2014 RS5 Upgraded - AR

[Lofwyr]

Had the Stage 1 APR flash done today. Really improves throttle response and midrange torque. A bit expensive at over $900 but worth it as I didn't like the lag of the car stock. I can finally drive in Auto with great response and I enjoy the extra power all around. Dynamic / Sport is also much smoother. Recommend! I'm just out of factory warranty so not concerned.

Also had a performance exhaust place take out the two small and one center resonators and put in a custom xpipe. For $260 bucks it gives me all the sound and violence I need. It is nice and quiet with the valves closed without any drone. Opened up it sounds like race car (shop said "this thing sounds like a Ferrari") - very loud and aggressive. A bit raspy but still refined. I really like it and it makes driving very exciting. I revved it in my driveway and scared my wife who was standing about 30 feet away. :)

It is dark outside and raining but I'll have to take a video soon when I'm out of my neighborhood. Pretty sure the neighbors wouldn't appreciate the car right this moment.

To me, for the price hard to beat these two mods. I'm now good to go for awhile. Eventually when the car fund is back up again I'd like to start on the other side of the engine with an Eventuri intake. Too pricey right now after buying the car and these two additions.

[ffearless]

Had the Stage 1 APR flash done today. Really improves throttle response and midrange torque. A bit expensive at over $900 but worth it as I didn't like the lag of the car stock. I can finally drive in Auto with great response and I enjoy the extra power all around. Dynamic / Sport is also much smoother. Recommend! I'm just out of factory warranty so not concerned.

Also had a performance exhaust place take out the two small and one center resonators and put in a custom xpipe. For $260 bucks it gives me all the sound and violence I need. It is nice and quiet with the valves closed without any drone. Opened up it sounds like race car (shop said "this thing sounds like a Ferrari and I agree" - very loud and aggressive. A bit raspy but still refined. I really like it and it makes driving very exciting. I revved it in my driveway and scared my wife who was standing about 30 feet away. :)

It is dark outside and raining but I'll have to take a video soon when I'm out of my neighborhood. Pretty sure the neighbors wouldn't appreciate the car right this moment.

To me, for the price hard to beat these two mods. I'm now good to go for awhile.

Congrats. I'm glad you like it!

[Lofwyr]

This video from marzz is pretty close to how mine sounds now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbh4TZplKg8

Note that this was recorded in a tunnel with the windows open. With windows closed and in normal open conditions it isn't so extreme.

Source: http://www.a5oc.com/forums/rs5-gener...19-rs5-oz.html

[doug97gxe]

I believe the major benefits of this tune is the brake boosting and anti-theft features

[namvar]

I believe the major benefits of this tune is the brake boosting and anti-theft features

brake boosting?

[Lofwyr]

I don’t think so Doug. The smoother shifting, throttle response and extra midrange pull is very obvious.

[doug97gxe]

brake boosting?

Yeah here is the details




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[namvar]

Thanks Doug

[doug97gxe]

no prob

[doug97gxe]

Also the security features




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[Lofwyr]

Man, just took it out and wrung it out. Sounds angry and amazing. Raspy but I like it. When you shift at high RPM's it makes an amazing sound. Love it! It is very loud in dynamic.

I don't know what I would do with more power. It already pulls hard to redline and you are far up past speed limits in seconds. The quattro hooks up amazingly well even in the wet conditions here in Atlanta today. Have car seats in the back for my little ones - they love it!

Future plans are header, intake, real exhaust, chrome exhaust tips, ecodes, and perhaps a front splitter and side skirts. Wish the ecodes were not so expensive. I'd consider a supercharger down the road if proven reliable.

Ordered some badges and other little things from Amazon. Subtle but I'm already far from stealth at this point! :) I need to put on my small APR badge. Will get some pictures soon.

If anyone in Atlanta wants to meet up during the holidays let me know.

[Lofwyr]

APR Badge found a home


At rest - I should get a Audi flag for the wall


Looking good - need to bring in the trash cans!

[mcbuck]

Happy that you are getting to know your RS5, are loving it, and beginning to mod it.....but have to admit, I am not a fan of the APR badge on the back.

