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Page 27 - Engineering

  1. Go Your Own Way - Performance Intercooler, Part 1: Stock Review

    Go Your Own Way - Performance Intercooler, Part 1: Stock Review

    Lately, it seems commercials for trucks, SUVs, CUVs, and every other acronym on four wheels have the same narrative. A traffic jam ahead and a forlorn look on our business-casual hero's face. Suddenly, as if it hadn't quite sunk in yet, our hero remembers they bought a vehicle capable of driving on that conveniently placed side road; the one that's just dusty enough to add some drama to the shot, but not treacherous enough to require much driving skill. A couple presses of the nav screen and the hero is home before the dust settles.

    While many vehicles seek to make you feel like you could go your own way whenever the mood strikes, few pull it off quite as well as the 2019+ Ford Ranger. The Ranger's compact size and efficient engine make it at home in the city, while its cleverly design chassis and plethora of available off-road tech mean it's capable of tackling even the most technical trails. But, despite the Ranger's adaptability off the dealer's lot, there are some aspects that

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  2. Take in the World - Intake R&D Part 1: Stock Review

    Take in the World - Intake R&D Part 1: Stock Review

    From the crisp, cool air atop Pikes Peak to the smell of freshly cut grass at Fenway Park. From the hard asphalt streets of New York City to the soft sand of the Mojave. No
    matter where you are or where you're going, the 2019+ Ford Ranger was built to take in the world.

    While we take in the world with our sense of touch, sight, taste, and smell, your 2019+ Ranger takes in the world through its air intake. Air flows into the intake, gets compressed by the turbocharger, and is then forced into the engine. The better the intake flows, the more air can get into the turbocharger and the more air goes into the engine. More air going into the engine means more fuel can be injected, and more fuel equals more power.

    Improving flow through the intake is one of the best ways to improve performance.

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  3. Speed Evolved - Performance Intake R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review

    Speed Evolved - Performance Intake R&D, Part 1 - Stock Review

    PERFORMANCE INTAKE, FITS TOYOTA GR SUPRA 3.0L 2020+

    As the legendary namesakes in the automotive world live on, they are forced to evolve with the industry. That old saying "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" doesn't exactly sit well with the Toyota and BMW tag team, especially when it came to the Supra's resurrection. Yes, there is no arguing that the 2JZ-GTE was (and still is) a powerhouse of an engine, but the B58 more than fills the shoes left vacant for the last 18 years. While the car evolves, the formula stays the same. Strong, punchy turbo, straight-six in the front sending all the power to the rear wheels, and a mod-crazy driver in the middle.

    More power is always on the enthusiast's mind, with the intake usually being first on the list. Intake

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  4. Powering Perfection - Performance Air-to-Water Intercooler R&D - Concept, Design, and Production Sample

    Powering Perfection - Performance Air-to-Water Intercooler R&D - Concept, Design, and Production Sample

    The future is all about downsizing technology. We’ve all heard the familiar anecdote that our smartphones have more processing power than the computers that aided the Apollo missions. From computers and cameras all the way to something like cars, smaller has been the way. Why not downsize the intercoolers too, right? That was BMW’s plan by incorporating an air-to-water intercooler on the S55-powered M3 and M4. In a world of monstrous fin surface areas, BMW is focused on condensing. Let’s see just how they were able to pack all that cooling power into such a small core.

    When the F80s started showing up on the showroom floors,

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  5. Powering Perfection - Charge Pipe Kit Concept, design, and Production Sample

    Powering Perfection - Charge Pipe Kit Concept, design, and Production Sample

    It's no secret that the engineers at BMW strive to make each level of their M lineup the top tier in each segment. When it comes to the F80 and F82, the twin-turbocharged and liquid-intercooled grunt of the S55 coupled with the agility of the 3-series chassis is a killer combination that rockets these Bimmers to the top of the class. While the duo works on paper, in everyday use there is one aspect that does, quite literally, crack under the pressure the charge pipes.

