In this month’s Owner Spotlight, we put long-term customer and friend Drew’s Mk7 VW Golf R under the microscope.

It’s not just that eye-catching Shore Wraps-designed Ecotune livery that makes this formidable car stand out, as it now boasts a truly neck-snapping 515bhp and 486lb ft of torque thanks to a V4 turbocharger, a bespoke Ecotune Stage 3 ECU calibration, and plenty of other hardware upgrades…

FROM MANUAL TO DSG

Drew’s Golf R experience began with a manual version of the hot hatch that had a Stage 2 calibration installed. The first of its kind in the UK to break into the 11-second mark on the quarter-mile drag strip, it was when he ran into technical troubles that he decided to step things up a notch.

Next purchasing a DSG-equipped version of the Golf and going Stage 2 almost immediately, Drew soon switched to an APR ECU and TCU calibration supplied by Ecotune, opening up a new world of possibilities and forging a relationship between car and tuner that remains strong to this very day.

GAINING MOMENTUM

In Stage 2 trim, the car was rigorously maintained by ourselves, with checks performed every 3000 miles to ensure its proud owner could exploit its true potential in a guilt-free manner.

Recently, however, the time came to make the step up to Stage 3. This involved us taking the car to our workshop department to install the likes of a Turbo Technics V4 hybrid turbocharger, as well as new fuelling and clutch hardware to ensure everything was up to the job.

It was tied together by a bespoke Stage 3 ECU calibration perfumed by Stan Ward, complemented with an APR Stage 3 TCU calibration.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Now it’s dialled in, Drew’s car produces 515bhp and 486lb ft of torque at 2.1bar of boost.

It also features one of Ecotune’s iFlash 2 OBD tuning devices which allows the owner to switch between various maps – in this case 99RON, 102RON and 110RON fuels.

HOW IT DRIVES

“It drives amazing, the pull on boost is something else!” Drew tells us. “The overall feel is incredible. I managed to achieve my goal of a 10-second quarter mile in the car, running 10.88 seconds @ 128.7mph.”

CURRENT SPEC

Performance Figures

Max power: 515bhp

Max torque: 486lb ft

0-60mph: 3.04 seconds (Dragy)

60-100mph: 3.61 seconds (Dragy)

¼ mile: 10.88 seconds @ 128.7mph (Dragy)

Engine

2.0-litre TSI turbocharged four-cylinder, Turbo Technics V4 hybrid turbocharger, Turbo Technics turbocharger intake pipe, ARP head studs, APR valve springs, RacingLine R600 intake, Wagner intercooler, Milltek Sport de-cat downpipe, APR cat-back exhaust system, Autotech high-pressure fuel pump, VWR oil catch can, VWR turbo muffler delete, 4-bar MAP sensor, Millers Nanodrive CFS 5W-40 NT+ engine oil

Transmission

DQ250 six-speed DSG dual-clutch semi-auto gearbox, new clutch packs, Dodson Motorsport DSG oil, APR Stage 3 TCU calibration

Electronics

Ecotune bespoke Stage 3 ECU calibration, Ecotune iFlash 2 OBD tuning device

Other Hardware Modifications

KW V2 coilovers, 18” Team Dynamics alloy wheels with Uniroyal RainSport 3 tyres, Forge Motorsport wheel spacers (11mm front, 15mm rear), SuperPro rear anti-roll bar, Forge Motorsport dogbone mount, Aston Martin DB9 Brembo 4-pot front brake calipers with Vagbremtechnic 340mm J-hook discs and Ferodo DS2500 pads, Motul Racing brake fluid

Aesthetic Modifications

Custom Ecotune livery, Maxton Designs V2 carbon fibre front splitter, gloss black side skirts and full rear spats/diffuser, carbon fibre wing mirrors

MOVING ON

Drew has since sold the Golf and purchased an 8V Audi RS3. 

To keep an eye on how this new project progresses, as well as check out some previous upgrades in more detail, give him a follow on Instagram: @1988drew1988.