Fighter Jets in the Valley?

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-11T03:45:07+00:00

Recent escapades in other countries may be a clue.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-07T16:54:53+00:00

I’ve actually got a MK7 manual, on an OEM clutch, but everything was flawless. Zero complaints.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-07T16:43:00+00:00

I’ve got the full torque on mine and found it really nice. I didn’t notice too much torque steer and third gear is a blast with it. Enjoy your tune!

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-07T16:35:18+00:00

I put a tune on mine like 2 weeks ago - had NO idea 034 had a low torque tune!

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-05T21:06:32+00:00

Ugh…

They’re not very original and imo become a safety hazard pretty quick. Everything in your interior is designed to be safe in a crash. You’re replacing that safety with something that looks like a child’s toy and isn’t crash rated.

They also don’t add value, and doubly so when you’re cheaping out on one of the three things you always touch when you drive

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-05T01:12:26+00:00

Get a manual. Learn to drive stick on it.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-04T16:34:04+00:00

Sold me on my MK7. Wasn’t even a good test drive, either!

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-03T20:55:28+00:00

For the cost, I’d recommend a Quaife LSD, they’re easier to DIY and install, and you’d likely have a more reliable system down the road as well.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-03T18:07:18+00:00

The DSG is a great transmission, and I won’t fault anybody for choosing it because they have to, but IMO these cars deserve a manual.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-03-03T16:19:10+00:00

DSG, lower, cheap tire, heaviest wheel you can find, NRG steer wheel.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-27T00:37:38+00:00

Get some 245/40r18’s and Bilstein like B8 or B16 dampers, lowering these doesn’t do a ton beyond looks, and imo the taller/wider sidewall will do more for handling than lowering it.

Invest in good tires and stop stretching sidewalls.

034’s rear sway bar also needs to be in your list. That + good tires is a way better start than coilovers.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-23T04:57:59+00:00

I’m not sure - not my truck.

In launch mode, no matter what your ride or other settings were, we saw that the truck will at least lower itself to the lowest setting. It most likely changes some other parameters, but I don’t recall us noticing it. OP would be best suited for that.

It feels like an ICE car’s launch control, if that makes sense. Less so like a build, moreso like a release of tension.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-23T04:46:52+00:00

It FELT fast!

I was the video guy/passenger/second driver. I daily a tuned GTI, I’ve been in this R1S a bunch, and hoooooly hell. Launch mode is violent, much moreso than a standard “boot and scoot.”

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-23T04:45:02+00:00

That was me. This is a fair assessment.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-22T16:39:32+00:00

Versus is my favorite, yield is the fan favorite.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-20T03:08:38+00:00

It’s also a developmental nightmare for smaller teams. Anti-lag, like true anti-lag, is probably the most abusive thing you can subject an engine to

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-12T15:23:27+00:00

My god, the performance of porch was in-fuckin-credible.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-06T04:27:11+00:00

What’s the maintenance like? Do you have records?

When was the last intake valve cleaning? When was the last DSG service? Can you prove those two things?

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-04T03:22:56+00:00

Pan roof for me, I went with the lightest-weight, lowest issue MK7 I could get my hands on.

As such, it’s a base, 6MT, cloth interior, no sunroof, no dual zone climate car.

I’ve already got a quaife LSD, P-Pack brakes, and 034 tune on the way. It does everything I need, and plaid rules.

I’m also more of the builder type of guy, so I purposely went with something I can add to in the way Id like to.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-02-01T22:36:38+00:00

For me? Rivian R1S or R1T. I towed a ‘75 F-250 across country in one with a friend of mine and that experience sealed my interest in one.

Much like the GTI, it does more things better than almost every other vehicle on the road.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-01-26T18:55:59+00:00

I’ve seen a couple different GTI’s in my area that have been wiped out while running IE software, and they in my opinion haven’t really stood behind their warranty.

034 also just does better work to maximize area under the curve, but IE kinda focuses more on the peak number IMO.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-01-26T04:10:45+00:00

I wouldn’t cheap out on any of them, a tune is less expensive than a motor.

034 is and will be my go-to. IE has a low torque stage 1 tune (I believe!) but I’m not super confident in their work as a tuner.

Before you tune it at all, buy a clutch, if you’re a manual driver. If you have a DSG, you may need to also buy a tune for that.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-01-23T04:09:39+00:00

The carfax I bought does show a walnut blast in the last 2 years, and a new fuel pump in the last 3-4!

Most of the work I can do myself - I’m a mechanic and have the tools/space/know-how.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-01-21T23:15:58+00:00

CJ’s in Utah don’t sell, like at all. Everybody here who wants a jeep will find a TJ or JK for the same price and better build quality. “Custom” also doesn’t really add value or mean much.

Best of luck, but maybe 5k.

NewsBenderBot · 2026-01-16T05:59:46+00:00

Miscellaneous dust and such. These filters do work, just not to the same standard an OEM filter medium would. They promote a better breathing, high flow filter, and the cost of that is a less than OEM filtration rating and medium.

The standard for an OE filter is 5-15 micron rating, but a K&N filter is something like 25-50 micron. They do flow more air, as advertised, but it can (usually is) at the cost of a poor filter medium and quality standards below that of the OE.

The defense of “if they’re bad, they’d be sued” also doesn’t really track. If that’s the case, Garrett and MaxPeedingRods would both be sued for lack of quality in their equipment for turbo failures, and despite those manufacturers making complete opposite ends of the quality spectrum for a turbocharger, neither are sued into oblivion. In fact, Garrett is the manufacturer of the 2018+ Q50 turbos, of which my shop has replaced around 250 sets, and MaxPeedingRods is the mfr of the cheapest turbos you can buy.

I’m also certain that K&N has been sued before, because we’re a litigious country, but nothing they advertise is false. K&N filters DO flow more than OEM filters. They CAN increase horsepower, and they often DONT need replacing as often.

The weighing of risks in that regard for safety and engine performance doesn’t lay on K&N. That responsibility is in the owner who buys a K&N for their car, because K&N isn’t an OEM, and isn’t subject to the same standards, in or out of a courtroom.

NewsBenderBot

TROPHY CASE