[Lofwyr]

Yeah, I know. Personal taste! I like it and that is all that matters :)

I'm 38 but a big kid

[mcbuck]

Yeah, I know. Personal taste! I like it and that is all that matters :)

I'm 38 but a big kid

Ha! I got 10 more years on you, and my wife keeps wondering when I’m gonna grow up.


Buck
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[Lofwyr]

Ha! Never happens. I’m in full mid life crisis mode per my wife.

[Lofwyr]

What do you all think is the max HP and torque with an upgraded intake, header, exhaust, APR setup? Maybe close to 500hp? Planning on adding in a nice header and intake system later in 2018.

[Beast]

Headers will cost min 5K USD

[Ape Factory]

^^^Unless JHM comes up with something more affordable. Right now your money is better spent on suspension, wheels and tires.

Edit: Add Beast's carbon fiber body parts to that list

[Lofwyr]

Wow! Might have to just do an intake and see if something more reasonable comes out.

[JamesRS5]

The Eventuri intake is a genuine 20hp and similar torque, the best gains from the exhaust can be had by swapping the downpipes, the OE pipes have several restrictions along their short length. You’d free up another 10hp by swapping those out.

The AWE resonated downpipes will be my next mod as I wait for the JHM tune to be released.

Not really much else possible for this engine after the breathing mods and ECU tune until JHM produce the supercharger.

[s vier]

Then you (OP)should think about putting the hog on a diet. Light wheels, carbon brakes, euro bucket seats and the Titanium catback are good starting points.

[namvar]

Here's my take on adding more oooomph to our RS5s.

1) Eventuri intake. Engine looks awesome now. Engine sound has more rumble to it. My butt meter tells me I have a bit more torque and HP.
2) Exhaust. Not sure how much more we can get out of this engine with the different exhausts. So I am going to go with the "looks great" option and the tone that I prefer and get the Akropovich . It weights about 20lbs less than the OEM exhaust so there is that.
3) I'll be swapping out the rotors with ECS ones after the car fund recovers. They weigh slightly less but the black hub will look much better against my black wheels

So the theme for mr mid life crisis here is: optics first and if I get some added benefits then that's just great.

Mid christmas morning brain diarrhea.. sorry for the rambling

[JamesRS5]

That’s the way I went, I picked parts that look good but also had a marked improvement in performance. Wheels and brake have halved the unsprung weight, the intake added 21hp as tested on the dyno, I’d been bitten by a droning Akrapovic exhaust in the past and its power gains aren’t as good as the Capristo so I went with the latter (I also don’t really like the pig snout styling of the exhaust tips on the Akra).

Look at the Milltek dyno results, replacing the squashed and twisted OE downpipes really frees up the system and gives some pretty nice gains, unfortunately Milltek don’t sell the downpipe separately but AWE will sell you a resonated downpipe (if you don’t want to add droning) for an eye watering $950 for the two pipes.

I go out of warranty next year so I’m ready for a tune and depending on the design of supercharger JHM come up with, I’ll be looking at that too, I’m really hoping they use a similar design to the APR and PES with a chargecooled unit mounted in the hot vee.

[Beast]

That’s the way I went, I picked parts that look good but also had a marked improvement in performance. Wheels and brake have halved the unsprung weight, the intake added 21hp as tested on the dyno, I’d been bitten by a droning Akrapovic exhaust in the past and its power gains aren’t as good as the Capristo so I went with the latter (I also don’t really like the pig snout styling of the exhaust tips on the Akra).

Look at the Milltek dyno results, replacing the squashed and twisted OE downpipes really frees up the system and gives some pretty nice gains, unfortunately Milltek don’t sell the downpipe separately but AWE will sell you a resonated downpipe (if you don’t want to add droning) for an eye watering $950 for the two pipes.

I go out of warranty next year so I’m ready for a tune and depending on the design of supercharger JHM come up with, I’ll be looking at that too, I’m really hoping they use a similar design to the APR and PES with a chargecooled unit mounted in the hot vee.

adding AWE Resonated downpipes will significantly decrease your volume levels vs your current Capristo + stock downpipe setup....

