Tuner Grand Prix - eurotuner magazine

The 2006 eurotuner magazine Tuner Grand Prix, or etGP06 as it's affectionately known, was a great success and a sign our industry and hobby is flourishing.

The etGP is our annual shoot-out for tuner cars, where we invite the biggest and the baddest to put up or shut up. But it's not so much a competition as a battle for honor and respect. It's our opportunity to scrutinize specific products and see if they meet the tuner's claims.

So please don't think the fastest and most powerful car wins. Yes, the team with the highest numbers has something to brag about, but that's not the whole story, as you'll see.

The etGP isn't a head-to-head competition because many of the cars we invite can't be directly compared. Instead, it's more of a yardstick; a tool for measuring the relative performance of various tuning options.

With etGP you can examine what the tuners are capable of on specific platforms. If you have an R32, for example, there are three conversions here that should appeal to you. Owners of the 1.8T have a couple of cars to scrutinize, and so on.

You can also see how different tuners and packages stack up against one another, and determine how an R32 compares to the 1.8T, for example.

Hopefully etGP will help you decide if tuning packages actually deliver your target performance. For others, it might simply help you decide which car you will choose to be your next project vehicle.

Basically, etGP is a shop window where you can browse tuning conversions under the harshest environment and draw your own conclusions about what will work for you.

The formatetGP is a test of speed, power and poise. We scrutinize the car on the dyno for outright power, the drag strip to reinforce those numbers and examine traction, and finally at the track, to see how the cars perform under sustained pressure.

After dropping the quarter-mile in '05, we decided to reinstate it this year because it reinforces the dyno numbers and is fun for the teams. As it turns out, there was some pretty fierce competition on the drag strip, with cars reaching phenomenal times, so we're happy to have it back.

Unlike last year's exclusively VW/Audi affair, we were able to tempt out a Mini, Lotus and (perhaps controversially) a Focus for '06. Sadly, no BMW tuners stepped up to the plate once again

Like every etGP the rule is there are no rules - except no nitrous in the engine. And because several teams had a big advantage through tire choice in '05, we decided to level the playing field by supplying all the teams with Falken Azenis RT-615 tires. This is a good track-day R-compound tire that stood up to the abuse extremely well, providing consistent results for all the teams (see panel)

On the dyno the teams are allowed three pulls and can tune in between, so we always expect high numbers and are rarely disappointed.

The drag strip is a free for all. Line up, run against the clock and keep coming back for more. We thought the fastest times would be set in the morning but as teams got faster, the competition heated up and the action lasted most of the day.

Finally, the road course at Streets of Willow provides the ultimate test of power, brakes and handling. This is the event all the teams relish and is the real indicator of car preparation; this is where the BS stops.

Falken Azenis RT-615If you're a regular track junkie you know you can never have enough traction. But if you're anything like us, your track car is also your daily driver. However, the cost of going to the track adds up so you need to maximize the effectiveness of the parts you buy. Luckily for us, the folks at Falken have one of the best street tires that combine performance and durability in the Azenis RT-615.

Just take a look at some of the teams in this year's etGP, like Torque Factory, AWE and HPA. Not only did they abuse their cars all week with multiple passes at the drag strip and numerous hot laps on the road course, but they also drove their cars to and from the track on the same set of tires!

Now that we've found some tires we can drive to the track on and run all day, we're pretty much set. The trick is to get driving skill to match. Too bad Falken doesn't sell that as well!

DynoAdvanced Motorsport SolutionsAdvanced Motorsport Solutions (AMS) in Carson, CA hosted this year's dyno event thanks to its four-wheel MAHA dynamometer - described as one of the more sophisticated dyno tools in the industry.

During a vehicle's run on the MAHA, the system uses heavier load settings to calculate power. Once a car reaches peak power, it must roll to a complete stop and the MAHA measures the power losses from the wheels. The computer then calculates this figure, compensates for environmental factors and finally produces flywheel horsepower and torque. It's difficult to cheat with this dyno system because it takes almost every factor into account. The fan used for the dyno is also one of the most powerful available, simulating speeds over 70mph.

