APR Presents the Return of Awesome...

[RedRobin]

Yup thats right, your pretty much just paying for the name (Never heard of them before this forum tho) as exhausts are re-branded Millteks, Intakes are modeed ITG's, wonder whose brakes they re-brand?

Love how these "Racing Development" companies buy other companies products, race them and then re-brand them and sell them at big mark ups on the back of success?, eh hows that work then?.

Maybe its time someone bought a Twintake, raced it, give it a new name and sticker and hike up the price 50% and make a killing 

....As I know both Milltek and VWR very well indeed I can correct you insofar as Milltek were/are an official sponsor for the VW Cup and manufactured and supplied exhausts specifically for the race cars and also road versions. These versions are/were different from those bought through all other dealerships.

[Tfsi_Mike]

Vibratechnics lower mount rebranded VWR?

[RedRobin]

Vibratechnics lower mount rebranded VWR?

....If you're asking me I don't know the true story behind this. But VWR have certainly rebranded quite a few products and in my opinion, some are justified (Milltek for example) and some are not.

[Hedge]

Vibratechnics lower mount rebranded VWR?

Yes VWR resell Vibratechnics. JKM were told to stop selling Vibratechnics or Vibratechnics were told to stop supplying them. 

[RedRobin]

Yes VWR resell Vibratechnics. JKM were told to stop selling Vibratechnics or Vibratechnics were told to stop supplying them.  

....Much as I am a very satisfied customer of VWR (and also of JKM!) I don't approve of such dealing arrangements.

I certainly approve of any manufacturer ensuring that all of their retailers are approved and appointed to meet their standards as resellers, and therefore uphold their reputation, but not unjustifiably creating very narrow exclusive marketplaces.

So, is the whole tuning and garage industry as bad as estate agents etc? - Judging by this thread it would seem so.

[stealthwolf]

Agree that Revo could swing things around by lowering their prices. They've been priced quite highly for several years and especially since APR are back in, there needs to be some competition between them.

[RedRobin]

^^^^
I'm sure that all of the major player tuners would justify their higher pricing with reasons of higher (and better?) development costs in spite of many of us being willing guinea-pigs.

There is apparently a history of not-so-friendly claims between APR and Revo.

But what about Awesome? - Sorry but I've totally lost respect and I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

"APR Presents the Return of Awesome"? - Smacks of PR bullsh*t!

[SteveP]

As with most things there is always going to be more to it than first appears. This isn't going to be the only news story coming out over the next few days/weeks that impacts the VAG tuning market.

Some of the changes are going to be for the good of the marketplace and some less so (ITG products for anything VAG only being sold through APR / VWR being one of the latter).

It will certainly be an interesting year  

[Tfsi_Mike]

How many people are looking at meganes? 

[RedRobin]

As with most things there is always going to be more to it than first appears.

....Absolutely!  

Unfortunately it's so easy for any of us to form our opinions on what turns out to be limited knowledge. But what else can we do? It does make interesting forum discussion though and at least tells the tuners how their potential customers feel (if they care enough to take notice).

I have to say that as I thought that ITG enjoyed a very good reputation independently I don't understand why they would agree to any exclusive retailing deal. But if they have, they have done so for their own reasons - Time will tell if it was wise or not and other manufacturers may benefit from their action.

[Saintsteve]

bluefin remap FTW.. Cheap and nasty map, give no extra thrills on one hand, but it actually works on the other  

 

[RedRobin]

How many people are looking at meganes?  

....Makes me very glad I've finished all my modding.................







At least I think I have!!

[RedRobin]

bluefin remap FTW.. Cheap and nasty map, give no extra thrills on one hand, but it actually works on the other 

 

....And take a caring tuner like JKM who offer Bluefin, APR, and Revo. Now that's the way a company should behave in my opinion - I hope it stays that way!

[Hedge]

Sadly Revo nicked Superchips mapper. 

[ukdub]

I went to Awesome yesterday to have a chat with Mark about what was going on, it lasted the best part of an hour and said that he will do the same with anyone who wants to have a chat, even if it take him 6 months.
One thing he did say is that REVO is a fantastic product and would never say a bad word about them.  
This is MY interpretation of the chat with Mark in key points.
APR's willingness to listen to issues (UK specific) and be able to deal with it in MK.
The shear size of what APR has grown to.
The hardware.  ie if you want a itg filter you will have to get it through APR/VWR (less stock already held by other tuners) plus other VWR branded products

Basically Mark/Jim feels that its in their customers and their own interests to get 'back in bed with APR'

As for the 'why cant you sell both APR and REVO side by side'  well, in my view only and how I interpreted it, is, that part of the deal with APR is that PSI tuning and JBSautodesigns (close to Awesome) would not be able to sell APR produces and software anymore if Awesome dropped REVO.  I might have that totally wrong but thats how I saw it.

Right or wrong thats business I guess

I thought you could buy ITG from most places, you mean the VWR products? (re-branded millteka nd ITG)

I believe that APR/VWR have done a deal with itg that means that you can only buy VAG itg filters through APR/VWR and their dealer network

All they need to do now then is tie up a deal with Forge and they have the market cornered  

 
Well we all know there is no love lost between APR and forge, but .......