Take the full awe setup as an example.


AWE Catback + Stock DP = AWE TRACK SETUP
AWE Catback + RES DP= TOURING SETUP (quieter than AWE Track)
AWE Catback+ NON RES DP= TRACK EXTREME

Go for the Non res downpipes 100%.

[JamesRS5]

I’d be happy with that, I’m all for performance but not really interested in noise.

[Lofwyr]

Are there any more gains with a proper exhaust vs my xpipe and non resonated straight pipe setup? I would think everything is flowing well with this setup as all three resonators are gone.

I’ll save up for intake and header. I’ll go aftermarker with brakes once they wear out. I want to lower the car a bit with stock ride quality eventually. Really want ecodes but way too expensive.

Let’s get a supercharger JHM! This car would be a dream with that power added.

[strzin]

Are there any more gains with a proper exhaust vs my xpipe and non resonated straight pipe setup? I would think everything is flowing well with this setup as all three resonators are gone.

I’ll save up for intake and header. I’ll go aftermarker with brakes once they wear out. I want to lower the car a bit with stock ride quality eventually. Really want ecodes but way too expensive.

Let’s get a supercharger JHM! This car would be a dream with that power added.

you should try out H&R OE lowering springs. it got rid of most of the wheel gap that I disliked , but isn't too low where I scrape (a plus) and also has the same ride quality! Here's mine for reference

[Ape Factory]

I think there's very little to be gained in the exhaust. Most of it comes from proper mandrel bends as well as tubing size. Resonators don't really suck power but internal welding flash, sharp bends, bad radiuses and the like will kill power. If JHM produces a header with either test pipes or resonators, and too loud is not your thing, you'll want resonators again on the downpipes. Kinda glad I went with AWE's resonators because of this. Should be just the right amount of loud if the cats go elsewhere.

If you go full coil-over, the Bilstein setup actually rides better than OEM. The entry price is far steeper unless you find a used kit. KW V3's are double adjustable and also have a progressive rate spring so I'd assume they can be set up for a better than OEM ride. Heard you need to remove the damper to make damping adjustments which is a no-go in my book. That's about as "cheap" as I'd go personally with coil overs. Springs are fine but ultimately, your OEM shocks will wear more quickly due to the increase in spring rate as well as the lowered height taking the damper out of it's optimal range.

Like you, I'm really waiting to see what JHM releases. The ECS intake is less expensive than the Eventuri by a good margin. I'm sure JHM's will come in under that (if they're working on one).

[JamesRS5]

The ECS intake is cheaper but doesn’t produce the goods as the Eventuri does, it’s more form over function with a 9hp gain, the Eventuri is the opposite with a proven 21hp gain. So hp per $ the Eventuri works out better value.

Capristo exhaust is a genuine 14hp gain: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-034Motorsport and similar torque gains.
A less restrictive downpipe will free up another 8-10hp, resonators only alter sound, they make no difference to the numbers providing they don’t alter the exhaust gas path.

So there are some real gains to be had from an intake and exhaust but they do come at a price.

[jkownz]

I am patiently waiting for the numbers on a tune and SC from jhm. Want to know what kind of numbers we can really push on these motors. But I don't want to see the price tag

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[Ape Factory]

The ECS intake is cheaper but doesn’t produce the goods as the Eventuri does, it’s more form over function with a 9hp gain, the Eventuri is the opposite with a proven 21hp gain. So hp per $ the Eventuri works out better value.

Capristo exhaust is a genuine 14hp gain: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...-034Motorsport and similar torque gains.
A less restrictive downpipe will free up another 8-10hp, resonators only alter sound, they make no difference to the numbers providing they don’t alter the exhaust gas path.

So there are some real gains to be had from an intake and exhaust but they do come at a price.

I can guarantee the individual results for various aftermarket parts will not be cumulative. So far we've seen one dyno for the Eventuri and personally I'd like to see more done by individuals on their own dime. You're not going to gain 35hp over OEM by swapping in the exhaust and intake mentioned. And as you mentioned there is a cost and it's about $7,500 (aka the estimated price of the JHM supercharger kit). It'd be a pipe dream but testing the Eventuri and the ECS back to back would be interesting I'm sure. Throw in a set of stock intakes with drop-in filters just for shits and giggles.

