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Tuning stages · Maidstone, Kent · Est. 2011
What is Stage 1, 2 and 3 tuning?
What is Stage 1, 2 and 3 tuning?
Same words everywhere. Here is what they mean at JFA.
There is no industry standard for the stages, so every tuner draws the lines somewhere different. Ours are simple: Stage 1 is software, Stage 2 is software plus the parts that let the engine breathe, Stage 3 is a build. Put your registration in and see all three priced for your exact car.
Show my car’s figures → Compare the three stages →
Stage 1 same day · Stage 2 from £2,650 · every figure from our own dyno.
Start here
See Stage 1, 2 and 3 for your car
The calculator pulls your exact engine from our vehicle database and shows what it makes now, what each stage adds in bhp and torque, and what each one costs. Free, no details.
If we hold figures for your car you will see them straight away. If not, choose make and model and we will build what we can.
The stages
Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 explained
Think of them as three answers to one question: how much of the engine’s potential do you want to use, and what has to change to use it safely.
1
Software only
Stage 1 tuning
A remap of the engine’s standard software on an otherwise standard car. Nothing is bolted on. Fuelling, boost and timing are recalibrated within what the engine was built to take, which is usually a good deal more than the factory chose to use.
- Typically 15 to 30 percent more power on a turbocharged petrol; diesels often more, because there is more torque to release
- Done in a visit, usually the same day
- Fully reversible: the original file is kept and can go back on
- The one most people actually want
2
Software plus hardware
Stage 2 tuning
A more aggressive calibration paired with the parts that let the engine breathe: typically an uprated intercooler, a performance exhaust or downpipe, and a better intake. The software alone cannot get there, because the standard parts become the limit.
- Exact parts list depends on the engine, so we spec it per car
- From £2,650 with the full parts list, less anything you already have
- Usually two visits: parts fitted, then mapped and measured on the dyno
3
The build
Stage 3 tuning
Everything in Stage 2 plus a hybrid or larger turbocharger, and on many engines uprated fuel pumps and injectors. From here the gearbox, clutch and cooling are all part of the conversation, because the power now exceeds what the car was designed around.
- Planned around a target figure and how the car is used
- Quoted per build once we know the engine and what it already has
- Mapped on our own rolling road, in stages, with the data to show for it
Side by side
Stage 1 vs Stage 2 vs Stage 3
The honest difference between them is not the number on the badge. It is what has to change on the car, how long it takes, and how easily it goes back.
| Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes | Software only | Software plus intercooler, exhaust, intake | Stage 2 parts plus turbo and fuelling; often clutch and cooling |
| Typical gain | 15 to 30 percent on a turbo petrol, more on a diesel | Beyond what the standard parts allow | Set by the target, not a percentage |
| Time | One visit, usually same day | Two visits: fit, then map and measure | A planned build over several visits |
| Reversible | Yes, original file kept | Software yes, parts stay on | No, it is a different car |
| Price | Per car, in the calculator | From £2,650 with the full parts list, less anything you own | Quoted per build |
| Best for | Almost everyone | Owners who want the next step and will keep the car | Track use and dedicated builds |
On a diesel the same three stages apply, but Stage 1 gains are usually larger because there is more torque to release, and Stage 2 hardware is more often about airflow and cooling than exhaust.
Real figures
What Stage 1 does on cars we have actually tuned
Six rows from our vehicle database, the same rows the calculator quotes from. Standard against Stage 1 software, no parts.
| Car | Standard bhp | Stage 1 bhp | Standard Nm | Stage 1 Nm | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VW Golf R 2.0 TSI | 320 | 420 | 420 | 500 | +31% |
| BMW M3 Competition | 510 | 600 | 650 | 760 | +18% |
| Audi RS6 4.0 TFSI | 600 | 700 | 800 | 950 | +17% |
| Toyota GR Yaris 1.6T | 261 | 305 | 360 | 400 | +17% |
| Abarth 595 1.4 T-Jet | 145 | 170 | 210 | 290 | +17% |
| Ford Transit Custom 2.0 | 130 | 190 | 385 | 480 | +46% |
Your car is in the same database. Put the reg in and the calculator shows all three stages for it.
Choosing
Which stage is right for you?
A Stage 1 on one engine can out-perform a Stage 3 on another, so the label on its own tells you very little. The question that does is what you want the car to do.
You want it quicker, today, and back to standard if you sell it
Stage 1. It is the answer for most cars on the road and most of the people who ask us.
Price it for my car →You are keeping the car and want the next step
Stage 2. The parts are an investment in the car; the software then makes use of them. If you already own some of the parts the price comes down.
Spec it for my car →You have a number in mind
Stage 3. That is a conversation, a plan and a rolling road, in that order. Start with the dyno so the plan is built on what the car actually makes.
See the rolling road →Fixed price quote
Tell us the car and the stage
Registration and which stage you are looking at. We come back with what it needs, what it makes and what it costs, usually the same day.
Questions
Stage tuning questions
Is Stage 1 safe for my engine?
On a well-maintained engine, yes. A Stage 1 map works within the margins the manufacturer built in, which is why it needs no parts. Where we would not do it is on an engine with a known fault or a service overdue, and we say so before we start.
Can I go straight to Stage 2 without doing Stage 1 first?
Yes. Stage 2 is not Stage 1 plus extras; it is its own calibration written for the parts fitted. If you already have a Stage 1 map from us, the difference in price is the parts and the dyno time.
What if I already have some of the Stage 2 parts?
Tell the calculator. It takes the parts you own off the price, so a car that already has an exhaust and an intake is quoted for the intercooler and the software only.
Does Stage 1 or 2 affect my warranty or insurance?
It can. A manufacturer warranty may not cover a fault it decides is tuning-related, and insurers expect to be told about any modification. Both are your call, and we are straight about them rather than pretending they do not exist.
How long does each stage take?
Stage 1 is usually done in the visit, often same day. Stage 2 is normally two visits: one to fit the parts and one to map and measure on the dyno. Stage 3 is a planned build over several visits.
Can a remap be reversed?
Stage 1, yes: we keep the original file and it can go back on. Stage 2 software can be reversed too, but the parts stay on the car. Stage 3 is a different car and is not something you reverse.
Why do other tuners define the stages differently?
Because there is no industry standard. One tuner’s Stage 2 is another’s Stage 1 plus a downpipe. The only reliable comparison is what has been changed on the car and what it makes on a dyno afterwards, which is why we publish both.
I am not near Kent. Can you still tune my car?
Stage 1, often yes: we run a mobile service and a dealer network, and for some cars a home tuning tool. Stage 2 and 3 want the rolling road, so those are done in Maidstone.
Next
Related
Remap calculator
Your registration, your car’s figures, all three stages priced.
Start with your reg →Rolling road
Where the figures on this page come from. Sessions from £150.
See the dyno →Gearbox tuning
DSG, ZF and DCT calibration to match the engine, and to make use of it.
Gearbox tuning →Abarth tuning
The three stages worked through on one car, with our own figures.
See the stages →
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Enter your reg and see the real power and torque figures for your exact car,
pick your options, then send it straight to us.
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