From Novice to Expert: Building Your VW or Audi's Performance Step-by-Step
Whether you're just starting your VW or Audi performance journey or are looking to take your car to new heights of performance and capability, there are steps you can take to enhance your vehicle’s power, speed, and overall driving experience.
In this guide to modifying Audi and VW performance cars, we will walk you through a series of upgrades, with a special focus on turbocharged models for the biggest performance gains.
Let’s dive right in so you can discover which mods you need to make and parts you need to buy to take your car from commuter-friendly to track-ready or somewhere in between.
Bolt-On Modifications
There are a number of fairly easy and inexpensive-to-replace performance VW parts or Audi parts you can focus on to take your car to the next level.
Wheels & Tires
Wheels and tires are more than just aesthetic. Wider wheels can accommodate wider tires, which may improve grip and handling. Performance tires improve grip, unlocking, acceleration, braking, and cornering. Wheel and tire upgrades might also be necessary if you’re planning to upgrade your braking system.
Braking System
Most people are focused on going fast. But what goes fast must also stop. If you’re planning to upgrade your vehicle with Audo or VW performance parts that make it more powerful, don’t forget to upgrade your braking system too, with components such as:
- Performance Brake Pads: Deliver more friction and higher heat tolerance, leading to shorter stopping distances and superior resistance to brake fade during intense braking sessions.
- Upgraded Rotors: Bigger or slotted/drilled rotors help with heat dissipation, offering improved braking performance, especially in situations involving repeated heavy braking.
- Performance Brake Calipers: Calipers with larger or multiple pistons increase clamping power and offer better control over braking pressure for more precise modulation.
Cold Air Intake Kit
One of the first VW performance parts most people choose to add to their vehicle is a cold air intake kit. Without too much effort, replacing your stock intake assembly usually results in a thrilling engine sound, and better performance. This is because cold air intakes draw in cooler, denser air, allowing for improved combustion. For the most performance gains, most people also choose to tune their vehicle (but we’ll get more into that later!).
Exhaust
A performance exhaust system won’t just make your VW or Audi sound better, chances are it will also boost performance by minimizing unnecessary exhaust backpressure, helping to “open up” an engine or “let it breathe” more easily.
Suspension
You don’t just want your Audi to go fast or sound good. You also want it to handle well. An upgraded suspension is one of the best ways to improve handling. Most suspension kits include either lowering springs or coilovers and sway bars.
- Lowering Springs: Lower your Audi or VW’s ride height by bringing the center of gravity closer to the ground, enhancing handling and cornering stability.
- Coilovers: Allow you to adjust the ride height, damping, and rebound of your Audi/VW. They provide superior handling customization compared to standard lowering springs.
- Sway Bars: Link the left and right sides of the suspension, minimizing body roll during turns and boosting overall stability and handling performance.
Tuning & Remapping
In addition to bolt-on modifications, there are a number of more advanced changes you can make to your Audi or VW to provide a performance boost and an extra dose of driving enjoyment.
Engine Tuning
One of the most impactful VW GTI performance parts you can add to your vehicle isn’t a part in the traditional sense at all. Completing an ECU software tune, sometimes called chipping, is one of the highest-impact mods you can make to any VW or Audi model.
But why tune your VW or Audi? Doing so is associated with a number of benefits, including:
- The #1 reason most people tune? Increased horsepower and torque.
- Enhanced throttle response and overall driving feel.
- Smoother & more refined performance.
- Standout features like exhaust crackles during overrun.
- The ability to use alternative fuels, such as racing fuel or ethanol.
Turbocharger & Supercharger Upgrades
Upgrade your boost output with turbocharger or supercharger upgrades, including:
- A Larger Turbocharger or Supercharger: Upgrading to a larger turbocharger or supercharger can increase boost pressure & airflow, leading to noticeable power gains.
- An Upgraded Intercooler: An upgraded intercooler improves the efficiency of the existing turbocharger or supercharger by cooling the compressed air down before it enters the engine, allowing for denser air and ultimately, more power.
Get Started with an ECU Software Tune from IE
For the most noticeable bump in performance and driving pleasure, we recommend kicking things off with an Integrated Engineering software tune. Designed to be plug-and-play, our software tunes can be completed in as little as 45 minutes with no technical expertise required.