Nürburgring Fiesta ST Mk8 Testing! The VUDU Way!

What’s the best way to test our Fiesta ST Mk8 remap software and VUDU hardware before a full launch of this platform?

Known as the “green hell” the Nürburgring nordschliffe is recognised as one of the most challenging driving experiences in the world.

It is no secret that us Brits flood to the Nürburgring to enjoy the holy home of motorsport and get the opportunity to take our cars round the fastest toll road on the planet. For us we feel that before the final sign off from our Ford Tuning Products, it requires immersing ourselves and our VUDU product range in the toughest 170 corners, off the clock straight and enormous unforgiving curbs in the world.

The Fiesta ST Mk8 is no slouch around any track as we have proven in many of our videos especially when you grace Fiesta ST with a stage 1 remap this makes it a formidable power for a little over £450.00

We had big ideas and limited the budgets to offer a true reflection of our customers desire to tick the Nürburgring off their ford performance car ownership list!

How does 4 evenings and 30 laps sound with our resident track lover and Sales Director Nick Cook behind the wheel.

Nick’s Logic:

“We obviously have a massive range of products in development that are due this side of Christmas for the Fiesta ST Mk8 and as the leading Ford tuning company we feel it necessary to push our product range through a vigorous testing regime. We start with many thousands of road miles here in the UK coupled with several circuit days on UK tracks before heading out to the Nürburgring. We know lots of our Ford tuning customers take their fast fords to the ring as a part of a holiday and we want to know our VUDU products are ready for any test.”

The first Fiesta ST MK8 Nürburgring lap lets discuss the new VUDU Engine Mount:

We all know the suffering Fiesta ST Mk8 owners have suffered with poor quality engine mounts. This obviously raised our suspicion when developing the VUDU engine mount for the Fiesta ST Mk8. After testing three different sure hardness bushes here in the UK Soft, Medium and Hard we found what we believe to be the perfect hardness for both reliability and keeping the cabin vibration to a minimum.

Taking to the nordschliffe its clear that this motor mount shows instant reduction in the dreaded wheel hop even when using the Nankang AR1 Tyres which we will touch on later, but are incredibly grippy!

The gear changes are positive and smooth with less rocking of the engine and gearbox of the Fiesta ST. This makes for a controllable car especially in the low speed corners where the low-end torque comes in and you need to stabilise the wheel spin.

Thoughts of The Driver:

“What a difference this engine mount makes pulling out of the carrousel which is known for its instability. The minimal movement of the engine and gearbox makes for a rapid exit with no wheel spin whatsoever. This mount feels positive, but not intrusive, I am over the moon.

Fiesta ST Lap 2, Product 2. What’s keeping it cool? The Fiesta ST MK8 stage 3 intercooler VUDU style!

Check out the video below showing our massive VUDU stage 3 intercooler going to work. Having recognised the aesthetic value of the tall cooler, which adds substance with logs over a thousand road miles and 18 laps of the famous Nürburgring in searing heat of over 36 degrees ambient! Our data logging tells us exactly what we need to know over a fierce lap of the ring, showing only 8 degrees temperature increase on some of the hardest parts of the track, couple this with extensive dyno logs shown below, we are confident this intercooler is ready for any test the customer wants to throw at it.

A massive 148% increase in surface area and a tube and fin construction allows this cooler to catch more cool air and recover quicker from heat cycles. Check out more info on the product page and testing blog here

What Does the Pilot Think?

I can tell instantly that this cooler is massively efficient over the stock cooler. Having lapped the ring in cooler temperatures last year with the stock cooler, I am confident that in ambient temperatures of upwards of 30 degrees this stage 3 intercooler made the difference for me with hardly any noticeable timing pull or drop off in boost. If you are intending on remapping your Fiesta ST Mk8 this needs to be on your mod list!