Unfortunately, the dynamics of the dyno made it difficult for some of the high powered cars to gain traction on the rollers.

The most notable loss was the Lotus Elise from Stasis Engineering. It claimed to have previously run near 400whp on a Dynojet that morning, but with its turbo and variable valve timing, it was spinning the rear tires after 6000rpm. EuroCode Tuning's GTI was also having problems with the MAHA. The front-wheel drive hatch lost traction even with three people weighing down the front of the car.

AWE Tuning was disappointed with its S4's first dyno run because the facility's fan was aimed toward the center of the car, neglecting its side-mount intercoolers. After a quick trip to Torque Factory to borrow portable fans, the tuner returned and put down more pleasing figures.

The main story of the day, though, goes to 034 Motorsport and its Audi 80. It attempted one run and shattered its previous record at AMS for the most horsepower recorded.

After 12 hours of strapping down, sitting on and testing cars, it was time to head north to Palmdale and Lancaster for the next two days of action.

034 MotorsportThe 034 Motorsport Audi 80 was originally built as a sleeper and budget street racer. You might remember this monster from et 9/06 where we followed the car to AMS witnessing its dyno of 622hp and 619 lb/ft of torque. At etGP06, it pulled 679.7hp, 458.2 lb/ft of torque to remain one of the most powerful Euros on the West Coast. "Like everybody else we were concerned with the MAHA dyno," explained Javad Shadzi of 034. "Fortunately, we knew what we could do, having been at AMS before. Normally we run the car at 38psi but we lowered it to 30psi - we couldn't run too much boost because it would shut down the dyno." The 80 annihilated the competition and held everybody off at the drag strip by 0.1sec.

Editor's Dyno Choices1988 Audi 80 quattroDriver: Christian Miller - '06 was his first year inSCCA, placing third best rookie

Dyno: 679.7hp, 458.2 lb/ft of torque (1st)

Quarter-mile: 11.22 @ 134.8mph (1st)

Lap time: 1:32.238 (7th)

Engine: 2.3 liter 20v block bored to 83mm,034 Motorsport copper MLS sandwich head gasket, block 0-ringed, 034EFI 144mm forged rods, JE 83mm pistons, Total Seal oil and compression rings, chromoly top rings, new stock valves, ported and flowed head, 7A Coupe quattro cams, 034EFI HD valve springs, Autotech Vernier cam pulley, 034 Motorsport aluminum radiator and Mercedes turbo-diesel oil cooler, 034MS intake manifold with 70mm throttle body, 034EFI stage 2c engine management and plug-in wiring harness, Innovate Motorsports LC1 with XD-16 wideband control unit 034 stainless tube-header, Garrett GT40R dual ball-bearing turbocharger, 3" downpipe and race exhaust system,OE Audi external wastegate with 1.5" dump tube, custom crankcase breather

Driveline: Audi B5 S4 six-speed with cryogenically treated and micro-polished gears, Stasis 5:1 high-bias center diff, lockable rear diff, Quaife 01E front limited-slip differential, custom Spec stage 5+ clutch with double-spring pressure plate, custom MR2 electronic power steering pump

Suspension: 2Bennett coilovers with Koni shocks, aluminum upper strut mounts, 034 Delrin control arm bushings, custom sway bars, OE Audi strut bar welded

Wheels & Tires: 17x7" Ford Racing aluminum wheels, 215/40-17 Falken Azenis RT-615 tires

Brakes: 13" 2Bennett Brembo big brakes

Exterior: S2 headlights, carbon fiber B4 hood

Interior: six-point rollcage, Cobra driver's seat, five-point harness, fire suppression system, Aim dash with Innovative Motorsports telemetry

Contact: www.034motorsport.com, 510/657-6707

VF-EngineeringVF-Engineering's R32 ran smoothest on the dyno and only needed one run to prove its power. Unfortunately, it encountered continuous obstacles with its supercharged R32. Brad Beardow of VF explained, "It was tough because we have so many things going on within the company so we didn't have time to prep the car. We didn't do enough to ensure reliability, which is our claim to fame. On the drag strip and track we took the cats off and went with race gas for an extra 20hp to shave some time. It ended up costing us because the fuel pump couldn't handle the requirements. And yet we took the car to the same track weeks ago and had no problems."

