Hello. I am new member. I am first on the list to receive the only (as far as I know) MR coming to Colorado this spring. Deposit is down.

This is a big change for me as I am a die-hard Subaru guy (02 Stage 3 Vishnu WRX). I have test driven an 08 STi. Nice car. If I go with the MR I will really miss the hatch (my 02 is a wagon).

I do like the idea of a more 'grown up' car (the MR), but know that I will (want to be) soon be modding it.

So my question is, at this point are there any concise and well informed summaries of how or if an MR will be tunable? Will the TCU seriously impede power upgrades? Will the recent ECU only tunes by Vishnu and Perrin, etc be directly applicable to an MR? How about when hardware mods start happening?

If this subject has existing posts, please point me at them. It may be that we just dont know, but if anyone has educated guesses, this will help me ease into the new car on my horizon and know what I can expect to do to it.

As an aside, I can not determine (nor can the dealer?) if the MR (w/navi and all other options) has a sunroof or folding rear seats (trunk access)? Anyone know?

thanks!
billy

I don't think anyone really knows the answer to your questions just yet.

If I had to GUESS, I would say that the MR would be tunable, however, only to a lesser degree.

I don't think anyone really knows the answer to your questions just yet.

If I had to GUESS, I would say that the MR would be tunable, however, only to a lesser degree.

Yeah, the best answer I've seen comes from a guy with experience on the VW DSG. You have to look at any mods in terms of how much they will increase torque. The bigger a percentage gain in torque you get, the more likely you will run into the as yet unknown ceiling programmed into the TCM. Is it 20/40/60%? Nobody knows. Even if you don't increase torque significantly, the other concern is long term reliability. The more work you make the SST do by adding hp, the sooner it is likely to wear out.

The car will most definitely be tunable. There are rumors that the TCU will be a limiting factor, however, to what degree is still an unknown.

My golf GTI w/ DSG can handle increase of 100lb TQ and 80HP

there are dsg equipt gti's that are in the 400+ hp range 300+ tq
im going to get APR stage 3(380ish hp 330ish tq) probably before i pick up my evo MR

i also know there is a kit out there that uses a gt3071r turbo thats close to 500hp dont know if anyone has put it on a DSG yet but im sure someone will

The DSG comparison isn't terribly valid, however. The programming of the TC-SST is much more complicated, and much more integrated into the rest of the system, from what I've read. With new clutches from HPA, you can seriously crank the horsepower up with an HPA turbo on the R32 with no tuning issues whatsoever. If I could afford it now, I'd probably own a new R32, and begin with a new Haltech controller, and save up for an HPA turbo kit. However, I think the tunability of the MR is all speculation at this point.

The DSG comparison isn't terribly valid, however. The programming of the TC-SST is much more complicated, and much more integrated into the rest of the system, from what I've read. With new clutches from HPA, you can seriously crank the horsepower up with an HPA turbo on the R32 with no tuning issues whatsoever. If I could afford it now, I'd probably own a new R32, and begin with a new Haltech controller, and save up for an HPA turbo kit. However, I think the tunability of the MR is all speculation at this point.

Yeah, no one will know until people start doing things. Already a couple have changed to less restrictive filters and haven't complained. Hopefully we'll start to hear about exhaust changes in the not too distant future. And then the big kahuna: ECU mods. It will be interesting to follow.

One thing I wish we could clear up is whether HKS actually got the power and torque increases listed on their website with a GSR-SST or on their RS or what. There are rumors on Lancer Registry mentioning a Japanese tuner that has gone through several SST trannies and just about giving up on the it. I'm wondering if it's them or not.

Edit: We also now know from the other forum that AMS got a chance to throw 50-60 hp worth of their stuff on an MR at the invitation of Mitsu NA HQ. Mitsu said they wanted to test out the SST with various mods. Car ran great. In another completely separate post a guy drove into the HQ parking lot, saw a Japanese guy working on an MR, and started asking questions. He then allegedly talked to a supervisor and was told the SST was good to about 350 hp based on their recent tests with various mods. Good stuff!