boost

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!

Fresh off the assembly line comes our prototype intercooler pipes for the 2013+ Ford Focus ST. In the last update, I reviewed the stock piping, our 3D printed prototypes, and mildly teased what the final version of this kit will look like, so it's time for a full reveal. Let's go through some of the design features and performance numbers that have resulted from this project.

Hot-side intercooler pipes

The hot-side kit will have a solid aluminum center section with silicone couplers attached to the turbo and intercooler outlet. It fits nicely around the engine oil pan and is mounted with brackets to keep it in place. However, a balance between flexibility and rigidity is important, which is why the couplers are long.

The 2013+ Focus ST begs for more power. While it isn't the easiest thing to accomplish, our engineers are here to help give you quality parts that will help push your ST to and over the edge of high performance. As our release for our Performance Intercooler sits on the horizon, there's no better time than the second official day of summer "17 to tell you Focus ST enthusiasts that we are also developing upgraded intercooler piping to compliment it, because, why stop there?

Underbody shot of the stock intercooler piping on a 2013 Ford Focus ST

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.

We've noticed that the 2013+ Ford Focus ST has little wiggle room when it comes to gaining power strictly from bolt-on parts. Even with stage 3 tunes, not many ST's out there see horsepower numbers beyond 300-350hp. That barrier can be surpassed with the use of ethanol or a bigger turbo, but on a stock turbo and pump gas, those numbers aren't going too far north.

With our intercooler, we wanted to bring on some positive effects for the power in this stubborn 2.0L engine. While power is important, we also needed to monitor the outlet temperatures with a visual analysis of heat transfer across the core.

Setting up our prototype for some dyno runs

One of our newer pieces of equipment is a neat little

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

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

Competitive racing can be simplified. It boils down to a very basic question: Who's faster? Where it gets nuanced is when this idea branches off into other areas of competition based on driver preference and customization. We see this from competing companies as they choose different methods of business operations and seeing their way as more efficient. The same goes for popular discussion topics, people aligning themselves with what they find best represents who they are. In fact, my middle school time capsule included a representation of this competition by listing items and companies in the same category and who or what I'd choose over the other. Part of that capsule would have things like this in it:

• Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon
• Sprite or 7Up
• Breakfast or Dinner
• Vanilla or Chocolate
• Biggie or Tupac
• Seinfeld or Friends
• McDonalds or Burger King

So, we were supposed to dig that up in ten years and see how much our

Many of you have been asking about the status of this project, and I have concrete information and data for you to look over as you make your decision on an intercooler for summer 2017. In the last update (which, I know was a while ago), we left you with what the final design of the core looked like, complete with renders and studio shots of the physical production sample.

The project's lead engineer knows that any intercooler design should be able to live up to the demanding performance these trucks require during, off-road or work use, daily driving, and even towing vehicles. Our engineer tested three cores, all with slightly different design aspects, so our R&D bases would be covered. Each core consisted of a bar-and-plate construction, as they are much stronger by design and go with the tough theme of these trucks.

The core we decided to go with gave us a 77% increase in core volume and a 163% increase in external fin surface area - not a mild improvement by any means.

The movement on the 2016 Ford Focus RS intercooler project may seem slow, but it couldn't be more alive. Our lead engineer for the project, at my request, has completed a plethora of testing configurations to get the most detailed amount of data possible. For the past three months, we have been rocking out on testing, testing, and more testing for the RS, the primary objectives being movement on the upcoming diff cooler and this front-mount intercooler. We know that the RS crowd loves their data, so we want to overload you with what's finally available.

I won't sugarcoat anything here. The update is going to be very data-intensive. I don't have any entertaining anecdotes, interesting fun-facts, or puns about staying focused to fluff this piece with. Today's discussion will be about our Nitrous Blue hatchback and the focus on data.