2004 VW R32Driver: Mike Potter

Dyno: 467.8hp, 374.5 lb/ft of torque (3rd)

Quarter-mile: 13.20 @ 108.0mph (7th)

Lap time: 1:34.190 (11th)

Engine: 3.2 liter VR6 with VF-Engineering stage 3 supercharger conversion, plus VF-Engineering side engine and rear pendulum mounts, Magnaflow cat-back exhaust system

Driveline: six-speed manual transmission with VF-Engineering transmission side mount, Haldex HPP module for 4WD system

Suspension: H&R RSS coilovers and 22mm rear sway bar, Euro Sport Accessories rear stress bar, CPP rear camber arms

Wheels & Tires: 18x7" OZ Superleggera wheels, 245/40-18 Falken Azenis RT-615 tires

Brakes: Stasis/Alcon front big brake kit, ECS Tuning rear rotors

Exterior: Oe Vw Hid headlight upgrade, Hella smoked tail lights

Contact: www.vf-engineering.com, 714/528-0066

Fastest Quarter-Mile CompetitionLos Angeles County RacewayThe quarter-mile was definitely one of the more exciting events this year. Four of our competitors were in the 11sec club, with HPA Motorsports' Audi TT only hundredths of a second away from being the fifth car.

The final hours of drag racing were tense. While most of the competitors quit after six or seven runs, 034 Motorsport, Stasis and AWE pushed their cars to the limit, trying to outdo each other's time.

It started when Todd Sager of AWE mentioned to Stasis the Lotus would probably go faster without the wing. As a result the Lotus lowered its previous time and gained speed on the final trap speed. AWE was running the S4 virtually all day and the tuner reached its limit at 11.8sec. In order to shave more time, the exhaust was dropped, tire pressures were lowered and new software was uploaded to increase timing and the rev limiter. With the new setup, the S4 ran six consistent runs in 11.5sec territory.

Javad Shadzi of 034 Motorsport and his Audi 80 held the top time and speed for the day. "We started the day with two easy runs using mild launches," he explained. "I gave it everything on my third run and ran an 11.22. We were happy with it until Stasis hit 11.3 and we got a little worried so pulled the car out again." Unfortunately for Javad, a front axle snapped on the sixth run. Nonetheless, nobody was able to catch the 80.

Besides the battle between the top three cars, other tuners faced their own challenges. VF-Engineering had high hopes but its R32 experienced fuel pump problems. EuroCode Tuning worked hard to overcome traction problems but was unsuccessful. WRD was eager to get started on the strip but was the first car to fall - an axle blew while attempting a burnout.

AWE TuningThe AWE Tuning S4 scored consistently high in each competition. Jeff Moss from Torque Factory helped AWE with the preparation and tuning. "This S4 is a full weight car, around 3500 lb with the driver," he said. "The cars that were beating us came in on trailers and weren't street cars. We were really stoked that we were right there with those guys. No car in our class drove to the event besides HPA's Audi TT, which was the nearest competitor."

Through Jeff's efforts and the excellent drivers, AWE placed second on the dyno and third in the following races. Jeff also credits the S4's owner, Brent Mattraw, for being able to push the car more. "Because Brent is a good friend we had the ability to make sure the car was tuned perfectly," he mentioned.

Editor's Fastest Quarter-Mile Choices2001 Audi S4Driver: Chip Herr, Neil McGarry - never driven with differentials, Todd Sager - still off pace

Dyno: 512.7hp, 537.1 lb/ft of torque (2nd)

Quarter-mile: 11.47 @ 121.9mph (3rd)

Lap time: 1:28.928 (3rd)

Engine: 2.7 liter V6 with AWE Tuning RSK04 turbo kit, downpipes, Twin 1 exhaust and front-mount intercooler, OE Audi RS4 motor mounts

Driveline: six-speed manual with AWE drivetrain stabilizer DTS bar, Sachs RS2 clutch kit and flywheel, Stasis center differential

