The Golf MK8 R has been eagerly awaited by many in the tuning scene! Although the full range of the VW Golf Mk8 series has taken some time for people’s eyes to adjust to. Without a doubt, this new Golf Mk8 R is quick off the blocks, even from the Volkswagen factory.

Flash back to a few weeks ago, we were finally able to read and write to the ECU, so we decided to buy a mk8 r "shop" car for Indepth development on starting from stage 1.

The car in standard format with zero modifications reached an amazing 345 bhp 448nm torque above the factory stated figures of 320bhp. Stage 1 tuning seen this increase to a solid 403bhp 530nm torque with just software.

We then worked with AIRTEC Motorsport to do some development on the gen 4 bolt on parts such as intercooler, intake and the extra DSG coolers so we could proceed further onto the stage 2 tuning. But, while waiting for a decat downpipe to be made from Milltek, we fitted the bolt on parts to see the effect on the intake temperatures and figures. With the stage 1 software, intake temperatures halved with the intake and intercooler and gaining us another 11hp on the stage 1 software bringing it to 414bhp.

Later that week we took delivery of the Milltek decat downpipe and proceeded straight into fitting it. After it was all fitted it was time to get the car back into the dyno cell! Initial figures seen 436bhp and 568nm torque setting draggy times of 0-60 3.3 seconds.

 A few weeks driving the car around we were happy; it was a very sensible starting point.  Many miles later and no problems to report, we had no data from real life conditions on the roads, so before Santa Pod closed for the winter, we manged to get there for the last run of the year and managed a 1/4 time 11.6 at 115mph on a damp day.

Given how the car had responded over the past weeks/miles, and with real life data from Santa Pod, we decided to get it back on the dyno and iron out a few areas in the tuning on the TCU and ECU. After many runs and days working on the software to improve areas, we manged to unlock more power whilst still keeping everything happy and ended on 455bhp and 637nm torque; Making this a very fast car on the roads and making it to the top spot on the draggy leader board with a 0-60 3.27 seconds 1/4 on a local airfield using draggy at 11.5seconds at 119mph in the wet so not full traction.

The car will now be driven daily over the next month or so before we go to the next stage! We will keep you all updated on the build process.