Page 6 - Engineering

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.

Instant classics don’t typically happen instantly. Think about all of those songs that immediately get stuck in your head. Instead, these earworms wriggle their way into your unconscious because they’re so expertly crafted. They’re demoed, recorded, have their composition changed, re-recorded, and rigorously dissected before they make their way to your Spotify playlists. Nissan’s Z cars follow a similar path. While the Z hasn’t been singing the same song for the last 53 years, it’s become a staple in the genre. Now, half a century later, these sports coupes have built quite the legacy and are preserving their heritage in their latest release that captures the Z’s essence. We’re super fans here at Mishimoto, and we’re hard at work preserving that legacy.

This Z is a rockstar, thanks to the VR30DDTT nestled under the hood, and we want to give it the VIP treatment. Protecting this engine’s intake tract from the dangers of blow-by is a song that we already know, but this time around,

In the automotive world, not many things can outweigh the impact of performance upgrades. Sure, added power or increased grip is vital to the vehicle’s overall performance, but missing the mark on the finishing touches can thwart any well-planned build. A ragged interior or scuffed exterior bits turn any blissful machine into a fast car with a nagging list of gripes. For our three-pedal gang out there, we know one of the best means of preventing this dilemma is with the help of quality and classy shift knob, and what’s more classy than wood grain. 

It’s almost 2023, and Nissan’s latest sports coupe carrying on the legendary Z lineage is finally here. Like every other enthusiast, we let out an exasperated “Finally…” hearing the news of dealer allocations. It’s been 13 years since we had a new Z car, and while the 370 certainly held the namesake in a strong standing, it was about time for a new era of Z before charging into the electrifying future. This Z might be the shining beacon of fresh sports car design, but Nissan’s latest offering is a compilation of their greatest hits. There are, of course, the classics, like the 300ZX taillights, signature silhouette, and hood cowl dating back to their Datsun days, but one of the main draws is the recent B-side that’s under the hood, a little ditty called the VR30DDTT. In this case, it’s a cover, but the Z made this tune its own with 400hp and, much to the superfan’s joy, a manual transmission option. Unfortunately, this heavy-hitting power ballad of an engine still falls under the same trope

Blades dull and lose their utility the more they’re used, and the same could be said about Polaris’s flagship side-by-side bearing the RZR name. This specialized tool is designed to slice its way through tough terrain with ease, but it needs the proper tool to maintain its sharpness over time. The torquey turbocharged twin makes this side-by-side a formidable weapon, but its intercooler is the chink in its armor. Well, until now.

As mentioned in our first post,

It takes more than just a whetstone to sharpen a blade properly. Perfecting the edge on any cutting implement comes with the collection of the correct tools on top of sharpening the technique required for an adequately honed blade. However, the Polaris RZR Turbo isn’t just some run-of-the-mill knife. This is an implement designed for precision cuts through the unforgiving wilderness, so naturally, honing this blade requires special care.

Preparation is a critical step in any tool maintenance. In the case of keeping our RZR sharp, our preparation was outlined in our design plans in the previous post, so we’re moving on to honing our technique. While our modeling software combined with our 3d scan arm provide an accurate virtual workspace for our engineering team, nothing quite tops a physical installation on the vehicle. With the help of our bank of 3D printers, Dave is able to churn out a 1-to-1 scale replica of the new design that is fit for installation.

Building a performance vehicle is an exercise in compromise. Form or function? Power or weight? Strength or lightness? Often, one of those is more important to the build, so the other is sacrificed. But here at Mishimoto, we’re done compromising.

Carbon fiber has long been a material bordering on mythical. A fabric that, when combined with resin, exhibits more strength than steel at a fraction of the weight. Once reserved for small aesthetic pieces on cringeworthy