Welcome to Stage Two

Ain't software great? You just fiddle a bit with the programming on the car's computer and voila, the 250 stock horsepower and 280 ft/lbs torque is replaced by 318 horsepower with about 382 ft/lbs peak torque. Welcome to "APR Stage 2"!

Whoa ho ho ho ho!

The boost gauge needle no longer stops around 8psi, but proceeds on up to about 15. And that little speedometer needle swings to the right really quickly. The redline in first gear comes in a big hurry. You blink a couple times and you're over the state speed limit. Schweet. The APR 1.0 bar software really does feel stock smooth, except with far more urgency and authority.

I have trouble imagining what "stage 3" is like on these cars. That means bigger turbos and new air/fuel parts to produce horsies around 450 and torque nearing 500 ft/lbs. On the other hand, if I budget well (or if my stock turbos blow), maybe I'll get there someday. For now, the big upgrades are complete, and I'll be looking for future holiday sales on suspension and big brake kits.