Bender1
Banned
The below is a review of AWE and the GIAC Stage One tune. This is not meant as a comparison between tunes or tuners or to start a battle. Anything positive I say about AWE and GIAC are simply positive statements about them, they are not meant to detract from the other fine tuners out there. Additionally, if you see this as an opportunity to pitch your product ("we do that too! marketing talk marketing talk") then I pleasantly request that you GTFO..
About a three weeks ago I got with AWE to schedule a date for my tune. February 28th worked best for me and they had time available and it was booked. So yesterday afternoon I headed over to AWE.
Why AWE and GIAC?
There are a variety of factors that went into my decision to go with AWE. The top? Reputation. Though this is my first VW, I have been active in the car community/modding community of the Greater Philadelphia area for the better part of the past 15 years (since the time my old friends were starting to drive). Even when we were 16 and totally broke, it was a given that if you had a VW you saved up your pennies and heading over to Willow Grove to see AWE. Other tuners were not discussed. Not because they were bad, but because when you have one of the best in your backyard, why use anyone else?
When it comes down to it, and you cut through all the bullshit, the big three (APR, AWE/GIAC, Revo) seem to be about the same. So going with who can support YOU the best, locally, should have a huge impact on your selection of a tune.
The AWE Shop
I posted some of this yesterday as I was sitting there, but the AWE office/shop is a pretty cool place. The lounge is comfortable, bottled water and coffee (the good single serve stuff, not a day old pot of it) abound. Great music pumped in, as I described it yesterday it felt like I was in a doctor's office on the Moon in the future or maybe a doctor's office for robots (Alex - would love to know what that music was). Slick slide show of AWE's work presented on the wall. Everyone was over the top nice.
Alex gave me a tour of the shop itself and I was very impressed. Pure sex on display on the lifts: A V10 R8, an S4 getting a stage 3 build, a MK5 GTI getting some prototype work done, and a couple 997s.
The thing I like most about the shop is that the bulk of things are done in house. Turbo outlet pipe? Built in suburban Philadelphia. TBE? Built in suburban Philadelphia. Their stuff is more expensive but, to some of you, it might be worth it to have it built here by fellow enthusiasts.
The Tune
These are really very initial impressions. I only have about 40 miles on it at this point, but its a pretty even split between stop and go, highway, and backroads.
As you can tell from my build thread and my posts, I highly value when things are thought out, well planned, and well executed. The GIAC tune epitomizes that theory.
It feels stock. I do not mean that it the power feels stock, it absolutely does not. The power feels mind meltingly fast (I have tuned lots of cars, and none have had this level of response from a stage one tune). It feels stock in that it is incredible civilized. Power is strong and consistent. The throttle delay (that I experienced less than most) is totally gone.
The amount of time that likely went into this tune is obvious. it is mature. It is tight. It is sharp. It is, for all intents and purposes, perfect.
I am in lust and in love.
As an aside - I have used MANY softloaders over the years - the GIAC unit is (along with the tune) by far the best.
So now time to reassess and decide what is next, my thought pattern has changed a bit following the tune.
About a three weeks ago I got with AWE to schedule a date for my tune. February 28th worked best for me and they had time available and it was booked. So yesterday afternoon I headed over to AWE.
Why AWE and GIAC?
There are a variety of factors that went into my decision to go with AWE. The top? Reputation. Though this is my first VW, I have been active in the car community/modding community of the Greater Philadelphia area for the better part of the past 15 years (since the time my old friends were starting to drive). Even when we were 16 and totally broke, it was a given that if you had a VW you saved up your pennies and heading over to Willow Grove to see AWE. Other tuners were not discussed. Not because they were bad, but because when you have one of the best in your backyard, why use anyone else?
When it comes down to it, and you cut through all the bullshit, the big three (APR, AWE/GIAC, Revo) seem to be about the same. So going with who can support YOU the best, locally, should have a huge impact on your selection of a tune.
The AWE Shop
I posted some of this yesterday as I was sitting there, but the AWE office/shop is a pretty cool place. The lounge is comfortable, bottled water and coffee (the good single serve stuff, not a day old pot of it) abound. Great music pumped in, as I described it yesterday it felt like I was in a doctor's office on the Moon in the future or maybe a doctor's office for robots (Alex - would love to know what that music was). Slick slide show of AWE's work presented on the wall. Everyone was over the top nice.
Alex gave me a tour of the shop itself and I was very impressed. Pure sex on display on the lifts: A V10 R8, an S4 getting a stage 3 build, a MK5 GTI getting some prototype work done, and a couple 997s.
The thing I like most about the shop is that the bulk of things are done in house. Turbo outlet pipe? Built in suburban Philadelphia. TBE? Built in suburban Philadelphia. Their stuff is more expensive but, to some of you, it might be worth it to have it built here by fellow enthusiasts.
The Tune
These are really very initial impressions. I only have about 40 miles on it at this point, but its a pretty even split between stop and go, highway, and backroads.
As you can tell from my build thread and my posts, I highly value when things are thought out, well planned, and well executed. The GIAC tune epitomizes that theory.
It feels stock. I do not mean that it the power feels stock, it absolutely does not. The power feels mind meltingly fast (I have tuned lots of cars, and none have had this level of response from a stage one tune). It feels stock in that it is incredible civilized. Power is strong and consistent. The throttle delay (that I experienced less than most) is totally gone.
The amount of time that likely went into this tune is obvious. it is mature. It is tight. It is sharp. It is, for all intents and purposes, perfect.
I am in lust and in love.
As an aside - I have used MANY softloaders over the years - the GIAC unit is (along with the tune) by far the best.
So now time to reassess and decide what is next, my thought pattern has changed a bit following the tune.