    When it comes to the advancement of intercooling technologies, not much has changed for charged air conduits. Through the marvels of engineering, we have used liquid cooling power to create an intercooler that's a quarter the size of an air-to-air unit while retaining the same, if not better, efficiency. However, we still need some good old-fashioned charge pipes to take the air from the turbo to the intake manifold. When it comes to the pipes equipped on the M3, the concept might be old-fashioned, yet their engineers

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  6. Powering Perfection - Performance Heat Exchanger R&D - Concept, Design, and Production Sample

    Powering Perfection - Performance Heat Exchanger R&D - Concept, Design, and Production Sample

    One of the main reasons the M3 is on another level is the S55's ability to keep its cool, especially when it comes to the intercooling system. BMW equipped the F8X generation of the M3 and M4 with a state-of-the-art air-to-water intercooling system for a more efficient means of keeping the charged air cool, but before we dive into our plans for besting the F80's heat exchanger, let's take a look at what an air-to-water system even is.

    The Cool Factor

    The process of air-to-liquid intercooling has been around for some time now, but it wasn't until recently that we started seeing this method on mass-produced vehicles. It was originally for super high horsepower engines, however, its advantages have trickled down to cars that we now see on the road every

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  7. Protecting Perfection - Direct-Fit Oil Cooler R&D - Concept, Design, and Production Sample

    Protecting Perfection - Direct-Fit Oil Cooler R&D - Concept, Design, and Production Sample

    Oil is the lifeblood of any vehicle. Its lubrication properties keep all the metal bits inside of the engine from shredding each other to dust. While the M3 and M4 rise above just about every other run-of-the-mill commuter car, nothing knocks them down a few pegs quite like overheated oil or oil that finds its way out of the system.

    External air-to-air oil coolers are typically seen on the sportier variants of any car, but we tend to find a lightweight, tube-and-fin construction. These are cheap and easy to produce but are often better suited for daily driving or maybe the occasional spirited rip down some back roads. They also tend to be more susceptible to damage.

    The M3 is all about balance, as we went over in our intro post. For that reason, the engineers at BMW incorporated

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  8. Powering Perfection - BMW F80 M3 Vehicle Overview

    Powering Perfection - BMW F80 M3 Vehicle Overview

    When it comes to sports sedans, enthusiasts and automotive muggles alike can easily recognize the pinnacle of the segment"the BMW M3. It's not much of a surprise since the Bavarians have been pouring just about every ounce of their engineering prowess into the M3 since 1988 to become the benchmark. The F80 is the latest iteration of BMW maintaining the bar.

    Balancing the Force

    Balance is the name of BMW's game. The general premise behind the F80 is being the best all-around, top-tier mid-sized sports sedan. Since it's a BMW, they did most things right, but some compromising took place to bring balance to the

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  9. Protecting Perfection - BMW F8X M3/M4 Baffled Oil Catch Can R&D - Concept, Design, and Production sample

    Protecting Perfection - BMW F8X M3/M4 Baffled Oil Catch Can R&D - Concept, Design, and Production sample

    Any outdoor sculpture facing the elements is going to eventually tarnish. Sure, there have been advancements in materials and coatings, but grime and dirt building up on that piece of art is an inevitable consequence of being outside. Eventually someone is going to have to come by with a power washer to clean things up.

    The situation is relatable under the hood of the F80 M3. The S55 is a work of art, but the unavoidable by-product of blow-by is constantly peppering the intake tract of the engine. Luckily, Mishimoto is already working on a solution to keep your M3 as the benchmark for luxury sport sedans.

    To fully understand the blow-by situation in the F80, we have to first take a trip back to the early 2000s. The year is 2006, and BMW started equipping production vehicles with

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  10. Nearly Perfect - Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 Radiator R&D, Part 1: Prototype to Production

    Nearly Perfect - Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 Radiator R&D, Part 1: Prototype to Production

    The 2012+ Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 is a nearly perfect sleeper. With four doors, enough room for the kids and the dog, and a 475 hp 6.4L Hemi V8 under the hood pushing it to a sub-five second 0-60, there's not much the Grand Cherokee can't do quickly. But all that capability and power comes at a cost. 475 hp moving 5,200 lbs. around generates a massive amount of heat. It's not uncommon for engine coolant temps to hit 220°F or more, especially in modified Cherokees.

    The Grand Cherokee SRT8 is certainly capable, but if it overheats, it's useless. That's why we decided to develop a performance aluminum radiator to put the finishing touch on your 2012+ Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.

    We started development on this radiator as we do with most of our projects by measuring the stock components.

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