Suspension: Stasis Engineering coilovers

Wheels & Tires: 18x7.5" Volk Racing LE37 wheels, 245/40-18 Falken Azenis RT-615 tires

Brakes: Stasis 14" big brake kit with Ferodo DS3000 front and DS2500 rear pads

Exterior: Audi RS4 grille

Interior: Topspin four-point driver harness, AWE Tuning center-vent boost gauge

Contact: www.awetuning.com, 888/565-2257

HPA MotorsportsHPA Motorsports is renowned for its twin-turbo projects, which include the Jetta R GT as well as its R32 packages. This year, the tuner brought an '05 Audi TT, driven from British Columbia to California to compete in etGP06, with plans to continue on to its new home in Indiana where it will remain a training car for One Lap of America. The TT was formerly equipped with DSG, but it was swapped for the six-speed from HPA's One Lap-winning Beetle RSi, making this North America's only six-speed TT V6.

"Because it's a 3500 lb car, we had to balance the braking, handling and power," Marcel Horn of HPA Motorsports explained. "The FT400-series single-turbo kit proved itself capable on the dyno, drag and track. The power and torque curves are consistent and keep going through each gear. We couldn't ask for more on the drag strip. We were able to achieve low 12s on the slowest drag strip on the West Coast. On the road course, we had some technical problems with the geometry, but we'll be back next year and won't disappoint."

2005 Audi TTDriver: John Kiewicz - Associate Editor of Motor Trend

Dyno: 387.3hp, 445.9 lb/ft of torque (6th)

Quarter-mile: 12.06 @ 114.0mph (5th)

Lap time: 1:33.425 (9th)

Engine: 3.2 liter VR6 with HPA FT-400+ single-turbo, lowered compression, race grade con rod bearings, upgraded fuel supply, NOS intercooler sprayer

Driveline: six-speed manual with hardened & lightened gears, Quaife diff, sintered metal clutch, Haldex Competition controller

Suspension: Kw Club Sport coilovers with adjustable camber plates, 22mm Neuspeed rear sway bar

Wheels & Tires: 18x8" SSR Competition wheels, 235/40-18 Falken Azenis RT-615 tires

Brakes: Hpa stage 2 brake system with 360mm front rotors, six-piston calipers and 310mm rear rotors

Interior: VDO boost gauge

Contact: www.hpamotorsport.com, 604/598-8520

Streets of WillowFastest lap competitionThis is the most anticipated event for all the tuners. It's the ultimate test of performance, chassis balance and reliability. Each tuner strives to design its vehicle for the best lap time and to be the definitive road course tuner.

The weather was comfortable on the third day of etGP06, with 70 temperatures, light wind and blue skies. Racing was divided into three groups. Each group had two 20min practice sessions to test the car's capabilities and settings. After the practice runs, each car ran solo around the track with three timed laps to achieve the best time.

During the practice sessions, certain tuners encountered difficulties. HPA's TT experienced geometry problems. The VF-Engineering R32 continued to suffer with fuelling mishaps and bad luck continued to strike WRD's driveline. Even the Stasis Lotus ruptured a boost hose during practice but it was quickly repaired for the final session.

The scariest incident happened to 034's Audi 80. Although it performed well on the dyno and drag strip, at Streets we witnessed the driver-side front wheel separate from the vehicle on a cool down lap. Luckily, driver Christian Miller was going slowly when the incident occurred. Fortunately, they were able to refit the wheel and complete a timed lap but reluctance to push a potentially damaged car meant it finished in the middle of the pack.

The Lotus, with its lightweight body, turbo power and tight chassis easily took first place. 034 Motorsport's Coupe came in second while AWE's S4 fought its way into third place - the S4 was in the middle of the group after practice but a little tweaking along with a rotation to different drivers helped place the car only tenths away from the 034 Coupe.

Euro Sport Accessories surprised us when its Focus finished fifth. Several tuners were shocked to see a Ford at the event, but Euro Sport (competing under its Focus Sport banner) proved to be a worthy contender.

