Monthly Archives: November 2015

Troy is a longtime Audi enthusiast and member of the Board of Directors for Audi Club North America's Golden Gate Chapter, and he likes to go fast! Luckily his 034Motorsport Stage 2 Audi TT RS helps him do just that at local tracks, while maintaining a high level of refinement and reliability for everyday driving.

Stage 2 or Stage 2?

Troy's Suzuka Grey TT RS started out its modded life with an APR Stage 2 v2.1 ECU Upgrade and 034Motorsport Audi TT RS Downpipe & Midpipes, but Troy wasn't completely satisfied with its drivability and performance. Ability to smoothly modulate power delivery with the throttle was diminished after the APR tune, and the car struggled to deliver power consistently. Even after the addition of an upgraded front mount intercooler, power figures were lower than expected, and the throttle mapping issues lingered.

Earlier this year, Troy had the chance to experience our newly-released RS500 Audi TT RS Turbo Kit, and was very impressed with how smooth and consistent the power delivery was. His TT RS also went for a spin on our Mustang AWD Dynamometer, which allowed him to see what kind of numbers his APR-tuned car was putting down in comparison to equally-modified cars with 034Motorsport Stage 2 Performance Software. While Troy wasn't ready to commit to the hybrid turbocharger upgrade just yet, he was sold on the improved driving characteristics and safe power delivery of the 034Motorsport Stage 2 Audi TT RS Performance Software.

Troy made an appointment to switch tunes, and hasn't looked back since! His TT RS is putting down substantially more power on less boost, and throttle modulation is much smoother and more consistent than it ever was - even when compared to the factory tune. A back-to-back dyno comparison of the two tunes on Troy's car (without any hardware changes) is available below. By switching to 034Motorsport's Stage 2 Tune, Troy safely picked up an extra 20 horsepower and 15 foot pounds of torque at the wheels, on 3-4 PSI less boost.

Troy was also one of the first people to receive the newly-released 034Motorsport Audi TT RS 2.5 TFSI Carbon Fiber Cold Air Intake System a few weeks ago, which means his car is now making even more power than shown in the above dyno.

Track-Friendly Upgrades

Since Troy frequently takes his TT RS out on track, it needed more than just extra power to deliver the performance he wanted. A set of Cobalt XR-2 Front Brake Pads were installed along with a Cantrell Motorsports Front Brake Duct Kit to cope with the rigors and high temperatures of track driving. The factory brake dust shields were also removed.

Troy also fitted an MSS Kits Sport Adjustable Spring Kit onto the factory MagRide dampers to improve handling dynamics and reduce body roll, without negatively affecting ride quality. Finally, a 034Motorsport Dobgone Mount Bushing Pair was installed into the factory subframe to reduce unwanted drivetrain movement and allow for crisper shifts and more direct throttle inputs. After a proper alignment, Troy's TT RS was ready to hit the track, and has performed flawlessly since.

More to Come...

While his TT RS is already plenty fast around the track, Troy already has more upgrades planned for the future. He plans to start the next round of modding with a set of dedicated track wheels and tires, as well as some improvements to the factory suspension and brakes. Of course, a 034Motorsport RS500 Turbo Kit rounds out the list, as Troy's TT RS made some new friends at Sonoma Raceway a few weeks ago, and wants to be able to keep up!

Want to learn more about Troy's project? Learn more about how he first got into the Audi scene, and what his favorite mods are on his TT RS in the brief Q&A below!

Why did you decide to purchase a TT RS?

"I've been an Audi loyalist since my first one, a 1984 Coupe GT (a narrow body, non-quattro, ur-quattro coupe). That car had a 2.2liter 5-cyl, and I fell in love with the 12453 firing order and resulting exhaust warble, and overall quality of the marque. After that vintage Audi, I moved up to a 2008 A3 3.2q VR6 that was highly track prepped, then added a 2002 6MT allroad that had a few go fast bits by 034 and APR.

Back in 2012, I was in the process of putting in a custom order for a new TT-RS, but got cold feet on the price-point for a weekend track car, and instead bought a low mile 2007 BMW Z4 M-coupe, a car I always admired from afar. That car taught me a lot about driving dynamics, being RWD, and a pure sporstcar experience with little to no electronic nannies and an amazing 6MT and 8200 rpm redline.

But, I missed quattro and the overall satisfaction I got from Audis. I also kept on reading about how the TT-RS was a great track car, and reacted to mods with amazing results. In November 2013, while travelling for work in Detroit, I was searching a well-known online car website and came across a CPO TT-RS the exact way I had my order in back in 2012: Suzuka Grey, Alu Optics, Alcantara interior, Tech and Sport Exhaust. The car also only had 450 miles. Within 24 hrs, I had sold my Z4M coupe for top dollar, and put a deposit via phone, site unseen, on the TT-RS. I was obviously convinced it was meant to be!"

