Torque is the bit that matters
Power figures sell remaps. Torque is what you actually feel.
Peak power happens at high revs, somewhere most road cars spend almost no time. Torque is what shoves you along at the revs you actually drive at, and it's where a well-written map does its best work. Get that right and the car feels considerably quicker without the numbers looking dramatic.
It's also the figure that matters mechanically, because torque is what loads the clutch, gearbox and driveshafts. Knowing where those limits sit on a given car is the difference between a map that lasts and a map that costs someone a gearbox.
Petrol and diesel respond differently
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Turbo petrol: Usually the most dramatic result. Boost, fuelling and ignition timing all have room to work with, and the character of the engine can change noticeably.
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Turbo diesel: Enormous torque gains, often the biggest real-world difference of any engine type. Less about revs, more about effortlessness.
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Naturally aspirated: Honest answer: limited. Without a turbo there's little for software to exploit. We'll tell you if your car falls into this group rather than take your money.
Already modified?
Intake, exhaust, intercooler, hybrid turbo, or a car someone else has already mapped. Bring it. Engine and transmission work is what our workshop does the rest of the week, so a car with hardware changes is a normal conversation here rather than an awkward one.
If you're planning modifications, talk to us before you buy the parts. We'll tell you honestly which ones will make a difference on your engine and which are decoration.
Why it happens in a workshop
A performance map asks more of the engine than the factory did, so the state of the engine matters more. On a ramp we can see a soft boost pipe, a caked intake, a weeping intercooler or a tired turbo before we ask any of it to work harder. That check is not something anyone can do properly on your driveway with a laptop.
Send us your reg
Tell us what you drive and what you want from it. We'll come back with the figures for your engine, a price, and an honest view on whether it's worth doing.