EuroCode was another surprise on the final day. After losing traction on the dyno and drag strip, the GTI was finally able to gain speed and grip on the road course. The tuner prepped the car for Christian Miller, who drives a Mk4 Jetta in SCCA races, so the suspension was tuned to his specs and was even corner-balanced to his weight.

Finally, the Mini-Madness Cooper S was a thrill to watch. As one of the lighter and lower horsepower vehicles, it proved to be quick like the Lotus, finishing in a very respectable fourth place.

Stasis EngineeringTo diversify the line-up, Stasis brought its '05 Lotus Elise. It was a test-mule for the company's brake and suspension developments. Forcefed also developed one of the first turbo kits for the Elise by utilizing a GT28RS turbocharger. Dynamic Racing Solutions then worked on the engine management for the motor, implementing a programmable system that enables the driver to switch from low to high boost.

Reinforcing the philosophy, "performance through low weight," the Elise surprised everybody as its low dyno numbers were quickly forgotten on the drag strip and road course. "It was great competing against cars with twice the displacement and twice the tire," Jason Whipple of Stasis said. "In terms of horsepower per pound, there wasn't much that could touch the Lotus."

Although the team experienced a complication during practice on the road course with a ruptured boost hose, the Elise easily got back to racing form to take first place.

Editor's Fastest Lap Choices2005 Lotus EliseDriver: Chip Herr - Stasis touring car driver, winning three SCCA races in '06

Lap Dyno: 285.9hp, 233.0 lb/ft of torque (9th)

Quarter-mile: 11.34 @ 127.5mph (2nd)

Lap time: 1:26.224 (1st)

Engine: 1.8 liter four cylinder 16v with Forcefed 380 turbo package

Driveline: six-speed manual, upgraded clutch, limited-slip

Suspension: Stasis-tuned Ohlins coilovers

Wheels & Tires: 17x7.5" front, 17x8" rear PIAA FR-7 two-piece wheels, 205/40 17 (front), 235/40-17 (rear) Falken Azenis RT-615 tires

Brakes: Stasis Alcon four wheel brake kit

Contact: www.stasisengineering.com, 707/935-9700; www.racesolutions.com,562/694-2226

034 MotorsportIn its second appearance at etGP, 034 Motorsport brought its '90 Coupe quattro with an upgraded turbo, stripped interior and rollcage. "The Coupe was built for road driving," explained Javad Shadzi of 034. "It used to be Christian Miller's daily driver but after etGP05 we decided to make it a full track car. There was no way anybody could touch the Lotus, so second place was our goal." Christian Miller pushed his Coupe hard, ousting AWE's S4 by 0.3sec to take second place.

1990 Audi Coupe QuattroDriver: Christian Miller

Dyno: 402.5hp, 364.1 lb/ft of torque (4th)

Quarter-mile: 11.99 @ 118.1mph (4th)

Lap time: 1:28.688 (2nd)

Engine: 2.5 liter 20v five cylinder with JE 82.5mm pistons, Carillo rods, stroker crank, 034 head, Garret GT35R turbo, 034 intake and exhaust manifold, 0.5mm oversize valves, stainless steel intake valves, inconel exhaust valves, OE Audi 71 cams, 034 high current DIS coil packs, 034EFI stage 2c engine management and wiring harness, Innovative Motorsports LC1 wideband control unit, 034 tubular header, front-mount intercooler, 3" mandrel exhaust system

Driveline: Oe Audi RS4 six-speed with Spec stage 3 clutch and flywheel, Stasis 5:1 high-bias center diff, 034 clutch-type rear differential

Suspension: Eibach springs, Koni dual-adjustable struts, Delrin control arm bushings, Ground Control camber plates, 034 rear strut mounts and aluminum subframe bushings

Wheels & tires: 17x8" Rota Torque wheels, H&R wheel studs, 255/40-17 Falken Azenis RT-615 tires

Brakes: Porsche 993 Turbo Brembo brakes, Pagid pads

Exterior: OE Audi RS2 headlights

Interior: OE Audi S4 steering wheel, Aim Sports race dash

Contact: www.034motorsport.com, 510/657-6707