Lap 3 Product 3. In the Stage 1+ Fiesta ST Mk8 feeding the machine!! Fiesta VUDU CAIS Intake Kit:

On what’s a moderately intense week of lapping for our Fiesta ST Mk8 stage 1+ car, it goes without saying that during our 30+ degree visit we needed to feed the hot side of the stage 3 intercooler with as cold intake air as possible. Naturally our VUDU Fiesta ST Mk8 induction kit was always going to be developed for ultimate performance and reliability. Using a bespoke designed air feed elbow into our patented heat shield and pleated cotton ram style intake filter, we can assure you amazing intake air temperatures, meaning the intercooler on your Fiesta ST doesn’t have to overwork to cool the charge air. This kit also sounds incredible when coming off load, its ram air shaped intake air filter makes for a distinctive audible note on lift off and mid spool.

Drivers Experience:

Wow this intake kit sounds incredible, totally immersive in its sound during boost and the chatter on partial lift off would have you thinking you’re in a seriously more powerful machine, not a 3cyl Fiesta ST Mk8. I think the stage 1+ remap on this Fiesta gives a better sound coupled with this filter due to an increase in boost pressure.

Lap 4 Product 4. Slick shifting and chassis balancing the VUDU Fiesta ST Mk8:

What better pairing for the already capable Fiesta ST Mk8 chassis than our VUDU chassis alignment kit and MK8 ST quick shifter with our patented Chamfered edge tech. Read about both products in detail here. The Nürburgring is such a long track it has everything you need from short twisty to flying long corners where control is everything.

After having unsuccessful use of other Fiesta ST short shifters, it was inevitable we would create the ultimate VUDU short shifter that fits perfectly and offers incredible shift feel. Being able to make short and precise shifts during a lap of the Nürburgring is paramount, less time with one hand off the wheel means more stability and control.

Our Chassis alignment kit is something that hasn’t been seen before for both the Fiesta ST180 and Fiesta Mk8 ST. This kit ensures that the front subframe is completely centralised prior to a 4-wheel alignment ensuring the chassis feels poised and turns in to fast corners is consistent. Our Fiesta Mk8 ST subframe was a considerable amount out of line when we removed it during R&D this set us looking at the Fiesta ST180 also.

Words of the Driver:

The Nürburgring requires skill, concentration and most of all an easy controllable car to drive. This Fiesta Mk8 ST with some small chassis improvements with our chassis alignment kit shorter shifts and some better brakes and tyres makes for a predictable car to man around the track.

Lap 5 Product 5. The Ultimate Fiesta ST Mk8 Remap Stage 1+:

PERON Automotive are paving the way in all realms of amazing remap software from VW Audi group to super cars, but lets not forget where the story started…PERON have without doubt controlled the Ford remap market since the moment they launched stage 1 for the first Mk3 Focus ST in the country through to our stage 2, 2 pro and stage 3 fiesta software.

This Fiesta ST Mk8 stage 1+ remap is not to be overlooked! Its 220WHP and almost 300Ib propelled our car around the ring after completing almost 10k miles in the UK with a mix of fast road and track days.

We are no experts of the Nürburgring, but a low 8 minutes and 30 seconds lap time is incredible without pushing to the edge under tourist driving where official timing was not conducted. In our professional manner we checked our videos on return to the UK as can be seen below.

What Does the Pilot Think?

Wow this car has some serious grunt! The Stage 1 Remap on this Fiesta ST has brought it to life and the consistency means the power is instant over and over again. I’m thrilled to drive this car and the machinery passed in the vlog on our YouTube channel shows exactly what its capable of.

Test Round Up:

We are over the moon to report that of the 24 laps we ordered even under poor running time we managed to complete 18 good solid laps, pushing our car within the limit of a tourist drive day and putting some serious pressure on our product range in almost unbearable heat.

In summary we have come back to the VUDU Garage R&D facility and stripped the Fiesta ST back down to inspect our products ahead of the launch, check out the findings here

Over 1000 road miles completed, 18 laps of the green hell and return travel home without a single failure in our eyes is enough to sign off this awesome VUDU product package for the Fiesta ST Mk8.