166: Building Record-Breaking GT-Rs & Lamborghinis | AMS Performance

When Martin designed his first camshaft for the Ford Merkur XR4Ti, he probably never imagined that one day he'd be building some of the fastest GT-Rs and Lamborghinis in the world—but that's exactly what he has done. Martin Musial's journey with AMS Performance has been nothing short of extraordinary.

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In this episode of Tuned In, Martin shares how growing up around machinery and studying mechanical engineering laid the foundations for his career. After working in his father’s machine shop, he discovered a passion for designing and manufacturing performance parts that solved real problems, eventually helping shape AMS into one of the world's most respected performance companies.

We follow AMS’s evolution from Mitsubishi Evos to the R35 GT-R, where relentless testing pushed the team to develop stronger engines, turbo systems, and drivetrain solutions. Martin explains how repeated failures lead to innovations, proving that successful product development is built on continuous refinement.

The conversation also explores AMS’s move into the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracán platforms, the challenges of modern ECUs and dual-clutch transmissions, and why the biggest dyno number doesn't always make the best street car. Martin also shares the realities of growing a specialist workshop into a global engineering and manufacturing business.

This episode is packed with insight into engine development, product design, and building a successful performance business. Whether you're chasing horsepower or creating better parts, Martin's experience shows that the best results come from understanding the engineering and never stopping the development process.

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Timestamps:

0:00 Building Record-Breaking GT-Rs & Lamborghinis | AMS Performance
3:54 How did you become interested in cars?
9:35 The story of starting AMS?
13:49 Is old school mechanical knowledge being lost?
17:57 The start of AMS continued
26:41 What was the change like from Talon, Eclipse to Evo 8?
35:15 How did you develop your skills with EFI tuning?
37:15 How do you navigate uncharted territory with customer builds?
44:37 The transition from the 4g63 to the R35 GTR
48:25 Designing a stock placement turbo kit for the R35 GTR
57:26 How did the billet block for the R35 come about?
1:05:42 When things go wrong, who pays for it?
1:06:42 The million dollar mistake
1:15:30 What sort of head gasket are you using?
1:17:06 Do we have full control and understanding of the DCT transmissions?
1:24:58 What ECU’s are you using to control these cars?
1:27:12 Moving from the R35 platform to the Lamborghini Huracan/Audi R8
1:32:04 What’s a street level turbo Huracan’s happy power level?
1:36:52 What makes and models are you looking to support in the future?
1:42:09 What does AMS look like today?
1:50:57 What’s your current role at AMS look like?
1:59:52 Final 3 questions