I received my tuning kit from Velocity AP and I will use this thread to share impressions.


I have a base V6 F-Type (340 hp) with the only mod being the base exhaust being swapped of for an active exhaust with the valves always open because I don't have the button or vacuum tubes installed.


My reasons for getting the tune were:

• While more than powerful enough at lower speeds, on highway pulls especially uphill I could use a bit more power.
• I want more torque to give me that "push in the seat back" feeling.
• I don't like how the power drops close to redline.
• I don't like leaving 70 hp power on the table.
• VelocityAP has an great reputation.

I do have a couple of questions about the tune though.

• Do I need a special tune for California because of our "special" gas?
• What options are there for tune? I think one is to have auto stop start be off when the car starts. Are there any other ones?

The plan is to send the original ECU file to VelocityAP some time this weekend maybe Friday. I just came back from being out of town and driving a 100 hp Kia with a four speed automatic so I need some time to get used to power of the F Type. Lol, even without the tune it feels like a rocketship

 

While the extent to which the map has been strangled by the marketing department above 5k rpm is irritating, I would encourage you to switch the traction control off and try stamping on the throttle in 1st. You will hit the limiter. Select 2nd. Repeat.

As you hit the limiter in 3rd you will realise that this car is traction rather than torque limited.

So for the first two points, just select a lower gear and enjoy.

HTH 😎

 

Interesting. For me in first without traction control I can easily spin the tires. In second it becomes harder but never in third.


I think that tire temperature makes a huge difference. It was cold yesterday morning (high 40s F) and I was able to get the back end to come out much easier that when its in 65+. I am guessing the cold air gives you slightly more power but a lot less traction with summer tires.

 

Went for a sprited drive this morning with @sillypuppy and @greggbhill. This will probably be my last big drive before the tune. The stock power is pretty good but you can definitely feel the power not growing after 5k.

Also once my tires warmed up the car requires a bit of gas to get the rear end loose. I am hoping the extra torque will make that easier . I am also looking forward to getting extra pops and crackles from the tune.

On a side note, the sound of three F Types accelerating at WOT is awesome!

 

You should hear a dozen. You know who you are - my ears are still bleeding.

 

An update. I got two files from Velocity, one with the stock velocity stage one tune and one with extra pops and crackles. There is an issue with the tune with the extra pop and crackles which I am working with Velocity to resolve. The regular stage 1 tune works perfectly.

Velocity is really responsive and so far has been a pleasure to work with.

Here are my first impressions of the Velocity stage one tune.

In two words, HOLY CRAP. Now the base car has plenty of power but it left me a bit wanting especially above 5k and I felt the peak power was in fairly short band between 4-5k. Also because the power dropped off at big RPMs winding the engine out was not really a pleasure.

No more. My car pulls hard all the way to redline. I just want to wind out the engine every chance I get. Doing highway pulls is so satisfying and the difference in power close to redline is huge. The car is now scary fast where I never felt that with the stock tune.

Perhaps the best way I can describe the tune is that with the stock tune whenever I floored it I was never was going faster than what I expected. With the VAP stage one tune whenever I look down I am like oh crap I am going that fast.

Also around town in regular mode the extra torque is noticeable and makes the car more responsive. With the stock tune, I felt the f Type in regular mode never felt special but with the tune you are reminded that a beast is hiding under the hood.

 

And so the addition starts... I remember when I started with just the tune... then comes the crank pulley, then come the downipes, then comes a new exhaust... and just when you think it's done, you find meth injection and nitrous and then get a sc pulley even tho it only adds like .5lbs of boost.

It's a slippery slope full of smiles, pleasure and an empty bank account!

 

Exactly. Never ending process, but so worth it. And you can have fun at each step along the way.

I'll never forget first few drives after I added the SC to my E90 M3 - I was sure that was all the power anyone would ever need. Until 6 months later when I figured a cat delete, X pipe, pulley and new exhaust were "necessary". Then I decided my Tundra needed a SC, and then later it had to have 4:88 gears and a posi.

Now its the jag's turn. My tune is sitting in a box on my desk staring at me.

 

Yep, as Jeremy Clarkson once famously said (although I think it's a myth): "more powerrr, you can never have too much powerrrr".

 

Velocity sent me a new crackles tune that I tested tonight and it fixed the issues I was having.

All I can say is WOW! I don’t know if my mind is playing tricks but the crackles tune feels even faster than the regular stage one tune. I may get used to the power but at WOT now my car is scary fast. In lower gears it is super easy to get the rear end loose and doing highway pulls is awesome and followed by a long orchestra of crackles and pops!

For now it’s all the power I need as I can reach speeds that exceed the speed limit very quickly and my car feels and sounds like a beast. It feels like a completely different car than the base tune with the base exhaust.

 

What effect does the tune have on the warranty?

 

Thats awesome!
Chris and Stuart are some of the best in the business for sure!
Hopefully I get some pops back soon. The meth is cooling the car to the point where there its adjusting timing on its own I think. At WOT the car feels great and smells like a drunk, but no pops after letting off due to her running too cool now.

 

I will say VAP tuning is amazing. I sent them my stock file sunday night and I had a modified tune file for my car Monday morning when I woke up.

 

The key is to select the next gear just before hitting the limiter.

And using Pirellis...

 

Yeah VAP is awesome. I love that they give you custom files and are willing to work with you to give you tunes for your needs.

Chris, at Velocity Tuning, got back to me and said that the crackles and pops tune should have the same amount of power as the regular stage 1 tune. I guess it was my mind playing tricks on me. Perhaps the extra sound made me feel like I was going faster

I will report after a bit more time but I am traveling for Christmas so I won’t be driving the Jag.

 

Methanol/water injection is to prevent pre-ignition in engines with high compression ratios. The temperature change is not a big deal but IF it retards your ignition you better check that it's not because you have a frequency change from the head sensors.... I had Meth/Water injection for probably 6 months now, never did my ignition change backwards. That is in effect detrimental for power. A good and "real" tuner can figure that out for you with proper equipment monitoring it. YOu can't use an off the shelf tune with water/Meth injection....

 

Yesterday I took the Jag out on some of my favorite winding roads. I was expecting the Jag to perform much better on the more sweeping roads with hills and passing lanes and it did! I finally have the performance that I was looking for when you go to pass somebody with the car pulling super hard all the way to redline.

But the biggest surprise was more twisty roads where I was in second and third most of the time. With the extra power I was carrying so much extra speed that I found myself braking harder into turns and actually taking turns at a slightly faster speed than I usually do. I was not expecting that but I guess I should have because now I don't have to push the pedal as hard to get the power which really transformed the car. I don't have to worry about keeping the car between 4-5k RPM anymore and just enjoy the road.

Overall, I was surprised at how much more fun the car is now on windy back roads. I feel like the engine is now properly tuned to exploit the chassis and it felt like a completely different car. Believe it or not, I actually enjoy driving slow cars fast but the power loss of the F Type about 5k was irritating on winding roads. I would keep the engine between 4-5k but when I hit a straight away and revved it higher there really wasn't any more power which killed a lot of the fun of revving out an engine for me. I really wish Jaguar would remap the base engine to have more top end power. Thankfully the VAP tune fixes that along with giving you more power.

 

Took my girlfriend out for out for a drive. This was the first time she was in the Jag after the tune and her butt dyno definitely felt a big difference! The power increase is impressive.

 

With the pulley/VAP tune I frequentlly hit redline because the engine gives no clue that it’s getting close. The interesting thing about the VAP tune is that it no longer causes embarrassing popping when you hit redline.

 

I noticed that too. The redline also seems to be a bit higher too by maybe a couple hundred RPMS.