What do you use the car for? (Commuting, Track Days, Professional Getaway Driving, Formula D, etc.)

"This car isn't my daily driver (that's a 034 modded B8.5 allroad), and is primarily used for HPDE track weekends with Audi Club and Hooked on Driving, with the occasional Sunday drive or show and shine event. In fact, it got 1st place in it's class at Monterey Car Week's 'Legends of the Autobahn' this past summer."

What are your favorite upgrades so far, and why?

"I must say, outside of the 034 ECU tune, the 034 Catless Downpipe and Midpipes make such a huge difference to the car, both performance and sound. It's like the beast is just unleashed, and I love how the turbo spools with a sound reminiscent a big turbo diesel truck. Onlookers usually look after hearing the car at part throttle, and get a confused look on their face at the small sports car in view instead of truck. The exhaust system is hilariously loud, thanks to (or is that in no thanks to?) the Borla Cat Back system."

Do you have any future plans for the TT RS?

"Overall, I want to continue to hone my skills with the car, while making careful mods since that's half the fun for me. I'm more than happy with the power, and just need to learn to use as much of it as possible on the track. So the future mods will be directed at harnessing the power better with chassis improvements, vs making it faster in a straight line."

Troy's Stage 2 Audi TT RS | Featured Upgrades

• MSS Kits Sport Adjustable Springs
• Stage 2 Audi TT RS ECU Tune by 034Motorsport
• Wagner Tuning Evo3 FMIC
• 034Motorsport Audi TT RS Air Intake
• 034Motorsport Density Line Dogbone Mounts
• 034Motorsport 2.5 TFSI Catless Downpipe
• 034Motorsport Secondary Cat-Delete Midpipes
• Borla Atak Cat-Back Exhaust
• Cobalt XR2 Front Brake Pads
• Removed Brake Dust Shields
• Cantrell Motorsports Front Brake Ducting Kit

Troy's Upgrade Wishlist (In Planned Order)

• Track Wheel & Tire Setup - 275/40R18 Nitto NT01 Tires on 18x9 Motorsport Wheels
• 034Motorsport "Hella Flush Stance" Lowering Kit
• 034Motorsport Subrame Locking Collar Kit
• 034Motorsport Adjustable Rear Sway Bar
• 034Motorsport Track Density Strut Mounts
• 034Motorsport Motorsport Control Arms
• Girodisc Front & Rear Motorsport Rotors
• Raeder Motorsport Rear Spoiler
• 034Motorsport RS500 Hybrid 2.5 TFSI Turbo Upgrade

Photos by Mike Bruno (@mikebruno) / Installation by Drive Auto Works / Driver Profile: @active_defense_rs

Keith purchased his Panther Black Audi TT RS in May of 2014 after seeing Matt Farrah's review of a modified example on /DRIVE. Initially drawn to the TT RS by it performance, rarity, and tunability, Keith decided to use his car for both daily-driving duties and weekends at the track. The need for functional upgrades which are effective on the street and track - paired with Keith's desire to push his car's performance to the next level - quickly brought him to 034Motorsport.

034Motorsport has been modifying turbocharged 5-cylinder Audi engines for over a decade, and developing performance products and tuning for the Audi TT RS since it first arrived in the USA. In addition to purchasing one of the first RS models in North America back in 2011, 034Motorsport also took delivery of the first and only Audi TT RS VLN Race Car to be delivered to the US from Germany, which later won the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Needless to say, Keith had made it to the right corner of the internet!

Keith started his build at Drive Auto Works in New Jersey with bolt-on upgrades to improve his TT RS's handling and power output. While the TT RS is already an agile platform, it shares a few components with the base model TT which can be upgraded to improve steering feel and handling dynamics. To counter body roll and reduce the platforms natural tendency to understeer, Keith installed a 034Motorsport Adjustable Solid Rear Sway Bar and 034Motorsport's Spherical Rear Trailing Arm Bearing Kit. He also added a Density Line Dogbone Mount Pair and Billet Torque Arm to reduce unwanted drivetrain movement and improve shifting precision.

With suspension and drivetrain upgrades taken care of, Keith turned his attention to the TT RS's award-winning 2.5 TFSI turbocharged inline-five engine. Keith installed an upgraded intercooler, downpipe, and air intake, as well as a Borla ATAK Cat-Back Exhaust System to free up some horsepower and help keep IATs low when pushing the car hard on track. He also had the car flashed with APR's Stage 2+ ECU Upgrade.

