# APR Presents the IS38 Turbocharger Upgrade for the GTI/A3!



## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2008)

APR Presents the IS38 Turbocharger Upgrade for the GTI/A3!










Product Page

APR is pleased to present the OEM Golf R/S3 IS38 Turbocharger ECU upgrade for GTI/A3 platform vehicles! 

APR’s IS38 Turbocharger ECU Upgrade is designed for use with the factory Golf R / S3 turbo on GTI/A3 platform vehicles and produces an asphalt-shredding *386 HP on 93 octane fuel, and over 400 HP using APR’s upcoming Ethanol Flex Fueling upgrades!* It's even compatible with the factory downpipe exhaust system, at lower output levels. Expect lightning fast response coupled with smooth daily driving and a much broader power band that pulls all the way to redline!

Using multiple vehicles across the world and in house, APR’s team of Calibration and Electrical Engineers spent the better part of a year mastering the factory Simos 18 engine management system to work seamlessly with the upgraded IS38 turbocharger unit. All critical aspects of the vehicle’s platform were taken into consideration and monitored through APR’s proprietary engine management logging tools to levels often not seen elsewhere in this industry. Through proper mapping, the ECU fully understands the hardware changes and operates correctly. As such torque delivery is smooth and flat, avoiding compressor surge, limitations in the factory fueling system, and limiting stress on the factory transmission. Cam phasing and valve lift operations are optimized, aiding in turbocharger spool, while allowing the engine to breathe more efficiently at higher engine speeds. Under various operational modes, lambda, ignition advance, requested torque, boost pressure levels and more were painstakingly optimized to produce maximum power without resorting to risky calibration shortcuts.

*To APR’s Engineers, this is the ultimate pursuit of performance without compromise. To the driver, it just works!*

*POWER FIGURES*



















*Graphs*

With OEM Downpipe
Wheel | Crank | Gain over Stock - 91 AKI / 95 RON
Wheel | Crank | Gain over Stock - 93 AKI / 98 RON
Wheel | Crank | Gain over Stock - 100 AKI / 108 RON
Wheel | Crank | Gain over Stock - Ethanol

With APR Downpipe
Wheel | Crank | Gain over Stock - 91 AKI / 95 RON
Wheel | Crank | Gain over Stock - 93 AKI / 98 RON
Wheel | Crank | Gain over Stock - Ethanol


StageNAR FuelROW FuelPowerTorqueMax Power GainMax Torque GainStock As Reported by VAG91 AKI95 RON210-230 HP258 FT-LBS  Stock As Measured by APR93 AKI98 RON235 HP270 FT-LBS  APR IS38 Turbo - OEM Downpipe91 AKI95 RON345 HP359 FT-LBS+114 HP @ 6,200 RPM+105 FT-LBS @ 4,150 RPMAPR IS38 Turbo - OEM Downpipe93 AKI98 RON363 HP376 FT-LBS+131 HP @ 6,000 RPM+123 FT-LBS @ 4,100 RPMAPR IS38 Turbo - OEM Downpipe100 AKI104 RON373 HP390 FT-LBS+140 HP @ 5,800 RPM+135 FT-LBS @ 4,200 RPMAPR IS38 Turbo - OEM DownpipeEthanolEthanol387 HP398 FT-LBS+154 HP @ 5,900 RPM+145 FT-LBS @ 4,100 RPMAPR IS38 Turbo - APR Downpipe91 AKI95 RON382 HP370 FT-LBS+140 HP @ 6,100 RPM+129 FT-LBS @ 6,200 RPMAPR IS38 Turbo - APR Downpipe93 AKI98 RON386 HP403 FT-LBS+153 HP @ 5,600 RPM+148 FT-LBS @ 4,100 RPMAPR IS38 Turbo - APR DownpipeEthanolEthanol404 HP408 FT-LBS+171 HP @ 5,950 RPM+164 FT-LBS @ 5,200 RPM