Now...tuning may really open up the overall potential of both. That's been my general experience on naturally aspirated cars.

[JamesRS5]

Im speaking from personal experience as I’m one of the few people who actually did some testing, not just butt dyno testing. We strapped my stock car with OE intake to the dyno (Maha LPS as used by the Audi factory) and ran it up. Then without moving the car, the OE intake was removed and the Eventuri installed with the car in the same position on the dyno so we didn’t induce any other errors or differences, the car had 3 more runs on the dyno with a consistent 21hp increase.

An Audi RS4 B8 did the same experiment in the UK on the same type Maha LPS dyno, it made the same stock 425HP so the results from those dyno’d are absolutely accurate (probably why the big manufacturers use them). They fitted the Eventuri and gained 21HP so the results are consistent on the intake and match exactly what Eventuri showed from their dyno results.

On the butt dyno, you can feel a freer revving and more pull as the revs climb from the Eventuri without doubt.

The ECS tuning intake results are tested on an RS5 with an APR ECU tune and a Milltek exhaust so the results cannot be relied upon, quite why ECS tested on a tuned car is questionable, non the less, 9 HP is what their tuned car made.

I installed the Capristo exhaust and felt the same gains as the intake swap but unfortunately the German tuning company here had packed up shop and moved back to Germany so my reliable dyno was no longer an option I can hand on heart say the exhaust swap felt (through the butt dyno) to be giving the same improvement as the intake again, the two definitely compliment each other. Are they cumulative power gains, hmmm, possibly not, but it’s not far off. I will look for another dyno here but without the Maha dyno I won’t trust the results to consistent with my other tests.

The downpipes are going to be swapped in the new year which gives me a good excuse to do some more back to back testing and see where we are. Then it’s waiting on the results of the JHM tune or an APR tune to give the extra breathing capability a fuel and ignition map that may squeeze out a few more HP.

*Edit* I just did a google search and found another Maha dyno here so I’m good to test this accurately. http://chipcentric.me/products-and-s...dyno-services/

[Ape Factory]

I'm familiar with your original thread and test of the Eventuri and in no way am I calling BS on your results. I think you did a spot-on back to back and even took tire pressure into account. As for the dyno, to me, as long as it's in proper working condition and within tolerance, doesn't matter who makes it. I'm interested in the percent change and shape of the hp and torque curves. We have similar brands here in the States which are also eddy current brake dynomometers (rolling road, load dyno's) which load the engine properly and what I almost always tuned on.

Your dyno plot is, however, the only dyno plot I've ever found of the Eventuri tested back to back with the OEM boxes. And more critically, if I gave you two identical RS5's, one with the ECS and one with the Eventuri, I'd wager you'd not be able to feel the difference driving both cars back to back. Maybe they sound different I dunno but on a 4,000 pound car, 99% of the public wouldn't feel a difference with 20 more peak hp over OEM.

I would say it was a mistake testing the ECS with other mods because as I said, it all doesn't add up numerically in the end. The sum hp gain is always less than individual gains added up. One may find the peak gain of the ECS is greater on a car with no mods. Maybe the APR tune didn't mesh with it, who knows. Just not enough data (or the right kind of data) to make an informed decision IMO.

As for the Capristo, again, I've only seen 034's dyno run and never an individual's independent run. I know AWE only advertises like a 5hp gain for their exhaust and there isn't a ton of science in an exhaust like this. I guess I don't see where you'd get nine hp more out of a Capristo over a straight through design like the AWE for an after-the-cat setup. Both are mandrel bent, high quality pieces with minimal bends. Maybe they're just being modest.

