Stage 1, Stage 2 or GSG+: which tuning suits your car?

"Stage" is tuning jargon for how far you go. The numbers say nothing about quality, but they do say which parts are needed and how much the drivetrain has to endure. Below are the three flavours we offer, without marketing fog, and honest advice on which one suits you.

Stage 1: software, nothing else

Stage 1 is an optimisation of the engine software on completely original hardware. No different exhaust, no different air filter, no bigger turbo. This is the sweet spot for nine out of ten cars: the biggest gain per euro, no work on the car itself and fully reversible because we keep the original software.

Typical result: 15 to 30 percent more power and torque, depending on engine and fuel. The driving behaviour changes noticeably: less shifting, quicker merging, more relaxed cruising because the engine does the same work lower in the rev range.

What it asks of the car: a healthy engine and a clutch or automatic gearbox in good condition. With a Stage 1 we stay within the torque limit of the gearbox, so this is the safest step.

Stage 2: software plus breathing

With Stage 2 we remove the biggest restrictions on the intake and exhaust side: a downpipe with a sports catalyst or a freer-flowing exhaust, a better air filter or intake, often a bigger intercooler. Then the software is made to measure again, because a Stage 1 file on Stage 2 hardware is wasted effort or worse: the engine gets more air than the software expects.

The gain is bigger than with Stage 1, but there are extra points to consider:

• Noise. A freer exhaust is audible, for the neighbours and for enforcement too.
• Emissions inspection. A sports catalyst or removing a particulate filter has consequences for the periodic inspection and the type approval. We do not carry out modifications that make the car non-compliant on public roads.
• Drivetrain. More torque than the gearbox was designed for means slipping clutches and worn automatics. Strengthen first, then tune.

We only do Stage 2 on cars that are mechanically ready for it and we are honest when a clutch or an automatic needs strengthening first. Better a no at the counter than a tow truck on the motorway.

GSG+: the maximum from the original hardware

GSG+ is not a Stage 2 with a different label. It is a Stage 1 on original hardware, but calibrated individually on our dyno over several sessions. Instead of loading a generic file, we look for the optimal balance between boost, injection, timing and temperature for each car. That usually yields a few extra percent over a standard Stage 1, with sharper throttle response and a power curve without dips.

Where the extra gain comes from: a generic Stage 1 file has to work on every car of that type, so it keeps margin for the worst examples. With GSG+ we measure what your car really does and only use the margin that is actually there. You take the before and after sheets home, plus a test drive with data log analysis.

GSG+ is meant for those who want the utmost from the standard car without stepping up to different parts, and who want to see proof of it.

What do you notice on the road?

Numbers on a sheet say less than an overtake. Below, the same cars accelerate from 80 to 120 km/h, the stretch you drive every day on a country road. Press Start.

How do you choose?

• Daily car, lease or young used car: Stage 1. Reliable, reversible, immediately noticeable.
• The utmost from the standard car, with proof on paper: GSG+.
• Already have a sports exhaust, or want one, and the car is technically healthy: Stage 2, after an honest check of clutch and gearbox.
• Engine with high mileage or known weak spots: maintenance first, tuning later. More power is never a repair.

Three questions to ask yourself

1. Where do I drive most? Motorway and city call for mid-range torque, not a higher peak power. That speaks for Stage 1 or GSG+.
2. Do I want to change anything on the car? If not, Stage 2 is off the table. If yes, first factor in the parts and the consequences for inspection and noise.
3. What condition are the clutch and gearbox in? This determines how much torque is responsible, regardless of what the engine can deliver.

All figures given are indicative and may differ by around 5 percent per car. Look up your car via chiptuning to see what Stage 1 and GSG+ mean for your engine, or contact us for tailored advice.