On Monday I had my 2004 Td6 remapped by my local specialist using, I think, the Rapid Remap product.

I did a fair bit of searching online about it before going ahead (I've had the car for 15 months) and could only really find people who had used tuning boxes and other clip on products or else testimonials on the tuners websites from customers. Nobody seems to have written up a review unless they're trying to sell something (!)

I thought it may be useful to put here my general thoughts after having finished a few hundred miles with the new map.

I've had mine dynod (is that a word!?) before and after:

LR claimed figures for the Td6 are 177bhp and 390nm (287 ft/lbs) torque.
Before the remap mine scored 179bhp and 399nm
After the map mine went to 205bhp and 450nm (330 ft/lbs)

The testimonials I read said that the map trasnformed the car. I completely agree with this.

POWER

You can really feel the extra oomph. From a stand still it is noticably swifter at getting off the line. In gear acceleration is much improved with 30 to 50 and 50 to 70 in any gear hugely improved. Top end power (putting your foot down at 60mph+ is better too. Kick down feel relatively aggressive if you are giving it the beans which I quite like.

SMOOTHNESS

The extra power is nice, and it lasts much longer through the range, but the smoothness it adds is extraordinary. I would honestly estimate that on my 4 mile commute to work (up hill and down dale in the Yorkshire Dales) my car is now shifting gear perhaps half as much as it was. People online whinged about the std Td6 'hunting' for gears. Before the map it never really bothered me, perhaps because I happen to like the sound of a straight 6, but now I can see what they meant. The gearchanges themselves are also smoother.

ECONOMY

I have tried out a number of different 'styles' to try and get the best from the car, this is my experience (obviously it doesn't cover every driving situation, just what I've done since Monday):

*these are all readings from the computer, not proven at pump with calculator etc.*

Driving specifically with economy in mind on fast, open A-Roads: Before map 28mpg, after map 30-32mpg
Driving specifically with economy in mind in town - Before map 25mpg, after map 26-28mpg

Normal driving on fast, open A-Roads - Before map 24mpg, after map 26mpg
Normal driving in town - Before map 21-22mpg, after map 23-24mpg

I have yet to try motorway cruising, will be doing so this weekend.

DOWNSIDES

I honestly can't really come up with any yet. Obviously the remap cost money (in my case £325 for a special deal) and it will take a LOT of driving to make up that cost. However I see the added economy as a pleasant addition to the work done rather than the reason for it. The power and smoothness I now have is just what I wanted and the money I paid feels more then worth while. I have noticed that the turbo spools up quicker and is slightly (and I mean only slightly) noisier than it was before. I have not noticed an increase in smoke when you put your foot down either.

This is the first car I've ever had remapped so it was all new to me. I would heartily recommend it to anyone if they are sitting on the fence about it.

Great write up. I agree that it is one of the best things you can get done to the Td6. I was lucky that mine had it carried out by a previous owner. It makes the Td6 nimble, smooth shifting and sporty (for a Range Rover). Tom

Current Drive
2011 4.4 TDV8 Autobiography - Santorini Black - Ivory Leather

Previous Drives
2004 Model Vogue Td6 (Touchscreen) - Java Black - Parchment Leather
1994 RR Classic 3.9 V8 Soft dash - Niagara Grey - Grey Leather
1972 Series III SWB Safari - Green (Hand Painted) - Black Plastic

if you're talking about a company called rapid remap , then my experience was the opposite ....

Stan you should go back to them as model specific tunes do not necessary suit every car of the model they are designed for . I'm pretty sure if they are any good they will have a number of maps for the TD6 one of which will suit your specific car. Present :2008 TDV8 HSE
Gone Audi A5 2.7TDI
Gone Discovery 3 HSE
Gone Mercedes CLK
Gone Range Rover 2.5 DSE

it was a while ago now googsy and tbh i lost confidence in the company ...

I'm not absolutely positive it was Rapid Remap, my local indy (who has done a lot of these and is well regarded) told me ages ago who he used. It could have been another supplier and I'm just remembering wrong. I'll double check who the map was done by.

What I do know is that it was a bespoke one tweeked for my car. It was done by email or online somehow between my garage and the suplier. Technology huh.

i just wonder how difficult it is to do these remaps.....plug into the obd port, connect to software on laptop, play with settings and then upload back to car..


anyone got this software?...

Yep, I don't think the actual upload/change is any kind of work at all. As for writing the map itself, I really don't know.

As you demonstrate Stan - that's the easy (and cheap) bit. It's the cost of a Dyno to test the setup and access to the maps in the first place - and then the skills to tweak them correctly - and not (like some places) just upping the fuelling and boost pressure and hoping for the best.

didnt have a dyno test when i had mine done ....they did say that they tweaked my map but i wonder if there's standard maps for performance .economy etc...

*

Oh there certainly is. Most reputable places will discuss with you what you hope to achieve - a bit like a fitting for a suit. I wanted slightly more power for easier overtaking, a smoother power band and elongated torque curve and all at no cost to economy (as in if it had stayed the same, which it didn't, I would have been happy).

I thnk I'd rather have it done on a dyno - then the maps can be tweaked to suit the car and results of the map changes tested and proven!

funny enough my re-mapper said the same thing except for more mpg rather than performance..

I've read these type of 'tuning' posts for a while with a 'shall I or shan't I' outlook - but weighing things up about the fragility of the TD6 gearbox i've decided against going down that route

Yep, I can understand that.

The reason I went for it in the end is that I've just had a new gearbox and transfer motor, both with unlimited mileage 2 year warranties that are not affected by the remap.

In all honesty if I had an 80k mile+ car on the original box I probably wouldn't rock the boat.