SVP Vehicles

The Mustang is one of the longest living nameplates in the history of muscle cars; it's only natural that it continues to evolve with the times. In 2018, Ford launched the latest iteration of its flagship pony car, toting the newest generation of 5.0L Coyote V8 and a series of aesthetic updates. Despite the decades of updates and evolution, the S-550 still has to contend with any engine's nemesis - heat.

The latest Coyote received a bump in power by way of overhauling the fuel system, but when it comes to cooling the oil, it could still use some improvements. Luckily for us, Ford's fueling updates didn't mean a significant change to the overall design of the engine, which means that we didn't need to run a complete re-test of our oil cooler. We already determined how well our oil cooler performed

The term "track day" around here is always surrounded with a certain level of enthusiasm. We're all aware of the extra labor that goes into a trip to Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, but everyone involved is more than willing to pitch in for the chance to see our RS thrashed around the track. Think of it like one of those field trips you would take in middle school. Sure, there would be a test on everything seen that day, but that was a small price to pay for a day out of the classroom. After spending almost a week preparing it was time to take the class on their field trip.

Hot Oil and Broken Eggs

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With the recent release of our Pro Cat-Back Exhaust for the 2016+ Chevy Camaro 2.0T, we have one more variation for you to check out - the Race Axleback.  While it may look like a step down from our Catback, I must say that this exhaust couldn't be any more aggressive.

Even though the cat-back is a full exhaust, it does have two muffling units towards the rear of the system (straight piping from the downpipe would be unbearably loud). This Race Axleback is essentially a full-on straight pipe for the rear section. From the mid-section of the factory exhaust all the way to the end of the rear bumper, there will be absolutely nothing impeding flow or sound, so it turns this mild 2.0T LTG into something completely different. I won't hold anything back here. There was little attempt to tame the sound coming from this exhaust design. This exhaust will crackle, drone, pop, and make surrounding ears curious. See for yourself in our comparison video below!

The last piece of this puzzle has finally fallen into place. Finishing off our offerings for the 2016+ Chevy Camaro SS exhaust systems lands us here with our Race Axleback. The SS has an unmistakable sound, and it's a sound we don't want to stray far away from - we only want to enhance it in the most robust way possible, and I feel that the engineers have done just that.

I'll make this simple - this exhaust is mean.

It's a mix of a modern sounding V8 with the raspy aggressive tone of a certain 1970's-era machine that was made of steel, had belt-buckle seat belts and a bad attitude. When this car starts up, it will give unassuming bystanders a jump - I've seen it happen at gas stations when I got to drive it. There are no fancy tricks here, just a raw, unrestricted, unfiltered

Downpipes are a choke point in many turbocharged vehicles when it comes to exhaust flow. As opposed to naturally aspirated cars, less serious thought needs to go into the size of the exhaust piping. In most cases the system just needs to be bigger in diameter, maximizing what you can within the alotted design space.

The downpipe on the Camaro 2.0T's LTG engine is a restrictive point in the exhaust system, a conclusion brought about by our testing. The point of emphasis is the rate at which exhaust gases are expelled out of the turbocharger. That flow is very important to how well the turbocharger can do its job. If you can flow more exhaust gases, the turbine can spin faster, leading to more boost. It is now time to test the prototype and figure out what our downpipe design can do for this LTG power-plant.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: paying attention to details is a crucial part of life. Leading professionals are gurus at doing so in their respective fields. A good chef can wade through the already heavy seasoning in something like a gumbo and tell if there is too much or too little garlic by doing a simple taste test. A good fabricator can easily tell a MIG from a TIG weld by simply watching the arc on the metal (with the proper eyewear of course). And a good tuner can tell if something as elusive as timing is off, even in the slightest, on an engine they regularly tune just by listening to it.

If you want to be the best in your field, pay close attention to little details. It's what will set you apart from the rest of the pack. Our engineering department has honed their skills in noticing the details. In the case of our 2016 Ford Focus RS hot-side intercooler pipe, we paid close attention to airflow and noticed a problematic aspect - not with the pipe itself, but with

When you're hurtling towards a concrete-walled turn at over 90 MPH, you'd better know that every nut and bolt in your car is torqued to spec.

Photo: Nick Thomas

We've all had to prepare for something before"a date, an interview, a test. It's always a stressful experience. Now imagine you were about to go on a date with somebody you were pretty sure is trying to kill you. Or, imagine that your desk would be pushed off a 100ft cliff if you failed that test. Preparing for a track day is a lot like that.

About a week before our Focus RS was set

Our engineering department sought to bombard our intercooler with dyno runs, gathering as much data as possible to ensure that it could stand up to the abuse and intensity you plan to put it through. Due to the fact that this intercooler is sandwiched between the radiator and air conditioning condenser, we had to be sure that our core could effectively combat the effects of heat-soak while performing at maximum efficiency. First, we had to start with size. If the intercooler was going to be an effective modification, it had to be bigger. In case you guys need a refresher from our last update, see below for a size comparison between our core and the factory unit.

Core volume comparison