Quick on-road test: Holy cow, APR!
04-03-2010, 09:38 AM
#11
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I believe if you do the free trial you'll still get charged for the labor. If you decide to keep it they just won't charge you for the labor a second time. At least that's what the guys at the shop I took my car did. You also get a 30 day guarantee. So, might as well just go for it and if you really don't like it get your $599 back. But I doubt you'll want to give up the upgrade once you have it.
And if all they are going to charge is $90 for the labor that's a good deal.
And if all they are going to charge is $90 for the labor that's a good deal.
04-03-2010, 12:38 PM
#12
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04-04-2010, 04:22 AM
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That's cool and all, it most definitely makes the difference in the tourque department marginal, if not virtually equal. But let's not forget about the differnce of 90 HP, lol.
04-04-2010, 11:36 AM
#14
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Test on the flat - and lots more fascinating stuff
We had a short lull in our windy weather early this morning, so I headed out to the floating bridge for some flat-run testing. Objectives were to determine total drag at freeway speeds (50-70mph), compare turbo lag in stock ECU program versus APR 93 octane program, and see how much acceleration that little 2.0T can manage at moderate rpm's.
It's a Drag
If one wants to know how hard the engine is really working, it's necessary to measure the drag force on the car, so it can be accounted for in the calculations. This was done by coast-down deceleration timings. To make a long story short, here are some numbers for total drag (aero + tires + drivetrain) in lbs., and the HP the engine needs to deliver to the wheels, to maintain steady speed:
55mph 124lb, 18HP
60mph 135lb, 22HP
65mph 146lb, 25HP
70mph 158lb, 29HP
Those drag numbers are directly proportional to the energy you use per mile, so they're important to fuel economy. At 70mph, you need to apply 27% more energy per mile to the wheels, than at 55mph.
Turbo Lag
This is difficult to measure via vehicle acceleration, but I was able to determine that full engine torque at 2500rpm develops within 1.2sec of stomping on the accelerator, and that figure may actually be closer to 1.0sec. Significantly, I found no difference between the stock and 93-octane ECU programs, regarding turbo spool-up time.
Acceleration
Now we're getting to the fun part. As before, the test was carried out in fourth gear, which keeps the engine in its max-torque rpm range (peak engine torque is my parameter of interest).
With the stock ECU program, the car managed 0.18g acceleration at 60mph. Switching over to the 93-octane program, that improved to 0.25g - a 37% increase. That's enough to make me smile. Shift down a gear or two, and it'll hold you in your seat very nicely, thank you.
Final Figures
In the final analysis, are we getting the promised performance from the 2.0T, and the APR programming? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" and the best part is that all of the promised power is appearing at the wheels!
With the 93-octane ECU program, the drivetrain is passing a full 320+ ft-lbs of crank torque to the wheels, and with the stock setting, I'm seeing a solid 250 ft-lbs.
Gosh, it looks like we're getting even a bit more than we paid for!
- AudiAnnie
"My half-V8 thinks it's a whole one."
It's a Drag
If one wants to know how hard the engine is really working, it's necessary to measure the drag force on the car, so it can be accounted for in the calculations. This was done by coast-down deceleration timings. To make a long story short, here are some numbers for total drag (aero + tires + drivetrain) in lbs., and the HP the engine needs to deliver to the wheels, to maintain steady speed:
55mph 124lb, 18HP
60mph 135lb, 22HP
65mph 146lb, 25HP
70mph 158lb, 29HP
Those drag numbers are directly proportional to the energy you use per mile, so they're important to fuel economy. At 70mph, you need to apply 27% more energy per mile to the wheels, than at 55mph.
Turbo Lag
This is difficult to measure via vehicle acceleration, but I was able to determine that full engine torque at 2500rpm develops within 1.2sec of stomping on the accelerator, and that figure may actually be closer to 1.0sec. Significantly, I found no difference between the stock and 93-octane ECU programs, regarding turbo spool-up time.
Acceleration
Now we're getting to the fun part. As before, the test was carried out in fourth gear, which keeps the engine in its max-torque rpm range (peak engine torque is my parameter of interest).
With the stock ECU program, the car managed 0.18g acceleration at 60mph. Switching over to the 93-octane program, that improved to 0.25g - a 37% increase. That's enough to make me smile. Shift down a gear or two, and it'll hold you in your seat very nicely, thank you.
Final Figures
In the final analysis, are we getting the promised performance from the 2.0T, and the APR programming? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" and the best part is that all of the promised power is appearing at the wheels!
With the 93-octane ECU program, the drivetrain is passing a full 320+ ft-lbs of crank torque to the wheels, and with the stock setting, I'm seeing a solid 250 ft-lbs.
Gosh, it looks like we're getting even a bit more than we paid for!
- AudiAnnie
"My half-V8 thinks it's a whole one."
04-04-2010, 12:22 PM
#15
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Thanks for posting the test results. Looks like a winner. I am debating APR but I don't have a quattro so I am a little scared to push the torque over 300 on a CVT. Does the valet mode allow adjustment of the torque?
04-04-2010, 01:53 PM
#16
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You wouldn't want to use valet mode
It isn't adjustable, but valet mode does greatly reduce usage of the turbo.
However, it isn't usable for general driving, because it imposes a speed limit of 45mph! You do not want to forget to switch out of valet mode, before heading onto the freeway.
However, it isn't usable for general driving, because it imposes a speed limit of 45mph! You do not want to forget to switch out of valet mode, before heading onto the freeway.
04-04-2010, 05:21 PM
#18
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Thanks for posting your results, AudiAnnie! Nice to get confirmation of real world results. On my AT tiptronic the upgrade has definitely change the shift points and I feel it's a smoother up shift from 1st to 2nd.
Living here in Colorado the highest octane you can get is 91. There are a few gas stations that offer 93 and/or 100. But cost per gallon is much higher and those gas stations are few and far in between.
BTW, what four programs did you get? Stock, 91, 93, and 100? Plus the optional programs, Fault Code Eraser, Unique Access Code, and Anti-Theft?
Living here in Colorado the highest octane you can get is 91. There are a few gas stations that offer 93 and/or 100. But cost per gallon is much higher and those gas stations are few and far in between.
BTW, what four programs did you get? Stock, 91, 93, and 100? Plus the optional programs, Fault Code Eraser, Unique Access Code, and Anti-Theft?
