Oettinger is a well-respected name in Volkswagen tuning. Having been involved in VW tuning since the introduction of the original Beetle, it is no surprise that the company is considered by many to be the end all when it comes to VW. In Germany, parts are offered in “Tuning Programs” that rework the entire car’s setup from suspension to interior to body lines and engine. In the U.S., Claus Ettensberger Corporation, the exclusive importer of Oettinger’s product line (CEC.—MAX), had brought in all of Oettinger’s parts, except the engine tuning ones. That is, until now. What you will see on the following pages is the final step in bringing over the complete line from Germany’s premier VW tuner.
Chris Contreras is a lucky man. An Oettinger fan since he was old enough to be interested in cars, he can rattle off interesting facts about Oettinger that would take months of research to find. He also happens to work at CEC and owns the 2000 GTI that we performed the upgrade on. A very lucky man indeed. Keep in mind that this is the first test-run of the Oettinger 1.8T upgrade in America, so it may be a little while before it becomes available to the general public. Good news is MAX is bringing it to you first.
Also know that this is the first part of a two-part story. Due to time constraints and shipping woes, we were unable to install the reprogrammed ECU and dyno the car. This is better for you, though, because next month we’ll be coming back with dyno numbers, history on Oettinger, and an interview with the head of Oettinger, Rudiger Volkner. For this issue, we’ll walk you through the installation process. So, kick back, relax, and read on, envisioning Autobahn speeds with your Oettinger-tuned 1.8T.