Page 9 - Engineering

Polaris designed the RZ XP Turbo with one function: slicing and dicing its way through any obstacle the great outdoors presents. The towering suspension and knobby tires coupled to the compact chassis give this off-roader the finesse to navigate the great outdoors. Combine that with the punch of the turbo 1000cc twin powerplant, and this sharp machine is seemingly unstoppable. Polaris made sure to properly equip the RZR XP Turbo to handle all kinds of difficult situations, but some areas could leave this function-focused buggy, well, functionless.

Air is a vital component of the operation of any internal combustion engine, so making sure intake air makes it to the cylinders is just as important. Less air completing its journey to the cylinders makes for a frustrating time out on the trail, especially

While piling into your Explorer ST for a long haul, it's tough not to have that cliché mantra running through your head - It's more about the journey than the destination. However, we here at Mishimoto think that saying depends on the context. We, enthusiasts, are quickly intoxicated by the ST's 3.0 EcoBoost powerplant and easily hypnotized by the surprisingly nimble chassis' ability to tackle the curvey backroads, making us prefer to savor the trip. When it comes to the journey of building that speed machine, however, things become much more destination-focused. While that journey is necessary, we're much more eager for the result. In the quest for more power, though, a pit stop at the intercooler is required to reach your final destination.

Improving intercooler designs is a delicate balancing act between flow and core density. Both of these aspects are vital to improving the system's performance, but they have reciprocating results on each other. An ultra-dense core may shrug

The Bronco is built for the wilderness. Just a glance at this towering machine makes that apparent. Even the trims not dressed to the nines in the sprawling catalog of off-roading accouterments still have the natural instinct to scamper through most terrains thanks to the well-sorted AWD system and 2.7L powerplant. While this twin-turbo V6 is no slouch, we enthusiasts still have the inherent need to add even more horses to the pack. Cranking up the boost through tunes and turbos is the simplest solution, but other components must be addressed to handle this added power first.

Ford's priority for function becomes truly apparent once you lift the hood on your 2.7L powered Bronco. The intricate maze of tubes and pipes on full display gives us flashbacks to that classic

Our Bronco Performance Stock Location Intercooler is now available! Click Here to grab yours today!

It's no secret that the Bronco wasn't resurrected to break land speed records. Just one look at this brick on towering off-roading tires makes it apparent that this machine was destined for more wild pathways. No matter where these Broncos feel at home, more power is still a necessity both on the trail and for the commute to work. Luckily, Ford stuffed different iterations of their platform that's become synonymous with power potential - the EcoBoost. Whether it's the 2.3L or the 2.7L, these engines have plenty of surplus performance locked away that can be accessed with the correct key. In this case, that key is intercooler shaped.

The days of the internal combustion engine are numbered. That's not much of a surprise given the impending electrified takeover, but keeping our precious gas burning, manual shifting, turbocharged machines in proper working order is that much more important. The trouble is that the VB WRX's main nemesis is itself, or at least the by-product of its operation. Like every WRX before this one and fossil fuel-powered engine to hit the streets, blow-by and carbon build-up lurk in the vehicle's intake tract. Not to worry, though. We're already on the case to preserve the WRX's power plant.

If you're scratching your head at the notorious boogyman that is blow-by and how to prevent this monster from attacking your WRX, let's review. Any internal combustion engine operates by using thousands of tiny explosions to drive the piston to the bottom of the cylinder. This process turns the crankshaft, generating the power to propel you down the highway. The downside is that not all of the combustion

No perfect performance happens on a whim. Well, maybe sometimes dumb luck takes the reigns, but typically the years of honing your skills and abilities guide you through. The same could be said about BMW and its performance division. These Bavarians are not known for "wingin' it" and for the last 35 years and counting, they've been tirelessly perfecting every M3 and M4 that rolls off the assembly line. Every component is meticulously engineered to continuously raise the bar for the sports sedan segment. That said, nobody's perfect, and there are still some aspects of the G8X platform that could use further refinement.

They say that practice makes perfect, which is how we feel about our new oil cooler design for the G8X platform. One of the main factors contributing to the performance of this new oil cooler is the proper fitment for two reasons. For starters, no one wants to struggle with an ill-fitting part, especially on the likes of an M3. Also, since this oil cooler relies on the

Evolution is all about improving over the generations. We hold our ancestors in high regard because they were able to make the first changes, but we use that as a base to improve. It's much the same with the Q50's potent platform. Inherited from the groundbreaking and mind-bending powerhouse that is the R35 GT-R, the Infinitis harness the potential of the derived VR30DDTT to shove you back into your quilted leather bucket seat.

One of the evolutionary hangups that still plagues this everyday GT-R, however, is the intercooler system. We've been hard at work ready to rectify that issue and put our new design to the test on our Dynapack system. 

Already equipped with a host of performance modifications, including an E70 setup, full 3" catless exhaust, performance intakes, and

It's interesting how something as mundane as an exhaust-powered air pump could take control of so many car enthusiasts. Really though, it's not that surprising the deeper you think about it. The intoxicating symphony of whooshing, whistling, and PSSHT-ing directly hits our dopamine receptors. The devotion isn't just aurally based either. The power and potential these systems provide make us enthusiasts feel like rulers of the road. This command that turbos have over us is about to become a little less one-sided now that we can take some power back with a manual boost controller.

With today's sophisticated forced induction machines, why would we need to control the boost further? For more of it, of course! Since the dawn of the automobile, we enthusiasts have been on a quest to squeeze every ounce of power from the engine, and the manual boost controller does just that.

Strengthening any system is never quite complete without at least a dry run. Careful planning and consideration could all come crashing down if these concepts can't quite hack it in the real world. Preliminary tests and prototypes are essential to this process to ensure all plans fit properly into place, which is exactly what we're aiming to test.

The restrictive OEM pipes immediately dash any plans for big boost, but things could be even worse if our expansion plans don't properly fit in the already tight engine bay. While our sophisticated modeling software does provide a precise digital workshop, nothing quite beats physically installing the design on the vehicle. So, to triple-check our work, we created a pair of 3D printed prototype pipes to confirm fitment before starting production of the real thing.

Practice makes perfect. It's cliché, but it's true. Not many people can just pick up a pair of drumsticks and blow us away with complex Herta drum fills combined with immaculate rhythm. It takes years of honing the technique and drilling rudiments to get to that level. When it comes to the M3, BMW has been practicing its sticking techniques for decades locking in a groove of setting the benchmark for performance sedans, with the S58-powered G8X platform being no exception. These M's are packed with plenty of natural talent, but even that requires practice to nail the correct notes. Since there's always room to improve, the next rudiment for this M3 to learn is improved intercooler temperatures, and we're offering private lessons. 

In our last post, we covered our new heat exchanger's