I have an introduction thread and figured I’d post here too.
2018 Volkswagen Golf R
Oryx White Metallic
7-speed DSG (dual clutch)
At this, point pretty much FBO + E85:
- Integrated Engineering v2 intake
- 034 Motorsport turbo inlet/turbo muffler delete
- 034 Motorsport 4" catted downpipe
- Scorpion non-valved/non-resonated catback
- Forge turbo blanket
- AMS intercooler
- Autotech HPFP internals
- EQT Stage 2 93/E85
- 18"x9" +35 Enkei RPF1's
- 235/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
Not yet dynoed, tracked, or quarter miled, this is my everyday dream car that turned out to be everything I dreamt of and more.
the stoRy:
Ever since, thanks to my friend working at Carmax back then, I got to test drive a good number of 1.8T and VR6 Mk4 GTI’s, I’ve loved Volkswagen. Always quick and always felt somehow cooler than anything I’d owned. Unfortunately I never got to drive an R32.
i owned a few domestic V8’s, a handful of RWD Japanese cars, and two turbo Subarus, the first of which had a TD05 20G, cams, and a 100 octane tune. Never got a good run in it but it was brutal. 365whp/395wtq on Komet’s Mustang dyno. All that torque from 3k onward plus very short JDM gearing made it a blast. A tuning error cost it the life of its 2nd motor and I sold it stock, as I was laid off at the time. The second was a stock (and abhorrently laggy!) ‘08 STi.
i took a break for awhile until the quarantine got me itchy. Life’s too short, etc. etc. I almost bought a new R, except no one could get me Tornado Red. I loved the R’s since the now legendary Mk4 R32, and once I saw how g0$&?€n fast Stage 1 Mk7’s were going it was on.
Long story short, I could not find any Mk7/7.5 R’s with DSG’s anywhere near me and almost bought a ‘17 S3 until this R came up at Carmax in Merrillville. I called immediately, left work early, and bought it that night. One owner Florida car, low miles, stock. The only flaw was a little side bolster wear on the drivers seat. That’s life.
The R is lighter than the S3, more versatile/spacious/practical, and being one year newer, it had the 7 speed DSG instead of 6. And it looked just right on those stock 19’s (which I quickly grew to loathe). It was, and still is, the one.
Even in stock form, the car blew me away. So smooth and civilized yet pretty damned quick stock. That didn’t stop me from going Stage 1 within two months via Unitronic.
A month later, curiosity bought me a downpipe and the 3 components that comprise the turbo inlet. I got all that installed and reflashed the car. Much stronger/more immediate low end response, more power under the curve all the way through the top end, and it responded really well to an E30 blend.
The difference between 93 and E30 was enough to have me wanting more ethanol. Unitronic doesn’t offer an E85 tune and is known for being a bit conservative overall, though very smooth and linear. This brought me to Equilibrium Tuning aka EQT, who has an off-the-shelf (OTS) E85 Stage 2 tune that required only a rebuilt high pressure fuel pump (these cars have 2).
The benefits seemed almost too good to be true: more power, cooler cylinder temps, the ease of filling up at a normal pump with no more blending, AND the fact that it’s cheaper? No way. The only drawbacks? The initial investment and the much shittier gas mileage.
This tune/fueling puts a stock turbo R right around 400whp/420+wtq (Dynojet numbers) and potential mid 11’s in the 1/4.
Considering the vast majority of the added power is all in the tune and downpipe, the car is just amazing. Add to it the unrelenting grip on the 4motion AWD and versatility of a hatch, and it’s unbeatable for me. The only other cars I’d drive, both of which are less child friendly, are an Audi RS3 or a GT350/500
2018 Volkswagen Golf R
Oryx White Metallic
7-speed DSG (dual clutch)
At this, point pretty much FBO + E85:
- Integrated Engineering v2 intake
- 034 Motorsport turbo inlet/turbo muffler delete
- 034 Motorsport 4" catted downpipe
- Scorpion non-valved/non-resonated catback
- Forge turbo blanket
- AMS intercooler
- Autotech HPFP internals
- EQT Stage 2 93/E85
- 18"x9" +35 Enkei RPF1's
- 235/40R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S
Not yet dynoed, tracked, or quarter miled, this is my everyday dream car that turned out to be everything I dreamt of and more.
the stoRy:
Ever since, thanks to my friend working at Carmax back then, I got to test drive a good number of 1.8T and VR6 Mk4 GTI’s, I’ve loved Volkswagen. Always quick and always felt somehow cooler than anything I’d owned. Unfortunately I never got to drive an R32.
i owned a few domestic V8’s, a handful of RWD Japanese cars, and two turbo Subarus, the first of which had a TD05 20G, cams, and a 100 octane tune. Never got a good run in it but it was brutal. 365whp/395wtq on Komet’s Mustang dyno. All that torque from 3k onward plus very short JDM gearing made it a blast. A tuning error cost it the life of its 2nd motor and I sold it stock, as I was laid off at the time. The second was a stock (and abhorrently laggy!) ‘08 STi.
i took a break for awhile until the quarantine got me itchy. Life’s too short, etc. etc. I almost bought a new R, except no one could get me Tornado Red. I loved the R’s since the now legendary Mk4 R32, and once I saw how g0$&?€n fast Stage 1 Mk7’s were going it was on.
Long story short, I could not find any Mk7/7.5 R’s with DSG’s anywhere near me and almost bought a ‘17 S3 until this R came up at Carmax in Merrillville. I called immediately, left work early, and bought it that night. One owner Florida car, low miles, stock. The only flaw was a little side bolster wear on the drivers seat. That’s life.
The R is lighter than the S3, more versatile/spacious/practical, and being one year newer, it had the 7 speed DSG instead of 6. And it looked just right on those stock 19’s (which I quickly grew to loathe). It was, and still is, the one.
Even in stock form, the car blew me away. So smooth and civilized yet pretty damned quick stock. That didn’t stop me from going Stage 1 within two months via Unitronic.
A month later, curiosity bought me a downpipe and the 3 components that comprise the turbo inlet. I got all that installed and reflashed the car. Much stronger/more immediate low end response, more power under the curve all the way through the top end, and it responded really well to an E30 blend.
The difference between 93 and E30 was enough to have me wanting more ethanol. Unitronic doesn’t offer an E85 tune and is known for being a bit conservative overall, though very smooth and linear. This brought me to Equilibrium Tuning aka EQT, who has an off-the-shelf (OTS) E85 Stage 2 tune that required only a rebuilt high pressure fuel pump (these cars have 2).
The benefits seemed almost too good to be true: more power, cooler cylinder temps, the ease of filling up at a normal pump with no more blending, AND the fact that it’s cheaper? No way. The only drawbacks? The initial investment and the much shittier gas mileage.
This tune/fueling puts a stock turbo R right around 400whp/420+wtq (Dynojet numbers) and potential mid 11’s in the 1/4.
Considering the vast majority of the added power is all in the tune and downpipe, the car is just amazing. Add to it the unrelenting grip on the 4motion AWD and versatility of a hatch, and it’s unbeatable for me. The only other cars I’d drive, both of which are less child friendly, are an Audi RS3 or a GT350/500