The BMW M3 and M4 are automotive royalty. They’re the lords of the compact executive sports car segment, and BMW intends to keep it that way. Last year we saw the coronation of the latest prince of posh speed, the G8X, and this generation is the most power-hungry yet. These dignitaries are hell-bent on dominating not only their class but every inch of asphalt as we know it. The trouble is, the road is a feral and unpredictable creature, prone to lashing out at vehicles. The G8X may be a valiant crusader, but it still has vulnerabilities, specifically at its underbelly.
Updating infrastructure is all about preparing for the future. We, as a society, are constantly expanding highways, power grids, and server rooms to prepare for increased bandwidth usage. The story is the same under the hood of any turbocharged vehicle since most enthusiasts are plotting to turn up the boost. The construction of our charged air corridor might have only started back in the spring, but we’re finally ready to open this new high-pressure highway.
Additional volume is essential for tuning turbocharged applications. With the impending wave of oncoming boost, we needed to ensure that the piping system would be equipped to handle everything a performance tune could throw at them. In our last post we covered our inner diameter size increases upwards of 110% over the stock piping, and now we wanted to see how that equates in terms of performance.
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as reaping the benefits of a carefully calculated plan coming together. While enhancing a few pipes under the 2.3L powered Bronco might not seem like much of an undertaking, even the minor steps in any build require plenty of planning. We’re almost ready to see how much more bandwidth our piping system can handle, but first, we wanted to show off the fruits of our careful consideration.
The 2.7L Bronco is a true adventure machine. No matter the trim or configuration, these twin-turbo V6-powered Broncos are determined to get you to any destination, no matter what’s in their way. Well, for the most part. Unfortunately, the intercooler keeping the charged air from those turbos cool isn’t exactly up to the task, and it’s in the way of more pertinent off-roading gear. So, to retain the 2.7L’s sheer determination, we had some better ideas for the intercooler, and now it’s time to see how they perform.
The engineers at Ford developed their latest and greatest Bronco for the high road, but the intercooler used across the lineup wasn’t quite up to the task of wilderness exploration. Plus, we can think of plenty of better uses for the OEM intercooler’s mounting location. So we told the OEM intercooler to take a hike and took our new design to the high road. It’s been a long journey getting to the trailhead, but we’re finally ready to start our dyno journey with our plucky 2.3L-powered Pedro taking point.
When it comes to keeping charged air temperatures in check, the intercooler is only as good as its air source. The core’s size and the end tanks’ shape almost become irrelevant if no reliable source of fresh air passes through the fins. Intercooling is a team effort, and while the core may be the star of the show, it’s nothing without the rest of the crew. In the last post, we covered the literal supporting cast, but now it’s time to introduce the ducting.
While it might not seem like it, any excursion in the Bronco is a team effort. From the driver’s seat, you’re just manipulating the throttle and steering while generally making smart decisions, but the brigade of electronics, sensors, and hardware supporting the EcoBoost powertrain strapped to this modern off-roading chassis all work in perfect harmony to go over any terrain. Teamwork is, in fact, making the dream work. The same could be said regarding the Bronco’s intercooler re-homing process. Our fresh high-mount intercooler design might be the show’s star, but it turns into a fancy paperweight without its literal supporting cast.
Dynamometers are the stationary proving ground of the automotive world. These packs and rollers provide us, enthusiasts, with the power figures we need to answer the ever-important question, who’s car is hypothetically faster? While that’s always the burning inquiry on every gearhead’s mind, the Dynapack and DynoJet systems provide much more than bragging rights here at Mishimoto. These instruments provide us with an indoor, virtual test track ideal for gauging what our products will add to your build. But how is that data collected, and how will I know that info is accurate? Well, we’re glad you asked.
In our last post, we covered what dynos we use and how they work. This time around, we’re going to dive into how exactly we used them to deliver precise data on the performance of our products. The underlying thread that pulls all of our steps together is consistency. Consistency is key to ensuring the figures we provide are as accurate to real-world conditions as possible. So with
The Ford Raptor is the embodiment of go anywhere, do anything machines. The broad haunches and aggressive look deliver a commanding presence on the road, with the towering tires and amped-up suspension ready to take control once the pavement runs out. Unfortunately, while these ferocious dune-crushing monsters are generally well prepared for anything the trail can throw at it, these Raptors still have a crippling weakness – their soft underbelly.
Being a purpose-built off-roader, Ford didn’t leave the delicate bits under the Raptor completely unguarded. At a cursory glance, it looks like this truck is already well protected. The angled front engine skid plate contributes to its rugged visage, but things start to thin out the more we venture underneath the truck.
There’s more to performance than speed. Sure, we enthusiasts are aiming for the optimal cornering or reducing the 0-60 time, but we want more. These speed machines obviously need to look good while sweeping through corners or hard parked at the local cars and coffee. When it comes to aesthetic performance, there’s something to be said about a vehicle’s ability to elicit wide eyes and dropped jaws. These VB WRXs came underrated in ‘wow-power’ from the factory, but we have a plan to rectify this.
