Evening all,

I've got a 56 plate PD VRS Estate. It currently has 61k on and will be getting a cambelt, water pump and full service shortly. Apart from a fubar injector in December and a spot of sawtoothing on the rear tyres she hasnt really missed a beat since i've owned her.

The DPF and DMF seem to be okay up till now despite reading many horror stories on this website (touching all wooden objects within reach obviously)

The question is, what is the best option for a remap - I dont want to go too mad but it would appear that an extra 30-40BHP is a realistic goal.

Is it worth it?

What are the pitfalls?

Does insurance suffer too badly?

Is the fuel economy adversely affected?

Can anyone recommend or advise against a vendor?

This would be my first venture into modifying a car so am just looking for some friendly advice.

Cheers,

Andy.

Evening all,

I've got a 56 plate PD VRS Estate. It currently has 61k on and will be getting a cambelt, water pump and full service shortly. Apart from a fubar injector in December and a spot of sawtoothing on the rear tyres she hasnt really missed a beat since i've owned her.

The DPF and DMF seem to be okay up till now despite reading many horror stories on this website (touching all wooden objects within reach obviously)

The question is, what is the best option for a remap - I dont want to go too mad but it would appear that an extra 30-40BHP is a realistic goal.

Is it worth it?

What are the pitfalls?

Does insurance suffer too badly?

Is the fuel economy adversely affected?

Can anyone recommend or advise against a vendor?

This would be my first venture into modifying a car so am just looking for some friendly advice.

Cheers,

Andy.

Hi Andy. I havn't remaped my vRS yet, but I did remap my Focus ST so can answer some of your questions ....

Is it worth it? - YES! made the ST a completely different car to drive, and in a good way

What are the pitfalls? - With more power comes more wear and tear on the engine/gearbox/drivetrain/tyres/breaks etc, DualMassFlywheels being a weak spot.

Does insurance suffer too badly? - My ST insurance went up about £80 per year with Direct Line

Is the fuel economy adversely affected? - It actually was better after the remap when driven normally

Can anyone recommend or advise against a vendor? - Don't Know, although SHARK Performance seem to have a hell of a good reputation for VAG motors

If your not ragging your car all the time then the wear and tear issues are less. It's all about having a bit of Mechanical Sympathy with your driving, esp. with a remap.

Hope that helps you a wee bit.

Derek

Group buy on remaps with Shark at the moment - get it booked in, you won't look back!

More torque, better economy and smoother power delivery.

If you drive like a nutter then yes, worry about turbo's or DMF's going bang, but if you drive like a 'normal' person then don't worry.

Insurance varies, but 10-20% seems to be the norm.

I am seeing 10% better fuel economy on mine and it is a lot more fun to drive, especially as my last car was a 210bhp 3.2 V6 with 300lbft torque, having approx 180bhp and 295ftlb in the Octy makes it comparable, but at 50mpg instead of 20mpg!!!

Is it worth it?

What are the pitfalls?

Does insurance suffer too badly?

Is the fuel economy adversely affected?

Can anyone recommend or advise against a vendor?

Andy.

Yes it is worth it. Ben at Shark is the best place to go......Speak to him. He will give you all the advice you want.

Pitfalls......excessive use of right foot will affect the fuel consumption, but not by much in my experience.

Insurance. My Snow Monster cost me an extra 10%, but what a transformation. My CR140 is probably around CR180/185 now.

While you are at it, ask Ben about DPF removal. You might be pleasantly surprised, and it will improve your fuel consumption.

I have experience of a few, and Ben is the best by far

Mike

PS No I don't work for him