_
APR recommends and tuned with Sunoco GT 260 for 100 AKI mode and Sunoco GT 260 Plus for 104 AKI mode. Never use lower octane than specified by the mode.
Ethanol software REQUIRES APR’s upcoming Ethanol Flex Fueling upgrades.
Max increases are based on APR's actual measured stock values and not those reported by VAG. | RON = ROW Fuel Grades | AKI = NAR North American (RON+MON)/2 Fuel Grades.
Reported wheel figures measured using APR's in-house Dynapack Dynamometer with a US Spec MK7 GTI with factory IS38 turbocharger, APR Cast Downpipe, APR Intake System and APR Intercooler, using SAEJ1349 correction and an average of multiple runs. Crank figures are estimated based on the measured wheel figures. Results may vary depending upon environmental conditions, vehicle, transmission, vehicle health, operating conditions, temperatures, fuel grade, dyno type, dyno setup, other variables and other modifications.
Race Fuel Information: Higher octane fuel typically allows APR’s engineers to create more power and torque by achieving greater ignition advance. However, on this application, APR’s engineers were able to achieve MBT, or minimum spark timing for best torque, on 93 AKI fuel with the APR downpipe. MBT is essentially the point where greater ignition advance no longer results in more power and torque. By using APR’s upcoming Ethanol Flex Fueling upgrades and Ethanol fuel, greater peak power was achieved due to the fuel’s highly oxygenated nature.
_
*Requirements and Recommendations*

_APR’s IS38 Turbocharger ECU Upgrade is sold as software only. The factory turbocharger necessary for this upgrade is conveniently available at various APR dealers and VW, Audi and Seat dealerships across the world._

*Turbocharger* - An unmodified, OEM IHI IS38 Turbocharger is required. APR recommends using the latest factory revision (06K145722H as of Oct 20th, 2015) with APR’s Turbo Muffler Delete and recommends replacing factory one time use nuts, bolts, gaskets, and crush washers.
*Intake* - The APR Carbon Fiber Intake System is highly recommended. This setup is necessary to achieve the advertised power figures.
*Exhaust* - Upgrading the factory downpipe is required for the higher output downpipe software. APR highly recommends using the APR Cast Downpipe System as this system is necessary to achieve the advertised power figures. The factory catback exhaust does not need to be modified.
*Intercooler* - Upgrading the factory intercooler is highly recommended. APR recommends using the upcoming APR Intercooler system. This setup is necessary to achieve the advertised power figures consistently.
*Ethanol Support:* - APR’s upcoming Ethanol Flex Fueling upgrades are required to run Ethanol calibrations. No fueling upgrades are required for conventional gasoline.
*Spark Plugs* - Upgrading the spark plugs with Denso Iridium IKH24, gapped to 0.024" ±0.002" or 0.6mm ±0.05mm with a change interval of 10-15,000 mi or 16-24,000 km is required for engine longevity and safety.
*Transmission* - APR recommends the APR IS38 TCU Upgrade for maximum performance on DSG / S Tronic models. A clutch upgrade may be necessary on manual transmission vehicles.
*Oil, Coolant and Lubrication* - APR recommends using Motul oils, coolants and lubricants with APR's Oil Catch Can System.

*Application Guide*

Audi A3 - MK3 / Typ 8V
Seat Leon - MK3 / Typ 5F
Skoda Octavia / VRS - MK3 / Typ 5E
Volkswagen Golf GTI - MK7 / Typ 5G
All transmissions, drivetrains, and markets supported.

*US Pricing*

$699 - Existing APR Stage I or II ECU Upgrade Customers
$999 - New Customers

*IMPORTANT PRICING AND AVAILABILITY DETAILS:*_

- No price difference between factory downpipe compatible software and APR downpipe compatible software. 
- *Pricing*: Please contact an APR Importer for pricing outside the USA.
- *Availability and ECU Compatibility*: Stages, programs, and features may not be available for all ECUs.
- *ECU Revision Notice*: Multiple ECU revisions exist for each platform. APR software may be temporarily unavailable when factory updates are applied. An APR Dealer can check availability in person, or over the phone if the ECU boxcode/revision is known.
_*Where to Purchase*

Please contact an APR dealer to purchase!


