I have a completely stock 2006 Z51 A6. Love the car but i notice the throttle response is a bit delayed (especially at launch) and car is not as responsive as I'd expect from a 400 hp V8 vette.

I'm considering getting a Vararam intake kit + 160 degree thermostat + dyno tune + corsa sport exhaust from East Coast Supercharging. Exhaust mod is purely for sound enhancement, not performance.

I don't race the car so my objective is to simply make the car more responsive and fun to drive when cruising around town and on highways.

My specific questions are:

1 --Will I notice improvement at low RPMs (especially at launch) or is the improvement from these modifications largely realized at high RPMs and very high speeds?
2 -- Will the car "feel" more responsive under normal driving conditions or would i have to be racing the car hard to notice any difference?
3 -- Are there any negative trade-offs I should be aware of (someone mentioned i may be "trading off" low RPM for high RPM performance with a dyno tune (this doesn't make sense to me but i wanted to check with you guys)?
4 -- Do I need a dynotune / is one recommended if I decide to just get the corsa sport exhaust?

Essentially I'm wondering if tuning, vararam intake, and 160 degree thermostat are a waste of money for someone with my objectives. I don't mind spending the money if the car will be more fun to drive.

any input would be greatly appreciated!

thanks!
James

 

just a tune will make it more responsive and definitely make a difference, but before going that route, Id suggest hitting the traction control off (if you havent done so) and driving it around like that. for me it makes a world of difference when running with the tc off and the ah on.

you may also want to have the car checked out or just dyno it to see if theres anything going on to slow you down.
* typically stock ls2 A6 cars dyno 330-340 hp at the wheels

 

Did you slide the shifter lever to the 'S' position?
I actually know a guy who didnt even know about it.
It makes a nice little difference in the cars attitude.

 

Guys -- thanks very much for the feedback.

I have spent a good amount of time experimenting with different settings, including TC on, TC off, and "competitive mode". Also, I usually drive in "S" mode and use the paddle shifts frequently. I really like the paddles!! both for upshifting and downshifting.

to be clear, in general, the car performs extremely well. My only complaint is that the throttle response is not always as "right now" / instant as I would hope. sometimes, it takes off like a rocket. but other times, its almost like a "turbo lag" where it takes a second to really get going and almost feels like its straining.

Just a bit more background: I bought the car six months ago, but it only has 6,700 miles and is in mint condition. I had it checked over thoroughly before buying and previous owner was a conservative guy who maintained it well. So i believe the car is in excellent mechanical condition and the issue is its just a "stock" C6 A6.

another point to raise: its tough to break the tires free. Even from a stop with power breaking. I realize its the summer and the tires are sticky, but with 400 hp and 3,300 blps curb weight, it should be easy!!!

any further input would be much appreciated!!!

many thanks!

 

you shouldnt need to hold the brake down while trying to make the tires break loose (even with tc and ah on). something doesnt seem right...

 

ECS is great and your in good hands. A great tuner will listen to what you want and deliver it!

Doug and Chris are great guys as are the whole ECS Crew.

 

Guys, thanks for the feedback.

Sounds like a dyno tune would be very worthwhile.

any thoughts on whether an air intake and 160 degree thermo would be helpful/useful? again, i'm not planning to race the car. Just looking to enjoy some "spirited driving" and optimize the car's potential...

thanks!

 

yes and yes

thermostat keeps the car running at cooler temps so you can be more aggressive with tuning

intakes are obvious in their advantages.

you may want to look into buying a used ls3 or ls7 intake and maf (along with zr1 filter), and converting to that system if youre going to retune anyway.

If you want to go aftermarket, the Halltech intake seems to be the best (keep in mind they are all very similar in design - changing out the ls2 intake will make a difference for you with whatever you pick).

 

I can vouch for the guys at ECS that they do great work and are very professional. Doug's A6 trans tune alone will really make the car a different beast!

With your goals in mind, I would do some sort of intake and a 160 stat, and add to the list a Vmax CNC ported throttle body. It definitely helps with throttle response.

As far as the exhaust, I'd personally skip it (at least I did) for the measly hp gains it gives for the high price. It's really primarily a sound upgrade. Of course, I also have an 08 with the already well designed NPP exhaust.

 

As I keep telling people, the lower temperature thermostat doesn't gain you any power. It actually makes the engine (very slightly) less thermodynamically efficient.

A tune will get you better throttle response and a couple more horsepower, but not much.

A vararam won't get you anything in the low end.

Your best bet is the FAST 102 intake with a tune. It's good for about 20 more horsepower peak, but even better gains in the midrange (about 35 hp).

 

Guys - incredibly helpful. again, i really appreciate the time and feedback.

 

Just for a comparison, I have a 06 A6 as well, with LG headers, NPP's, vararam, 160 stat and a dyno tune. It's a different car. I'd highly suggest you invest in these mod's, you'll be quite happy.

 

Raggdoll - thanks and appreciate the insight.

Just to confirm, i want to make sure you think i'll enjoy the benefits of the mods under "normal" driving conditions (i.e. spirited driving not racing)?

beginner question: what are NPP's?

finally, i sense you had some of the same issues with relative lack of performance before you made all the mods you made.... is that right?

thanks again!!!!

 

PS, RaggDoll -- your profile pic rules!!!

cheers,
james

 

NPP's is the factory "mild to wild" mufflers.

I posted in your thread in scan and tune, but I'll recap here as well.

Even without mods our A6 tune will make a world of difference to the throttle response and overall crispness of the vehicle. Adding mods from there just enhances it.
For someone looking to not go too crazy, but would like a nice performance gain, I suggest AR headers, a Vararam intake, and a 160 stat and a tune. We average around a 50rwhp gain from those mods alone! That is very noticeable to say the least.

Any questions feel free to ask, thanks.

 

Awesome way to devert people away from one of your alias' CHUCK CoW! but thanks!

(busted)

 

 

I also have an 06 A6. I have almost the exact same mods and the car is really quick. My best is a 12.03 at 118.75 mph and this is at Firebird which is over 1200 feet in altitude.

 

if you dont care about tracking the car and all you want it to do is respond and shift better then get some lower gears and a nice tune with the tm turned off. just those 2 things will make it really seem different but on the hwy you will lose some mpg due to the gears.

if you want the gears and plan on going 3.42s the best bet is to get a good used Z06 3.42 set but you have to get some different trans mounts form pfadt for it to work. i wish i would have known about this kinda setup when i did gears, i did do the gears before i did the converter and the car was very responsive (at the time i was making about 370 RWHP) but i lost about 2-2.5 mpg at 77 mph.

if you want some power i see a few guys use the obx headers with decent gains, you can get a used FAST 90 or 92 alot cheaper than the FAST 102 and the power difference isn't but a few hp.

good luck
dicky

 

Oh snap!