Autotech 1.8t Intake Camshaft – Power Bump Stick

Volkswagen’s 1.8-liter turbo represented a huge step for tuners and enthusiasts alike. The G60 before it had given enthusiasts a taste of the potential of forced induction. The US market only saw it in the Corrado, while the rest of the world could enjoy Golfs and even Passats powered by the little blown four. Sadly the G-Ladder supercharger proved to be unreliable and VW had moved to the larger VR6 at its performance alternative for the MK3.

With the release of the MK4, car companies started to see the fuel economy writing on the wall. Small displacement forced induction engines would have to replace the bigger displacement, thirstier engines. Not only did the 1.8t deliver better economy, but enthusiasts found levels of tuning that just weren’t possible in naturally aspirated engines.

For years, the standard tuning procedure for 1.8ts has been pretty simple. A software flash delivers the biggest power bump. A turbo back exhaust delivers the next largest increase and then you can do front mount intercoolers, intakes, boost hoses etc. that all deliver less and less performance per dollar respectively.

A performance camshaft for the 1.8t isn’t necessarily a new thing. A high-quality, effective camshaft at an affordable price is. Autotech Tuning has been working on their intake cam for months. While past experience, which Autotech has by the truckload when it comes to cams, and bench engineering gets you a long way, it’s dyno testing that really makes it happen. Hours on the dyno and then moving to street testing has resulted in a cam that Autotech feels is completely usable on the street while providing a generous performance improvement.

Autotech starts with a chill cast billet before the cams are precision ground to 195 duration and .309” lift. We have yet to see one on a dyno, but Autotech is claiming up to 10hp and up to 12 lb-ft of torque with a stock turbo. This may not sound like much to enthusiasts who have been spoiled by easy software power, but once the software is done, that power becomes more elusive. We expect bigger gains with bigger turbos, however until we see some dynos, it is speculation on our part. Retail on the 1.8t Intake cam straight from Autotech is $299.95 not a bad price for a cam. We have heard several retailers have them on an introductory sale for about 250. We hope to get one on a dyno in the near future as well as getting some driving impressions.

www.autotech.com