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## Flying Tomatoes (Nov 29, 2012)

Impressive little package. Well done guys :thumbup:


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## Antariusz (Nov 19, 2014)

Looks like a great upgrade over the stock turbo.

Need the AWD downpipe to become available too though.


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## Scb67 (Aug 29, 2015)

Can anyone extrapolate what the increase will be for the Golf R/S3 setup?


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## TnTNYC (Aug 1, 2012)

Scb67 said:


> Can anyone extrapolate what the increase will be for the Golf R/S3 setup?


:sly: Can't tell if serious...


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## Scb67 (Aug 29, 2015)

TnTNYC said:


> :sly: Can't tell if serious...


I am....what am I missing? This is not for the HO Golf R/S3 engine but a GTI engine with an upgraded turbo.....am I reading it wrong?


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## davera3 (Jul 26, 2014)

Scb67 said:


> Can anyone extrapolate what the increase will be for the Golf R/S3 setup?


I believe you just want the Golf R/S3 Stage I/II ECU software. This software is specifically for the GTI/A3 with an upgrade to the Golf R/S3 turbo.


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## Flying Tomatoes (Nov 29, 2012)

Scb67 said:


> Can anyone extrapolate what the increase will be for the Golf R/S3 setup?





TnTNYC said:


> :sly: Can't tell if serious...





Scb67 said:


> I am....what am I missing? This is not for the HO Golf R/S3 engine but a GTI engine with an upgraded turbo.....am I reading it wrong?


Let me simplify the first post for you:



[email protected] said:


> APR’s IS38 Turbocharger ECU Upgrade is designed for use with the factory Golf R / S3 turbo on GTI/A3 platform vehicles


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## Bamm1 (Oct 17, 2013)

davera3 said:


> I believe you just want the Golf R/S3 Stage I/II ECU software. This software is specifically for the GTI/A3 with an upgrade to the Golf R/S3 turbo.


I think he is referring to the fact that APR was able to extract higher numbers out of the IS38 turbo swapped MK7 GTI/ A3 8V than they were able to achieve for the Stage I/II MK7 R / S3 8V tunes. 

Mk7R Stage 1: 354 / 379
IS38 OEM Downpipe: 363 / 376
+9 / -3

Mk7R Stage 2: 382 / 387
IS38 APR Downpipe: 386 / 403
+4 / +16

These increases have resulted in rumors that there will be updated Stage I/II tunes for the R/S3 with increased performance. So Scb67 is asking for a “guesstimate” of what those increases will be based on the IS38 swap results.

Edited to add: Also, it just wouldn't feel the same if after Arin posts about a new product someone did not immediately ask about the timing for a semi-related or unrelated APR product. We got a where's the R/S3 DP and what will be the power gains for v1.1 R / S3 tunes? So all is right with the universe.


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## Scb67 (Aug 29, 2015)

Thanks Bamm! That's exactly what I was looking for


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2008)

R / S3 stage 1 and 2 update in the works. Basically the same output.


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## TnTNYC (Aug 1, 2012)

Scb67 said:


> Thanks Bamm! That's exactly what I was looking for


Sorry man, my mistake. On second look it makes sense an update to the S3/R would be on the way.

Doing a cursory search for the itemized differences between the A3 and S3 motors, looks like there is quite a bit of mechanical/internal difference between the two. Adding the S3 turbo but shorting yourself on reinforced internals would make me nervous, but I'm no race car driver. Is APR doing long-term testing on the EA888 to understand lifespan, resilience to added power, etc.? Presumably Audi reinforced the internals on the S3 for reliability, not bragging rights. The "old man" in me is coming out a little, I know!


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## Antariusz (Nov 19, 2014)

Well, Bamm, to defend myself slightly, I'm not actually asking about the S3/r down pipe.

I'm asking about an A3 downpipe. I know GTI's are the bread and butter profit center of APR. But this is advertised as an A3 tune. And if it's advertised as an A3 tune, and advertised as making 30 extra horsepower with a downpipe. I think it's COMPLETELY fair to ask when an A3 downpipe is going to be available and/or the pricing of such a product unless they are ok with losing customers to other manufacturers as long as they continue to make software money (and yes, I guess software probably does make more profit than hardware). I don't have a breakdown by individual model, but a quick Google search says that 93% of Audis sold are AWD models. So I can only assume that 93% of the A3 market plus 100% of the Golf R, and 100% of the S3, still rank lower in priority than the GTI market in terms of profit/volume.


