APS Does it Again, Announces New Tunes for VW Golf R with up to 350HP

Now that Volkswagen has broadened the availability of the Golf R by officially confirming sales for North America, the tunes for the range-topping German hatch have just become a bit more interesting. APS of Brackley, has just announced three stages of performance tuning for the 2.0-litre TFSI, all-wheel drive Golf R, with two being available immediately and the third to be offered in a little while.

The British firm's Stage 1 kit consists only of a ECU remap, which is good enough to increase peak output from 267bhp to 308 bhp. It is priced at £445.00 including VAT (US$705 / €525).

The Stage 2 package is more comprehensive and includes a Milltek large bore turbo down pipe, high flow sports catalyst and a choice of Milltek stainless steel sports exhausts, featuring a switchable electronic exhaust valve, 2.75 inch bore tubing and dual 100mm ceramic black tailpipes.

APS said customers can choose between a Milltek non-resonated cat-back system, which emphasizes performance and "aural excitement", or a resonated Milltek cat back exhaust, which majors on refinement and also benefits from EC type approval. Depending on the exhaust choice, output is lifted to around 320-330bhp. The Stage 2 kit is priced from £1999 (US$3,165 / €2,355) fitted and including VAT.

Last but not least, APS is readying a Stage 3 package, which comes complete with a revised turbocharger boosting output to 350 bhp. The tuner said the kit is still in development but will be released onto the market soon.

In addition to the power upgrades, APS also offers a range of chassis upgrades for the VW Golf R such as a three way adjustable Haldex Gen4 four wheel drive controller, sports lowering springs, KW height and damping adjustable coilover suspension, uprated suspension bushes, Brembo GT big brake kits, plus 18 or 19 inch Sportec Mono 10 forged alloy wheels with Toyo tires.

APS Sportec Builds 425HP Audi S5, as fast as RS5 in 0-62mph sprint

Last time we checked (as in a few minutes ago on the UK, US and German sites), the S5 Coupe continues to use Audi's venerable 4.2-liter V8 with 354HP, while the S5 Convertible comes with a 333HP 3.0-liter supercharged V6. Nevertheless, APS, the UK-based importer of the Swiss tuning brand Sportec, has released a performance upgrade for the S5 Coupe and Convertible with the... 3.0 TSI V6.

In any case, labeled "Stage One", the Swiss tuner's performance package for Audi's 3.0 TSI V6 consists of a free flowing air filter element and an ECU remap. While it doesn't sound like much, it manages to squeeze another 97-horsepower out of the S5's (convertible) 3.0-liter V6 unit, boosting total output from 328 bhp and 440 Nm (325 lb.ft) to an RS5-rivaling 425 bhp at 6,640 rpm and 520 Nm (379 lb.ft) at 4,250 rpm.

Sportec says the upgrade trims 0-62mph (100km/h) acceleration by 0.5 seconds to 4.6 seconds (same as RS5 Coupe) while top speed is electronically limited at 155 mph (250km/h).

The Stage One upgrade is available now in the UK from APS Sportec priced at £1,950 fitted including VAT.

APS Sportec Rolls Out Tuning Packages for Porsche Panamera Turbo

Few would call the new Porsche Panamera Turbo a slouch in the horsepower department, but if you happen to be one them, you may want to take a look at the new performance enhancement program from APS, the UK importer of the Swiss tuning firm Sportec.

Buyers can start off with the Stage One conversion that uses a reprogrammed ECU with optimized settings for fueling, ignition and turbo boost parameters to bump the V8's output from a quoted 493bhp and 516 lb-ft, to a dyno proven 560bhp at 6,150 rpm and 576 lb-ft (790 Nm) of torque at 3,340 rpm.

With this kit, the German sports saloon can sprint to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.9 seconds, a 0.3 seconds improvement over the standard model, while top speed is electronically limited to 195mph (315km/h). The ECU upgrade is priced at £,2900 fitted and including tax.

If that's not enough, Sportec has developed a Stage Two package. Along with the recalibrated ECU, the kit adds of a cat back stainless steel sports exhaust system featuring quad 90mm tail pipes and a pair of 'sound throttles' that allow the driver to adjust the sound levels using a supplied remote control.

In this case, power is kicked up to 575 bhp at 5,800 rpm and 598 lb-ft 820 Nm (820 Nm) between 3,000-4,250 rpm. The tuner claims 0-100km/h (62mph) acceleration takes 3.8 seconds, while top speed is once again limited to 195mph (315km/h). This package will set you back £7,990.

The company also offers a variety of other upgrades including 22 inch forged alloy wheels, suspension and braking systems, as well as cosmetic enhancements.

APS Sportec Powers Porsche 911 Turbo to 580-Horsepower

The tuners over at APS of Brackley, which is the UK importer for the Swiss company Sportec, have unveiled a new performance kit for the 'facelifted' version of the 911 Turbo. In standard form, the 997 Turbo's six-cylinder, 3.8-liter boxer engine delivers 493 bhp.

By reconfiguring the ECU and adding a sport air-filter and a stainless steel sports exhaust system with high flow catalytic converters and two 70mm twin-tailpipes, Sportec managed to boost output to 580 bhp at 6,500 rpm. Peak torque hits 800 Nm (590 lb.ft) at 3,500 rpm with more than 700 Nm (516 lb.ft) available from 2,700 to 5,500 rpm.

While no performance data has yet been gathered for the conversion, APS Sportec estimates that the tuned 911 Turbo can rocket from rest to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.1 seconds and reach a top speed of approximately 317km/h (197 mph).

The performance kit is available for both the six speed manual or PDK variants of the November 2009 onwards Porsche 911 Turbo, with pricing set at £9400.00 fitted, including 17.5 per cent VAT.

Along with the engine upgrades, the company also offers a comprehensive range of Sportec components for the latest 911 Turbo including forged alloy wheels, suspension and braking upgrades, as well as cosmetic enhancements.