[AsherAudi]

One thing mentioned already but not given enough credit is lightweight WHEELS - the stock 20" rotor wheels weigh an astounding 34.6 lbs each - with a low torque n/a motor, that makes a BIG difference as I swapped to BC Forged 20 x 10 and saved 10 lbs per corner and feel a massive improvement not just in handling but throttle response and straight-line acceleration due to the decrease in rotational inertia and mass. For cars that are super/turbo-charged, wheels won't make a big difference but on RS5 I'd say out of the 3 main performance mods I did, the wheels surprisingly made the largest improvement (car feels 400 lbs lighter). Comparatively, the Eventuri kit made the car feel almost 250 lbs lighter and the AWE exhaust about 100 (plus killer sound that literally makes the car "seem" faster).

The biggest thing to look for is NOT high-rpm gains but low/mid-range as that's where the car needs it. The AWE exhaust only makes 3hp peak but adds 16 ft-lbs of torque right where you want it and the Eventuri does as well. Combined, the 3 things (Wheels, Eventuri intake, AWE exhaust) make a HUGE difference from stock as the car went from feeling heavy and underpowered overall (especially down low) to now being everything I expected it to be from the start. Basically, this is how the car SHOULD have come from the factory - no idea what they were thinking slapping 34lb wheels on a low-torque motor. Now it actually FEELS like a 12 sec car. And when it gets real cold, that intake air gets charged for extra gains :)

[JamesRS5]

That’s what I experience too, the car feels lighter on its feet.

My reason for trying to find the same Maha dyno is because the numbers are consistent and very accurate so even though it’s a different dyno operated by a different tuning shop, the numbers should be very close so any gains from the exhaust should be accurately reflected.



Here’s the B8 RS4 dyno, I will try and locate the one run on the Maha.

[Ape Factory]

My reason for trying to find the same Maha dyno is because the numbers are consistent and very accurate so even though it’s a different dyno operated by a different tuning shop, the numbers should be very close so any gains from the exhaust should be accurately reflected.

Ah gotcha...makes sense!

[AsherAudi]

That’s what I experience too, the car feels lighter on its feet.

My reason for trying to find the same Maha dyno is because the numbers are consistent and very accurate so even though it’s a different dyno operated by a different tuning shop, the numbers should be very close so any gains from the exhaust should be accurately reflected.



Here’s the B8 RS4 dyno, I will try and locate the one run on the Maha.

The torque gains at 4000rpm is the best part of that chart :)

In regards to the wheels there's an old Car & Driver article where they tested 15-19" wheels on an older VW GTI in which the 4 combos made a max difference of 52 lbs. On the 52 lb scenario, straight-line acceleration reduced 0-60mph times by 0.5sec and 0-100mph by 1.1sec so it IS possible to gain real-world straight-line acceleration improvements via light wheels. That said, the gains were about half that when the difference was 42 lbs so it takes a pretty big wheel diet to make those gains - but with the stock wheels so heavy, it's not as hard as it seems - in fact the best solution would be swapping to lightweight 19's as you can get those down to 19 lbs ea, yielding a nearly 60lb total wheel weight savings. I happen to like the look of the 20's much better so I stayed with those and hoped to come in at 22lbs but wound up at 24lbs yet still yielded a huge improvement.

[Ape Factory]

This line of thought should also be applied to the tires. Choosing a particular brand/model/size may net an additional 3-4 pounds per tire and that rotational weight is the furthest out and will make the largest impact. Sometimes a particular tire will be offered in several configurations for specific makes and will vary by a few pounds in weight so look at the weight specs for all the offerings in a particular size.

A car like a GTI will be far more affected as the wheel weight percentage to torque output is far greater than on a car like the RS5. Still, if ultimate performance is the criteria, the entire wheel/tire package weight should be considered and chosen accordingly. Rotors will make very little difference since most of the weight savings are in the hub and close to the rotational center.

[s vier]

. Rotors will make very little difference since most of the weight savings are in the hub and close to the rotational center.

True, but the reduction in unsprung weight will still help suspension/steering feel/performance the same.

Sprung weight reduction = LW seats and exhaust
Unsprung + partial rotational weight reduction = Carbon Ceramics
Unsprung + varying rotational weight reduction (hub to tire bead)= LW wheels
Rotational + unsprung benefit = LW tires