Five of the Best Recent Euro Vehicles for Tuning

European vehicles have proved themselves as some of the easiest platforms to gain power from. Often times a simple box tune can improve power and torque numbers significantly.

Today we look at five of the best vehicles for tuning that you can buy new or slightly used as of 2023!

MK8 Volkswagen Golf R (2023-Present)

The 2023 VW Golf R is Volkswagen’s flagship sports car. Built on the recent MK8 generation, the Golf R brings AWD acceleration and EA888 Evo4 tunability for just under $45k MSRP. 

As talked about in our previous article, the Evo4 iteration of the EA888 brings 315 horsepower to the current Golf R as well as numerous upgrades over the Evo3. This new platform brings improvements in power, fuel efficiency, and reliability.

In terms of tunability, the EA888 Evo4 brings a lot to the table. APR lists final Stage 1 power numbers of between 398-442 wheel horsepower and 385-430 FT-LBS of torque depending on fuel octane and supporting mods.

With just a stage 1 tune alone, the Golf R can become a certified rocket and will outrun most vehicles on the road. TCU tunes and further upgrades can bring this platform to even crazier levels. 

For those looking for a little more luxury and don’t mind a premium price, the current Audi S3 utilizes the same motor and will see comparable gains to its VW counterpart. 

G20 BMW M340i (2019-Present)

BMW’s M340i provides much of what makes M cars so great at a great price point. Starting at just under $57k MSRP, the M340i is not cheap, however, it comes stock with over 382 horsepower at the crank from the factory. 

Not only is it quick off the factory floor, but the M340i also utilizes the B58 motor. This platform has proven itself as one of the best, if not the best, current tuning engines on the market. We’ve seen MK5 Supras with over 900+ WHP on their stock  B58 block. 

While we don’t recommend running that much power, it does mean that the M340i is capable of both producing and maintaining a high level of power without major upgrades. The Bootmod3 tune for the current M340i claims gains of 18% WHP and 28% FT-LBS of torque on Stage 1 alone (450 HP, 472 FT-LBS total). With the proper mods, these cars can keep pace with the older brother M3 for a much cheaper price.

B9 Audi S4 (2017-Present)

Audis are well known for their tunability and all-wheel-drive platforms, and that’s exactly what makes the B9 S4 platform so great. Though an understated family sedan, the S4 packs some serious punch under the hood. From the factory, the S4’s EA839 motor produces 349 crank horsepower and 369 FT-LBS of torque. 

The S4 starts at $53k, similarly priced to the BMW M340i. The S4 sees slightly less power gains than it’s Bimmer counterpart, but the torque numbers are significantly higher. Audi’s Quattro system also helps apply the power in a more effective way than traditional RWD. 

With just a stage 1 APR tune, the S4 can see total power numbers of up to 428 WHP and 567 FT-LBS of torque. As far as sedans go, the S4 might provide the best value in tuning among currently available vehicles. 

8V Audi RS3 (2017-2020)

Yet another VW/Audi product sees this list. While the new 8Y generation of RS3 has been released, the previous 8V generation is where it’s at for both value and tunability. 

Prices for this generation can range between $47,000-$56,000 for a good condition example. Running Audi’s legendary inline-5 engine setup, the EA855 Evo motor is one of Audi’s most beloved modern engines.

From stock, these cars come with 394 horsepower and 354 FT-LBS of torque according to Audi. With a simple APR stage 1 tune, these motors can see gains of up to 476 total WHP and 470 FT-LBS of torque depending on octane and supporting mods. 

The lightweight chassis and Quattro AWD system can turn these RS3s into properly quick cars with the right upgrades. 

F30 BMW 340i (2015-2019)

Maybe you’re looking for a more affordable option, whether that be to save money for mods or just keep some money in your pocket.

Our recommendation for this is the F30 generation 340i. While built on the same B58 powering the M340i, this version comes stock with 322 horsepower. However, ranging between $27,000-$36,000, these vehicles provide one of the best bang-for-your-bucks in Euro tuning. 

With a stage 1 Bootmod3 tune, you may see gains of up to 20% WHP and 26% torque (368 WHP, 416 FT-LBS in total). 

These vehicles allow for some serious power at a (relatively) affordable price point. While the 335i of the same generation also provides great power for the price, we prefer the B58 to the N55 for both tunability and reliability. 

European Tuning at Alex’s Autohaus

If you’re in the market to have your vehicle tuned, bring it to the European performance experts at Alex’s Autohaus. Our experienced tuners can help you significantly increase power and torque output, as well as take care of any of your other service needs!

Call or schedule online with us today!