Hi everyone, I just finished my third week with APR in Auburn, Alabama. It’s been another awesome week! APR is a performance tuning and parts company that focuses on Audi and Volkswagen vehicles. I’ve continued to learn more about all the areas APR works in, getting the chance to move around and experience different departments and projects.
I started the week helping with 
brake testing on a BMWM5. We used a GPS-based system that tracks the car’s real-time position via satellite. With this data, we ran code that marks the point the car hits 60 mph, then tracks the moment it reaches 0 mph to calculate braking distance. The same system can also calculate lap times by detecting when the car crosses a defined start/finish line using GPS coordinates and time stamps.
After that,
Dragy GPS tracker
APR Ultralink plugged into the OBD2 port on the Audi TT
I worked on testing and calibrating a tune for an Audi TT. Using APR’s Ultralink device, we flashed both the ECU (Engine Control Unit) and TCU (Transmission Control Unit) with APR’s Stage 1 tunes. Both before and after that tune we used a Dragy which tracks 0-60 MPH times as well as 1/4 mile drag time, using gps, to get before and after data to see effectiveness for the tune.We then started working on a feature that allows the car to build boost while in launch control—so the turbo is already spooled when launching. Initially, we modified a boost-limiting map based on a similar setup from another car, but it didn’t work as expected. So we logged more data during launch attempts to figure out what was preventing the turbo from spooling. Based on that data and experience with similar setups, we found another map that looked promising. While we didn’t fully solve it this week, we made significant progress and are confident we’ll get it working next week.
We also discovered we can tune the Haldex controller, which manages the all-wheel-drive system on the TT. That opens up some exciting possibilities for future development.
In addition to the engineering side, I also got a glimpse into the business side of APR. I sat in on meetings where teams discussed project viability and return on investment—an important part of deciding what products to pursue. It was really valuable to see how technical and business decisions come together.
My host family continues to be amazing and has made me feel truly at home here. Outside of work, I’ve been swimming at the pool and even caught the new F1 movie in theaters. All in all, it’s been another incredible week in Auburn—both in and out of my internship—and I’m excited to see what next week brings!
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