While the added power was nice at first, Keith soon became accustomed to it and was looking for more. Around the same time, 034Motorsport released the RS500 Audi TT RS Turbo Kit, which was featured on The Smoking Tire. Yielding drastic increases in midrange and top-end power over the stock turbo, as well as driveability and throttle mapping improvements over APR's Stage 2+ tuning, the RS500 kit was an ideal choice for Keith's TT RS.

Featuring a LOBA LO500P Hybrid Turbocharger with Billet Compressor Wheel, LOBA High-Pressure Fuel Pump Upgrade, and 034Motorsport Performance Software, the RS500 Turbo Kit is capable of delivering up to 500 crank horsepower and 520 foot-pounds of torque. While the stock turbo starts to drop off at ~5,500 RPM, the RS500 Turbo Kit continues to build power all the way to the new 7,100 RPM redline without sacrificing spool or low-end torque.

After weighing his options for more power and deciding that the RS500 setup would provide the best combination of gains, value, and reliability, Keith reached out his friends (and 034Motorsport Dealers/Installers) at Drive Auto Works to order the kit and schedule the install. The experienced and highly-skilled team there did an excellent job installing the hardware and flashing the new software onto Keith's ECU using the PL34 Hand-Held Flash Loader, which is included with ever RS500 Turbo Kit.

Keith's TT RS is now significantly faster and easier to drive, without sacrificing the 2.5 TFSI engine's fantastic powerband and reliability. We'll let Keith tell you more about his car and what he thinks about the RS500 Turbo Kit in his own words below.

When did you first purchase the car, and what made you choose the TT RS?

"I purchased the car in May of 2014 shortly after seeing the original Smoking Tire review for the Stage 3 APR TT-RS. I had never seen a TT-RS before and just looking at the preview image on the video, I thought the car looked ferocious so it was basically love at first sight. Learning from the video how powerful the car could be modified to be, how agile it could handle, and frankly how rare it was, I was hooked. I think it may have been less than a week between discovering the car to purchasing it and I haven’t regretted the decision for a moment."

What do you use the car for? (Commuting, Track Days, Professional Getaway Driving, Formula D, etc.)

"She’s primarily my daily driver but I use her for track events too. Living with the available power day-to-day really isn’t an issue for me. If you’re not looking for the power you don’t really have to worry about it forcing itself upon you, but I would say the feedback on the pedal is constantly reminding you it’s there which I like a lot."

What were your goals when modding the car?

"I think a big part of me just wanted to be the fastest car on the block. I think it’s natural being a tuner always looking to push to the next level. I would make a modification and in no time be thinking 'What’s next? How can I make it better?' I think after seeing how capable the car was and realizing the potential it had, my goal became making sure that potential was realized."

What made you choose the RS500 Turbo Kit, and does it live up to your expectations?

"Simply put, the decision to buy the RS500 kit was a bang for buck win. I previously took the car to a Mustang Dyno while running APR Stage 2+ and the results came back with 335 AWHP. Since I knew how expensive the APR route was to go Stage 3, seeing this kit at a more reasonable price point that would bump me up to 413 AWHP on 100 octane; it was a done deal. Now that I've put somewhere around 6000 miles on the kit, I’m still very impressed with the spool time, power delivery, and jump in overall performance. It met my expectations and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for you guys."

How does the RS500 powerband compare to the stock turbo one?

"Simply put, it hits harder and lasts longer. Also, I really get a kick out of the last 1500 RPM because it definitely does make power all the way to redline. I think you guys did a good job sorting out the sport mode with the tune as well because I always felt the stock sport mode was a bit too anxious. The sport mode power band is less peaky and shifts are smoother which is probably what I should be using on the track but I've got to be honest, I've become addicted to the torque happy default driving mode so I usually leave it there. "

Is there anyone you'd like to thank for their help with their project?

"The team at Drive Auto Works for all of the work they've done on the car, my team ‘Audi Sport Club NYC’ for keeping me motivated, and my friend Mike Bruno for all of the awesome automotive photography!"

Keith's Audi TT RS with RS500 Turbo Kit | Mod List

• 034Motorsport RS500 Turbo Kit for Audi TT RS
• 034Motorsport Audi TT RS Carbon Fiber Cold Air Intake System
• LOBA 2.5 TFSI High-Pressure Fuel Pump Upgrade
• 034Motorsport Adjustable Rear Sway Bar
• 034Motorsport Rear Trailing Arm Spherical Bearings
• 034Motorsport Density Line Dogbone Mount Pair
• 034Motorsport Billet Torque Arm
• APR Downpipe
• APR Intercooler
• Borla ATAK CatBack Exhaust