Ah HA!!! I remembered one of the
biggest pet peevs, although not quite a problem. The excessive
accumulation of brake dust on the front wheels after fairly short
periods of driving is becoming a thing of legend. VW has equipped
the Pre-2000 models with a softer, yet better gripping brake pad.
While you get unparalleled braking power for stock parts you get
a trade off. Joked as the "front Black" option, at times when
you get your Passat looking it's best, you can be plagued by the
sickest looking wheels. One time a friend of mine honestly commented:
"Hey, I didn't know you had black wheels on this car". DOH!!!
Although this trait can be a bit of annoyance, my pain quickly
goes away when I have to call upon those brakes to slow me down
with assurance.
Now how can I get more out of that
engine? While driving this car on a daily basis for most will
prove to be a delightful experience, I'm a bit of a car nut and
I love performance cars. So naturally I drive my car like something
it's not. Cleary I need performance mods for the Passat to quench
my insatiable thirst for power and speed. What's the best bang
for your buck? Should I have gotten the V6? Well after many an
AUDI owner asked this same question, years before this engine
was brought to cars other than the A4. There came a solution.
Chip tuning. Basically the 1.8 t engine had been somewhat de-tuned
to meet whatever standards AUDI had set forth. The stock 150 bhp
that the small turbo four was putting out was nowhere near what
it COULD do. A few after market tuners took on the task of developing
a software solution for the question of how to get more out of
this engine. By adjusting the levels of boost and fuel mapping
for the engine via the ECU (computer brain) these different tuners
were able to make eventual gains of up to 50 or more horsepower.
Torque was increased accordingly as well, giving the engine a
feel that bested the more heavy V6 cars and giving the turbo a
true punch in the gut feeling when it came on at full boost. After
careful research and many miles of breaking in, I decided it was
time to answer my own question. In my search I had uncovered a
number of companies that offered a chipping solution to my need
for speed. The one that stood out above the others was APR, or
better known as Audi Performance and Racing. There are so many
pros and cons compared to other chips that I could go into but
I'll save those details for another story. Basically the combination
of reliability, gains, service, and customer recommendation had
me sold. Certainly there were plenty of tuners that offered more
power, perhaps more torque, and even some a better price, but
none came close to the great things I was hearing/reading about
APR's product. Many of the people who had sought a solution for
their own personal fix went through several different chips before
coming to APR and finding exactly what they had wanted.
 |
So needless to
say I bit the bullet and dropped the cash for the chip. From
150 bhp to 200 bhp...from 173 ft lb to 245 ft lb torque. I
also got a K&N air filter with the chip, which made for better
air flow and also increased power slightly. Installation was
a snap and took less than 20 minutes to get both the ECU with
APR chip and the K&N in the car. Now driving the car for the
first time was something else completely. When I got on the
gas from low revs the power came on with a display unlike
anything I had experienced before in a family sedan. When
the turbo kicked in the car leapt forward with a new urgency,
like somehow it knew there was a mission at hand and it had
to take care of it NOW! |
The revs rose so fast that all
I could do was say "Holy Smokey COW!!!" Second gear pulled even
harder and the speed increased as the torque mashed me back into
the seat with a force I never thought was possible in this car.
I started having flashbacks of my last drive in a 930 Porsche.
Although this wasnÕt quite like that, the feel of that turbo just
pushing the car ahead with all it's might and never giving up
definitely reminded me of that other German beast. This felt like
a completely brand new car. In fifth gear at highway speed usually
you need to downshift if you want to make a decently quick pass.
With the new life breathed into car by APR now if I leave it in
fifth at 60-65 and decide to pass someone, I can just press the
gas and pass with authority. No more wondering if I can escape
that guy in the Excursion about to squash me while he day trades
with one hand while puffing a cigarette with the other. Of course,
this set me up for the inevitable...more mods. With the added
power I need to compensate the added dive and squat that I get
with more sporty suspension. Wheels and tires will soon follow
suit. And so it begins... One thing I did notice and wanted to
mention is that while driving normally I have been getting very
noticeable fuel economy gains. While on the highway with the cruise
set at 70 and the trip computer reset once doing my set speed
I achieved my all time best gas mileage. I averaged 41 MPG, consistently
for over 30 minutes of driving. Since that time I have duplicated
and come close to that same figure on a regular basis. I find
it amazing that I can get so much for my money. I gained more
power, torque, and better fuel economy. I would definitely recommend
anyone with a VW or AUDI 1.8t equipped car to give APR a call
and see what they can do for you. It has to be experienced to
believe really.
Overall my ownership experience
with VW Passat has been a time of overwhelming satisfaction. Aside
from it's hardly mentionable shortcomings this car has exceeded
all my expectations and continues to surprise and delight me.
Now, if only there was a way to wring more power out of it...just
kidding. As for power goes, I think I'm happy for now. That is
of course APR would like to develop their stage three kit on my
car as a test mule. Hmmm, anyone from APR reading this? In the
meantime I will go with the obvious. My tires are getting very
close to being useless now at 35,500 miles and I will need to
get new rubber soon. I also wish to improve handling, since I
know that this car comes more athletic in it's birth land, I want
to have that same distinct German feel of the true drivers car.
Family sedan or not, this car is definitely good for the person
who appreciates space, utility, great looks, and a certain degree
of sporty soul. I will add to this article as things progress.
Check back for more info on how the VW Passat holds up and evolves
from plush, near luxury sedan to plush, near luxury, SPORTwagen.
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