Superchips Bluefin Stage 1 ECU upgrade for the Golf R

[Lucas_R]

Hey all,

Im very interested in purchasing a Superchips "Bluefin" ECU upgrade for my new Golf R in the next 4-6 weeks, and i have been able to find several forum members who have one installed on their GTI but haven't found anyone who has chipped an R.

If you have an R chipped with a Bluefin device, could you please post your feedback on the feel of the tune? I understand the Superchips tune is slightly less powerful than some of the other tuners, but their price and convenience of switching back to stock tune at your convenience (for servicing / warranty etc) is very appealing.

Also, i have heard that some newer GTI's and R's have encrypted ECU's - meaning that the tune cannot be applied via the OBD port as normal, and in these cases, the ECU needs to be physically removed from the vehicle to apply the tune. Has anyone with a Mk6 GTi or R had this?

Dyno sheets of before and after Bluefin would be great if you have them as well.

Please don't post here about buying a different brand of tune instead - i am specifically asking about the Superchips Bluefin. No offense to the other tunes...but APR is too expensive in my opinion, and the others (Revo, Giac, Custom Code, Evolve Etc etc) are all based in either Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and are just not practical for me based in Newcastle. I don't want to have to drive 400km (round trip to Syd) each time i need to see someone about my tune or if there is an issue. I am happy to take a slight decrease in power and torque for the convenience of dealing directly with Superchips in the UK for my tune.

Some specifications for the Superchips Bluefin Stage 1 tune (for Golf R). Only thing im not quite sure of is the fact that the "original bhp and nm" as quoted below is for the European spec 199kw/350nm version (199kw = 266hp). Does this mean that the de-tuned Golf R's we get in Australia (188kw / 330nm) will actually get a larger bhp and nm increase than what is stated below?

Superchips bluefin - VW 2.0TFSi (MK6 Golf R)

Engine type : Turbocharged Petrol
Engine size : 1984 cm3
Cylinders : 4
Original bhp : 266
Original nm : 350
BHP increase : 39
NM gain : 55
Lb/Ft gain : 41

[PeDiES]

I don't want to have to drive 400km (round trip to Syd) each time i need to see someone about my tune or if there is an issue.

who will help you if the car has a tune you put on yourself and you have an issue?

im not 100% sure about superchips but most chipping companies don't reset the flash counter so vw could pick up pretty easy it had a flash even if its back to stock.

Also no australian cars should have to have the ecu removed, the high security is only on US models, every australian model can be flashed via obd. I dont know why apr remove the ecu in Australia (mk6 gti's) .
Otherwise im not attacking superchips, ive driven a few superchipped cars and while there a little slower than leading companies they still have a decent gain over stock.

[noone]

Most tune issues seem to be issues where there is a mechanical / air fault from what I've seen.

Talk to Jmac, yet to hear anything bad about the man and his work.

[Lucas_R]

You deal directly with Superchips if there is an issue with the tune. All feedback i have read is that their customer service is prompt (and service in general) is excellent.

And im not concerned whether the flash counter is reset or not. None of the tuners are able to give a reliable answer on that one....so lets just assume they are all the same in that regard.

And ive read (on this forum) that there have been several cases where newer Mk6 Golfs have not been able to be tuned by the port - and the ECU has had to be removed.

who will help you if the car has a tune you put on yourself and you have an issue?

im not 100% sure about superchips but most chipping companies don't reset the flash counter so vw could pick up pretty easy it had a flash even if its back to stock.

Also no australian cars should have to have the ecu removed, the high security is only on US models, every australian model can be flashed via obd. I dont know why apr remove the ecu in Australia (mk6 gti's) .
Otherwise im not attacking superchips, ive driven a few superchipped cars and while there a little slower than leading companies they still have a decent gain over stock.

[Lucas_R]

Most tune issues seem to be issues where there is a mechanical / air fault from what I've seen.

Talk to Jmac, yet to hear anything bad about the man and his work.

I have sent messages to JMac as well as Superchips themselves - yet to receive an answer about what concerns me most......whether our Australian detuned versions can expect the same peak HP & NM figures as well as power and torque curves etc.

[parso_rex]

They can all be done via the odbII port over here as they have an MED9 ECU. The antituning ECU's are the MED17 based ones like in the GTI mk6 but none here have the feature in use - yet

[nat225]

best to call up Gerard at GCCorp and ask him all the questions you wanna ask, he's a Superchips dealer in Sydney.

GC Corp Performance Parts and Accessories - JDM, PAR and NEO Synthetic Oil

mine is a MY2011 GTI and the install process was very easy.

bear in mind the Bluefin seems to be milder compared to the other tunes, but it suits me well for now as I am planning to keep the car for a bit long.

The more aggressive the tune = less engine life.

But if I change my mind and crave for more powarr then i'll switch to GIAC :p

[Lucas_R]

Hey Nat225 - how do you like the Bluefin tune? Is it a smooth power delivery? Noticeable improvement in HP/NM over the standard setup? I too am planning to keep my car for probably 6-8 years (providing it proves to be reliable and a good car in general).....but my decision to go with a Bluefin tune (at this point in time) is due to being in Newcastle and there are no local dealers for the other brands. And obviously the $700 price tag is enticing.

Yes i am aware that the Bluefin seems to be a milder tune than APR / Revo etc etc etc with about 10kw less and 30nm or so.

I was actually driving next to your car in Newcastle about 2 months ago (this was before i had my Golf) and your car looks nice. I particularily like your exhaust with the dark tips.

best to call up Gerard at GCCorp and ask him all the questions you wanna ask, he's a Superchips dealer in Sydney.

GC Corp Performance Parts and Accessories - JDM, PAR and NEO Synthetic Oil

mine is a MY2011 GTI and the install process was very easy.

bear in mind the Bluefin seems to be milder compared to the other tunes, but it suits me well for now as I am planning to keep the car for a bit long.

The more aggressive the tune = less engine life.

But if I change my mind and crave for more powarr then i'll switch to GIAC :p

[triode12]

Bluefin tunes are milder by about 10-15kw but they make the engines run smoother than GIAC and APR.

I've compared my car with those of friends who have APR and GIAC, my car's engine is noticeably smoother (especially when idling) but it is also smoother when accelerating. The power delivery is the most linear of the three.

All the tunes have their pros and cons. You can't go wrong with any of them. I wish there was a way of installing all three and switching between the three.

[nat225]

Hey Nat225 - how do you like the Bluefin tune? Is it a smooth power delivery? Noticeable improvement in HP/NM over the standard setup? I too am planning to keep my car for probably 6-8 years (providing it proves to be reliable and a good car in general).....but my decision to go with a Bluefin tune (at this point in time) is due to being in Newcastle and there are no local dealers for the other brands. And obviously the $700 price tag is enticing.

Yes i am aware that the Bluefin seems to be a milder tune than APR / Revo etc etc etc with about 10kw less and 30nm or so.

I was actually driving next to your car in Newcastle about 2 months ago (this was before i had my Golf) and your car looks nice. I particularily like your exhaust with the dark tips.

Hey Lucas, yes i was in Newcastle area about 2 months ago

this was my dyno result, power delivery is quite linear, hence driveability is very similar to stock with more urgency when pushed

looking at the kw result alone does not seem impressive at all, my mate's GIAC with downpipe can do 170kw at the wheel. but it's ok for me for now..

power is always there when i need, looking at going up to Stage 2 soon when I get the APR downpipe installed mid May



the dark tips.. they're Akrapovic cat back