APR ECU Upgrade - 2.0 TSI Gen 3 IS38 Mk7, Mk7.5 Golf R,8V Audi S3, 8S TTS

APR is pleased to present the ultimate engine control unit (ECU) upgrade for the 2.0T EA888 Gen 3 engine!

APR’s ECU Upgrades are the best dollar-per-horsepower modification one can make to the 2.0T engine. The upgrades dramatically increase horsepower and torque, making for an exceptionally quicker and more exciting vehicle. This is made possible through APR’s optimization of the factory engine management system to take full advantage of the engine’s capabilities, without needing any end user adjustment. The software loads to the factory ECU through the OBD-II port, resulting in a clean and headache-free install. Furthermore, for those looking for tuning with a limited powertrain warranty, APR Plus has you covered!

APR ECU Upgrade Stages

APR’s ECU Upgrades are available in multiple stages and torque levels, supporting various octanes both with or without any hardware or transmission modifications. APR Plus software is available featuring a factory matching limited powertrain warranty. Specific software is available for use with a high flow Race DP exhaust system, while all stages are fully compatible with an upgraded intake, intercooler, catback exhaust, or other minor bolt on modifications. Each stage is offered with special “Low Torque” software, designed to limit peak torque for use with an unmodified factory manual clutch, or DSG transmission. Finally, new for 2019, the auto start-stop feature is now disabled by default, and can be enabled by clicking the button!

APR Plus ECU Upgrade with a Limited Powertrain Warranty

The APR Plus ECU Upgrade is the first step towards making more power, and it includes our limited powertrain warranty. This simple upgrade requires no engine hardware modifications, and produces 357 HP with 349 FT-LBS of torque. Gains as high as 66 HP and 68 FT-LBS of torque are available throughout the power band, making the vehicle exceptionally quicker in all scenarios.

The APR Plus ECU Upgrade matches the performance of our Stage 1 ECU Upgrade (91 octane low torque version). To get even more power, you can add any of our other Stage 1 compatible products and still be covered under the APR Plus warranty! This only excludes our Race DP and turbo/fueling upgrades. To learn more about APR Plus, please visit the APR Plus website.

If you're not interested in the APR Plus limited powertrain warranty, and want even more power, check out our other Stages.

APR Stage I ECU Upgrade

The APR Stage I ECU Upgrade is the first step towards making more power! This simple upgrade requires no engine hardware modifications, and produces 357-381 HP with 349-392 FT-LBS of torque. Gains as high as 66-93 HP and 68-109 FT-LBS of torque are available throughout the power band, making the vehicle exceptionally quicker in all scenarios.

The upgrade is offered in both high and low torque versions, and is available for various fuel grades. The high torque upgrade may require an upgraded clutch on manual transmission vehicles, or APR's TCU Upgrade on 6 Speed DQ250 DSG/S tronic vehicles to avoid clutch slip, so low torque software is available, offering an impressive 349-366 FT-LBS of torque.

To get more power, the vehicle can be outfitted with an upgraded intake, intercooler, catback exhaust and other small modifications without requiring any new modification to the ECU. For those looking for even more power, check out our Stage 1 ECU upgrade. APR recommends using colder heat-range spark plugs (Ex: NGK-R7437-9), properly gapped to a tighter gap (Ex: 0.024" ±0.002" or 0.6mm ±0.05mm), properly installed and torqued (Ex: Per the manufacturers specifications), and maintained with a shorter changer interval (Ex: 10,000-15,000 mi or 16,000-24,000 km).

Race Fuel Information: Higher octane fuel typically allows APR’s engineers to create more power and torque by achieving greater ignition advance. However, on this application, APR’s engineers were able to achieve MBT, or minimum spark timing for best torque, on 93 AKI fuel at Stage II power levels. MBT is essentially the point where greater ignition advance no longer results in more power and torque.

Acceleration Results

Dyno testing is a great way to gauge power increases over the entire rev range but may not translate to real world performance. Through GPS based acceleration testing, APR’s Engineers were able to verify increases made on the dyno translated to a faster and quicker vehicle on the street.

The results were astounding. By simply adding the APR Stage I ECU upgrade, the US spec 2015 Golf R DSG test vehicle completed every test quicker than the stock vehicle by a large margin. 0-60 MPH times were reduced to 3.8 seconds while the 30-130 MPH test was completed 5.9 seconds faster! Acceleration tests were conducted all the way to 140 MPH, which was reached 9.1 seconds faster with APR Stage I Software.

APR ECU Upgrade Included Features:

Acceleration Enhancements:
Beyond horsepower and torque enhancements, APR’s Calibration Engineers were able to increase the acceleration rate of the vehicle through other calibrations changes. Ignition delay is reduced resulting in a more responsive pedal without altering overall throttle sensitivity. Furthermore, throttle lag commonly noticed at slow speeds and while reapplying throttle has been reduced.

Speed Limiter:
APR’s ECU upgrade increases the vehicle's top speed limiter for blistering sprints around the track or across the Autobahn without the speed limiter shutting down the fun.

Left Foot Braking:
APR's Left Foot Braking feature allows more control over the vehicle’s throttle. The factory equipped vehicle's throttle input is disabled while pressing the accelerator and brake at the same time. Left Foot Braking, a common motorsport driving technique, allows the driver complete control over the vehicle’s throttle and braking system, which may give the vehicle the edge it needs at the track.

Motorsport Rev Limiter:
APR’s Motorsport Rev Limiter allows the engine to reach max RPM without the ECU slowing down acceleration nearly 150 RPM earlier. The result is more power to redline and a definable redline feeling as seen on Audi Quattro GMBH vehicles such as the RS4, RS5 and R8.

Increased Fuel Economy:
APR’s Calibration Engineers paid close attention to several parameters directly related to fuel economy, especially while cruising at highway speeds. Depending on driving style and fuel quality, better miles per gallon may be achieved.

APR Exhaust Crackle:
Enhance your exhaust note just like Audi’s latest RS models! The APR Exhaust Crackle, lovingly called “pops and bangs” by many, adds a distinct crackle to the exhaust note upon lifting off the throttle, gear changes on a manual, decelerating, or while free revving at a stand standstill. This optional feature is available at no cost, at the time of flashing, for most compatible ECUs at stage 2 and higher stages. For convenience, the feature is only enabled when the vehicle is placed into sport/race mode. Lastly, for safety, this feature has built in hardware protection limits, and will only function when it’s considered safe to do so.

Available Octanes, Stages, and Options:

• Stage 1 (Low & High Torque) - 91 AKI
• Stage 1 (Low & High Torque) - 93 AKI
• Stage 1 (Low & HIgh Torque) - 100 AKI
• Stage 2 (Low, Medium & High Torque) - 91 AKI
• Stage 2 (Low, Medium & High Torque) - 93 AKI
• Stage 3 (Low, Medium & High Torque) - 100 AKI
• Single program only

Application Guide:

• Audi TTS [MKIII / Typ 8S] 2.0 TFSI EA888 Gen 3 All Transmissions
• Audi S3 [MKIII / Typ 8V] 2.0 TFSI EA888 Gen 3 All Transmissions
• Seat Leon Cupra [MKIII / Typ 5F] 2.0 TSI EA888 Gen 3 All Transmissions
• Volkswagen Golf R (MK7 / A7 / Typ 5G) All 2.0 TSI EA888 Gen 3 All Transmissions