the first step in the modification journey.


“You plug this device into your vehicle’s OBD-II port, and it’ll show you the various tuning options available for your vehicle’s engine. So, if you’re a new customer with a stock setup, you’d start with what we call our Stage 1 tune.”


Even with an otherwise unmodified car, these tunes can unlock a tremendous amount of power. “With some of these platforms, we’re talking over a hundred horsepower,” he says. “With an Mk8 Volkswagen Golf R, for example, you can get an additional 112hp just by using the ethanol Stage 1 tune.”


With many models, Ultralink offers a variety of different fuel maps. For the Mk8 Volkswagen GTI, APR offers unique calibrations for 87, 91, 93, 100, and 104-octane gasoline, along with an E85 tune. The benefits of the Ultralink also go beyond sheer horsepower, as the device can unlock features that aren’t available from the factory.



“It will re-map the throttle sensitivity so the response is more linear, remove the factory speed limiter, and on some platforms, we can also change how the exhaust valves behave to provide more character,” Ahnell explains. “Also, a lot of these cars come with an automatic stop/start feature that turns off the engine when the vehicle is idling, and from the factory, that feature resets itself to be enabled each time you start the vehicle. But with the Ultralink, we can give the vehicle a ‘memory’ of that feature’s last state. So, if you turn it off, it will stay off the next time you start the car.”


Ahnell also notes that the Ultralink is a great foundational upgrade because it’s designed to complement any upgrades you may add further down the road.


“For many folks, the next modifications they’ll do are intake and intercooler upgrades, and those work in conjunction with our software. When you have a Stage 1 tune from us with those aforementioned platforms and add these parts, it automatically jumps you to Stage 2 and takes advantage of those new parts to make even more power.”


Shop APR Ultralink now



Transmission (TCU) Tune

Another benefit of Ultralink is that it gives you the ability to recalibrate the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) for improved drivability and greater performance by downloading one of APR’s TCU tunes and installing it on the vehicle.


“The TCU tune does things like increase the torque capacity of the transmission, and on some platforms, it’ll let you unlock more torque,” says Ahnell. “The TCU tune will also optimize the shift points and the quickness of the shifts to improve acceleration.”


He notes that the TCU tune adds drivability improvements as well. “When you’re not at wide-open throttle, the TCU essentially operates on a different map. We listened to customer feedback, and one thing we heard from some folks is that they had experienced some transmission behaviors that caused odd hiccups when the vehicle was coming to a stop. So, we identified the issues that caused those situations and corrected them to smooth things out.”


Like the Stage 1 tune mentioned above, the TCU tune is designed to work in tandem with any future APR upgrades you might add down the line. “For example, if you were to jump up to a Stage 2 or Stage 3 tune after getting the TCU tune, and we have different transmission maps for those tunes, it’s a free TCU tune upgrade for you."



Wheels

Although many folks look at wheels as an aesthetic upgrade, there are performance benefits to be had as well. APR’s wheels are produced using a flow-form manufacturing process that enhances the wheel’s strength compared to a traditional cast alloy, and that additional strength allows APR to reduce the overall weight of the wheel. A few pounds at each corner of the car might not sound like much, but as Ahnell points out, rotational mass plays a significant role in the responsiveness of a vehicle.


“When you reduce rotational mass, the car will accelerate faster, stop quicker, and handle better. You’re going to feel it in every aspect of the vehicle’s performance.”


He also says that APR wheels enable drivers to select wider and potentially more aggressive tires than the factory wheels allow, and the offsets that APR has chosen are designed to ensure proper fitment with the vehicle’s factory chassis hardware and bodywork.


“Wheels are one of the first things that most folks tend to upgrade to give their vehicles a personal touch and a sportier appearance. And with these wheels, you have the performance benefits to back the look up.”


Shop APR Wheels now



Spring and Bump Stop Kits or Coilovers

Ahnell tells us that this is one of those situations where clearly establishing your performance goals can help prevent the need to retread familiar ground in the future.


“This is where folks generally choose between two different paths based on those goals: If they just want to lower the car and improve the handling response a bit, they’ll typically go with a spring and bump stop kit. But if they want to get more involved with their handling upgrades, they’ll opt for a coilover system that provides the ability to adjust the ride height and damper response to exactly where they want it.”


