APR Stage 1 vs. Stage 1+ Questions

Forgive me if something like this has already been posted, I wasn't able to find anything though. I got my Golf R about a month ago and I had the APR Stage 1 tuning done to it- worth every penny, gave it an awesome boost.

My question is in regards to the Stage 1+ upgrade- I found a scanned brochure someone uploaded showing the power outputs of all the different APR stages- it looks like it'd be going from 306hp for the Stage 1 to ~330hp for the Stage 1+.

So first question is, can anyone give a ballpark estimate of how much it would cost in total (obviously labor differs but even a rough estimate would help)? And the second question is- is it worth it? I'd eventually probably want to go as far as Stage 2+ with the car. Is it better to jump straight to that? Or do the different stages build on each other? (In other words would I have to get rid of parts that were installed specifically for Stage 1+, or are they the same parts required for Stage 2?)

Thanks for any help!

1 = flash
1+ = flash and high pressure fuel pump
2 = flash and downpipe
2+ = flash and downpipe and high pressure fuel pump

Some people would also count an intake as part of 1+, and an intake and full exhaust as part of 2+, but the biggest gains and absolute necessities are as DBEST listed above.

As far as parts for the different stages, all are the same. The only real savings of going straight to 2/2+ would be on labour for the re-flashes of the diff stages. But then you miss the fun of feeling the power slowly build in your car as you go from stage to stage...There is no right or wrong.

He has a Golf R which means FSI, when it comes to the FSI, "+" is the high pressure fuel pump.


The TSI doesn't need an upgraded fuel pump to make power with basic bolt on's so some people use the + on TSI cars to signify extra supporting mods. For example I have Stage 2 (flash and downpipe) + an intake + an intercooler + TOP + throttle body pipe, ect. IMO using the + to signify other mods goes back to the Supra days when they use BPU (Basic Performance Upgrade), BPU+, BPU++, ect. But again for the FSI the + signifies the high pressure fuel pump.

Thanks for the info guys!

Interesting, so looking at that scanned APR brochure, they're actually showing 2 different 'Stage 1+' options- one with only the HPFP (and flash of course) that produces 309hp, and another with the HPFP & intake, which produces 335hp.

So I guess at the very least I'd make the jump to that second 'Stage 1+' option, with the HPFP & intake. And then at that point, to upgrade to Stage 2+, I would just have to add the down pipe (and the new flash)?

Thanks again for all the help!

I would definitely recommend the 1+ as a good place to start. Then 2+ is just a DP and flash later on.

I wish I tested APR stage 1 befor going 1+ so I could comment on the difference but I was Unitronic before this and, frankly, Unitronic was so bad that stock was better.

Did they ever fix the cam follower issue with the FSI?
I had an APR pump on my MKV FSI and it made some serious low end once the motor was actually getting enough fuel. Of course I was stage 2+. I'm not sure how different stage 1+ is. MKV didn't have a KO4.
Good investment, just keep checking that cam follower, if it even exists anymore.