The Superchips Bluefin module is a great piece of kit that allows you to reprogram your car’s ECU by simply plugging in the box of tricks and working through some options. Hey presto, your car’s more powerful than it was. Now that ease of tuning is available for the 1.4 TSI engine that appeared in the Mk5 Golf.
Aimed at the 140PS version of the twin-charged engine, the Superchips upgrade releases up to 42bhp extra (at 5,303 rpm) as well as an additional 56Nm of torque at 4,877 rpm. That’s a total output of 191bhp, which is pretty close to the Mk5 GTI’s with its 197bhp.
The price for the upgrade is £445 (including VAT) and you have two choices. Visit one of the eighty Superchips centres around the country or mail-order the Bluefin box and plug into the car’s OBDII diagnostics port, a procedure that takes a matter of minutes. However, before ordering just check on the Superchips website to make sure your Golf is compatible. There’s also peace of mind from a 12 month/30,000 mile warranty.
So if you really want a quick Golf but can’t afford the full-fat GTI then you could go to Volkswagen and get a new MkVI GT Sport with a 158 bhp version of the 1.4 TSI for just over £20k. Or you could save yourself a bundle by buying a late Mk5 GT Sport on an ’08 plate for around £12k and then take it to Superchips for 191bhp. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
