A very capable little car, fitted with the same IS20 Equipped EA888.3 2.0T that you find in the MK7 GTI in a smaller 4wd package. With it being manual the limitations of the stock clutch were found pretty quickly and with plans for more power, an upgrade was required to prevent constant clutch slip/failure. The Sachs organic can take up to around 410lb-ft and whilst gives a heavier pedal, is quite easy to live with under normal driving circumstances.

A little breathing upgrade can go long way on these engines, with an enlarged turbo inlet yielding up to 10bhp more on tuned cars. So on went the Racingline Turbo elbow and CLP Intake Hose. The standard elbow on the S1 is the same as the Polo GTI (6C) and Ibiza Cupra 1.8TSI with the inlet for the breather hose round the other side and a slightly different breather hose, so to make the MQB based elbow work the “Golf R” breather hose was fitted too. The intake upgrades were finished off with a K&N high flow filter.

Suspension was a tough choice With the S1 having DDC/Adaptive dampers and being a bit of a unicorn when it comes to the stock set up, there isn’t a huge amount of choice on the market. The dream was KW V3’s, but these were out of reach budget wise. So springs it was! Again, not a huge choice but comes down to either H&R or Eibach. Each has slight pitfalls, H&R go lower and look great but are a bit harsh. Eibach are comfortable, even more so that the stock springs. But don’t give a huge drop. Given this was a daily driver, we went with Eibach for the comfort factor.

Wheels were an easy choice. A favourite, timeless wheel style – OZ Superturismo LM. 18×8 ET35 to fill out the arches without the need for spacers. A slightly larger than stock tyre profile was used to help negate the smaller drop from the Eibach Pro Kit. EBC Redstuff pads were chosen for their low dust perk in an effort to keep the OZ’s clean. They provided adequate performance on the road and lived up to their low dust feature (next to nothing at all!), but for spirited driving or light track use we would recommend something with more bite like Ferodo DS performance.

Final Spec –
APR Stage 1 ECU Tune – 326BHP 348lb-ft
Racingline Turbo Elbow
CLP Tuning Intake Hose
Golf R Breather Hose
K&N Panel Filter
Sachs Organic Clutch
Eibach Pro Kit lowering Springs
OZ Racing Superturismo LM – 18×8 ET35
225/40/18 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 Tyres
EBC Redstuff Brake Pads
Powerflex Front Arm Bushes
Powerflex Lower Torque Bush

Spec:
Eibach Pro Kit
ST 12.5m Spacer Kit

Andrew got in touch with us regarding our stage 2 package to suit is R55 Clubman Cooper S. He was looking to make the best of the power available but to keep it reliable and conventional for every day use.

We set about fitting our stage 2 package, including the AEM intake, Akrapovic Sport Cat Downpipe and Wagner Intercooler. Andrew also opted for a Resonated Milltek Cat Back Exhaust system, providing a little more flow and a nicer exhaust note.

To make sure the car didn’t struggle to put down its new found power Andrew gave us the go ahead to fit a Helix Autosport Single Mass Flywheel and 6 Paddle Clutch Kit. This will ensure the car wont suffer from any clutch slip under hard acceleration.

Results of dyno testing show peak power of 240bhp and 288lb-ft of torque. A huge gain over stock.

Just to add the finishing touch we fitted a set of H&R 35mm lowering springs to close up the arch gap, add a little more stability in the corners and give the car a more aggressive looking stance.

Before any tuning or aftermarket parts could be fitted the car needed a full service (using genuine parts) and a check on the fuel pump cam follower. A common issue with the 2.0TFSI engines is excess wear on the cam follower ultimately leading to fuel pump failure and/or damage to the cam. For peace of mind a brand new Genuine VAG cam follower was fitted. Another common issue is the standard Diverter Valve failing and loosing boost. This car was no exception, having several holes in the OEM DV diaphragm. This was replaced alongside the GFB DV+, eliminating the chance of the problem reoccurring and allowing the DV to hold boost for longer. The lower engine mount was also a little tired and worn. Using the SuperPro lower engine mount we managed to stop excess movement occurring under hard acceleration and gear changes, giving a better response and feel during fast gear changes.

As can happen with a lot of cars of a certain age, the exhaust on the golf had become corroded and brittle over time. As a result the original backbox detached itself from the rest of the system. Time for an upgrade! The standard cat back system was removed completely in favour of a 3″ Scorpion Cat Back system.

In preparation to take the car to APR stage 2 we installed an Integrated Engineering intake. All that is left to install the stage 2 software is a performance downpipe and High Pressure Fuel Pump upgrade (HPFP).