APR’s spring and bump stop kits outfit the vehicle with a dropped stance for a more aggressive look as well as a lower center of gravity. The kits’ increased spring rates also reduce body roll, squat, and dive, but it doesn’t come at a significant cost to comfort.


“We focused on making the vehicle handle better without resorting to harsh ride quality. We don’t want to give up the daily drivability of these vehicles, and we’re able to achieve that by upgrading the bump stops in conjunction with the springs. If you were to leave the factory bump stops in the vehicle and use lowering springs like these, it prevents the vehicle from using the full range of travel that the suspension offers because you’re basically always riding on those factory bump stops. But by using a bump stop that’s designed to be used with these springs, it allows us to go lower without running into that problem.”


Shop APR Suspension Kits and Components now

Coilovers, meanwhile, offer even greater performance benefits while also providing a significant amount of adjustability.


“You can set the ride height exactly where you want it to be, and when it comes to damper response, you have 32 steps to select from between the softest and stiffest settings. These kits also come with plates to adjust the camber of the front end, which you normally can’t do with a kit like this.” Dialing in more negative camber with these plates allows more of the tire to make contact with the ground during hard cornering, which equates to more grip at higher speeds during track sessions and spirited jaunts down your favorite backroads.


“Choosing between the spring kits and the coilovers really comes down to the level of investment that you want to make,” Ahnell says. “Are you looking to spend $300 or $1,000? Both options will provide a handling improvement with minimal compromise to ride quality, but if you get the spring kit and later decide to step up to coilovers, you’ll be replacing those springs with the coilover kit. So it’s worth considering whether or not you want that adjustability.”



Brakes

Quicker acceleration and improved cornering capability obviously play key roles in the pursuit of enhanced performance, but they’re not very useful if you can’t confidently rein things in when you need to.


“In order to really take advantage of the additional capability, the performance needs to be balanced,” Ahnell points out. “Once you start increasing horsepower, you’re naturally going to be on the brakes more because the car is going to get up to speed quicker, and you’ll need to scrub off speed more often. And if you’re on a technical stretch of road where you’re repeatedly asking a lot from the brakes in a short amount of time, you can quickly find yourself in a situation where the factory system starts to fade. And that’s going to erode a driver’s confidence.”


Like the suspension upgrades mentioned earlier, there are also two distinct options that enthusiasts can choose from to enhance their vehicle’s braking capabilities.


“One option is to upgrade the pads and rotors on the factory brake system,” he says. “That’s a good choice for someone who is not looking to spend too much money but wants to get tangible improvements from the brake system in terms of initial bite, pedal feel, and heat tolerance. Here, you’re getting a performance-focused pad, but it’s not so aggressive that it needs a lot of heat in it to work the way it’s supposed to or makes a bunch of noise during everyday driving. Meanwhile, the direct replacement discs are going to have an enhanced vane design for better heat management, as well as slotting on the rotor face that allows the gases from the pads to escape, which provides better surface contact. We even include temperature paint with these so you can verify that you’re not ‘outrunning’ your brake pads.”




APR also offers big brake kits for those looking to invest in serious stopping power. These kits utilize two-piece, 370mm semi-floating discs with six-piston calipers and braided stainless steel brake lines. “If the factory brake system just isn’t enough, this is the ticket,” he explains. “Once someone drives a car with one of these big brake kits on it, they never want to go back.”


Shop APR Big Brake Kits now


The kits are plug-and-play with vehicles like the Audi RS3 and Volkswagen Golf R, and Ahnell says that the calipers are designed to be compatible with wheel diameters of 18 inches or larger. “Most factory wheels on the platforms we support with these kits will be compatible. We provide a template so folks can check to make sure it will work with the wheels they’re using, and we also sell spacers that can be used if clearance proves to be an issue.”


With this collection of upgrades, Audi and Volkswagen enthusiasts can elevate the capability of their vehicles with balanced, well-rounded performance improvements. But that doesn’t mean that this is the only way to play the modification game. Ahnell notes that, rather than going to forums for potentially dubious information, folks can simply reach out to APR and get advice from the experts if they have any questions.


“These people aren't reading off a script. They’re enthusiasts who have a comprehensive understanding of our product line, and they’ll get you the answers you need.”


CALL +1 (800) 680-7921 TO TALK TO AN APR PRODUCT EXPERT NOW



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