WOT Engineering – Unleashing a vehicle's true potential

WOT, standing for ‘Wide Open Throttle’, embodies the very spirit of the company and more importantly of its two founders, both lovers of fine mechanical engineering, one an engine specialist, the other a lawyer by training, who came together to create a new super-professional structure. Their aim? To clearly set themselves apart from the ‘tuning’ competition, which often operates in a legal limbo, and to offer a product that is approved, legal and guaranteed.

And they’ve certainly given themselves the means to achieve this at WOT, including a super-modern workshop with a state-of-the-art roller test bench that is adapted to 4-wheel-drive vehicles and can measure power of up to 1000hp at speeds of up to 300km/h. Around twenty engineers and technicians work to optimise the engine control unit parameters using tools developed in-house to find power reserves that the manufacturer did not want to exploit. It’s important to remember that many vehicles are limited from the outset, whether for reasons of model differentiation, regulations or taxation in certain countries, or for the purposes of guaranteeing the same level of performance in all environmental conditions.

It is also clear that repeated use of maximum power will affect the durability of the components.

Neither the legislator nor the manufacturer are filled with enthusiasm when a tuner intervenes in a vehicle’s calibration, and it is essential to ensure that the vehicle still complies with the environmental standards verified at the time of its official approval, which is why WOT has chosen to work with TÜV Rheinland to systematically recertify each modified vehicle. This certification is currently valid for vehicles registered in Luxembourg, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Since modifying engine power is a matter of national jurisdiction, WOT is negotiating with other European countries to obtain their certification.

The other obstacle that might discourage a potential customer is the fact that manufacturers cancel their warranties in the event of any modifications being made to the engine.

WOT therefore offers to take on the remaining legal warranty where applicable, or to provide extended warranty insurance should the customer so wish.

WOT insists that they are not just offering an increase in power, but that they are taking care to retain the character typically associated with each brand to provide increased driving pleasure through increased bench and road testing. We were able to experience this for ourselves when we test drove two Porsches they had optimised, namely a 911 Targa 4 GTS which goes from 480 to 600hp (torque: from 550Nm to 700Nm) and, more surprisingly, since it’s electric, a Taycan 4S which now develops 740hp instead of 530, with a maximum torque of 820Nm.

Needless to say, the performance was breathtaking with, but the vehicles remain perfectly consistent, with no jerking, hesitation or surges in power.

Of course, all this effort on the development, certification and warranty fronts comes at a price. The vehicles we test drove and those we saw in the workshop show that WOT is currently targeting top-of-the-range sportier cars, owners who may be disappointed with their production vehicle and those who simply want more. WOT doesn’t just want to work with exclusive cars, but will gradually include optimisations for some 200 models (petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric) in its forthcoming catalogue.

Although undoubtedly aimed at a passionate and well-informed audience, WOT is finally bringing reprogramming out of the shadows.