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## Bamm1 (Oct 17, 2013)

Antariusz said:


> Well, Bamm, to defend myself slightly, I'm not actually asking about the S3/r down pipe.
> 
> I'm asking about an A3 downpipe. I know GTI's are the bread and butter profit center of APR. But this is advertised as an A3 tune. And if it's advertised as an A3 tune, and advertised as making 30 extra horsepower with a downpipe. I think it's COMPLETELY fair to ask when an A3 downpipe is going to be available and/or the pricing of such a product unless they are ok with losing customers to other manufacturers as long as they continue to make software money (and yes, I guess software probably does make more profit than hardware). I don't have a breakdown by individual model, but a quick Google search says that 93% of Audis sold are AWD models. So I can only assume that 93% of the A3 market plus 100% of the Golf R, and 100% of the S3, still rank lower in priority than the GTI market in terms of profit/volume.


No reason to defend yourself. I was just joking. 

You have a legit gripe. A3 owners appear to not have the APR IS38 + APR DP option. Its either use another manufacture's DP or keep the more restrictive OEM DP.


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## TnTNYC (Aug 1, 2012)

[email protected] said:


> R / S3 stage 1 and 2 update in the works. Basically the same output.


So, the R/S3 motor is the same as the GTI/A motor, except different turbo? I was under the impression there were several hardware differences between the two, but that's my Internet know-how for yah!


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## davera3 (Jul 26, 2014)

Bamm1 said:


> No reason to defend yourself. I was just joking.
> 
> You have a legit gripe. A3 owners appear to not have the APR IS38 + APR DP option. Its either use another manufacture's DP or keep the more restrictive OEM DP.


FWIW, I emailed aPI a few days ago and they said the A3 downpipe is due out by the end of the year. I would like to think thats true, and I hope is it.

Of course, with the Billy Boat DP being about $180 less than the APR, but APR saying that their DP will save you the $180 for their stage II, its a wash... but this basically comes with that stage II. You'd actually save almost $180 if you *dont* use the APR downpipe, and use the BB...

APR... you listening? Give us a discount on the DP if we buy it with this software, the otherwise we're saving money *not* getting yours!


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## shanie (Jan 28, 2002)

*Just installed*

I just got this setup done on Friday at Smith VW in Delaware. Car is ridiculous.. still using my stock clutch so I haven't really been on it but with the downpipe and this upgrade the feel of the car and sound is crazy. Drove from DC to NJ and the fuel efficiency was better than when I just had the APR stage 1 upgrade.


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## TnTNYC (Aug 1, 2012)

Shanie, you lucky duck! What was the labor cost and time for install? I don't get the chance to really let my own A3 out too much, so turbo lag in city driving concerns me. Is the lag noticeably worse after this install? If so, I wonder if a TCU flash would help. Thanks!

TnTNYC


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## kjcooperncsu (Jan 5, 2015)

TnTNYC said:


> Shanie, you lucky duck! What was the labor cost and time for install? I don't get the chance to really let my own A3 out too much, so turbo lag in city driving concerns me. Is the lag noticeably worse after this install? If so, I wonder if a TCU flash would help. Thanks!
> 
> TnTNYC


Hardly any increased lag(I don't really notice any) This is not the same as a big turbo swap. If you're worried, test drive an s3, then imagine it's even faster...


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## ThorMjolnir (Apr 9, 2014)

*Existing TCU Customers*

Is there any deal if you have an A3/GTI DSG tune for the stock IS20 turbo? I see a deal for existing ECU customers but nothing on TCU.


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## [email protected] (Jul 29, 2008)

ThorMjolnir said:


> Is there any deal if you have an A3/GTI DSG tune for the stock IS20 turbo? I see a deal for existing ECU customers but nothing on TCU.


Free


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