Page 2 - turbo

When I last left off our engineer, Steve, was busy scanning and creating a 3D model of the F30 stock unit as a reference for our new design. There is an impressive amount of engineering that has gone into this intercooler project already, with more to come. One of the reasons for this attention to detail is because of the wide range of models that this new cooler is going to fit, as seen by our photo gallery. Another reason is because BMW has a pesky habit of living up to their moniker, "The Ultimate Driving Machine," they leave little room for error.

Steve working the Faro Design ScanArm to create a 3D model of the stock intercooler unit.

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.

When it comes to data testing, our engineering department avoids cutting corners. Each product we put on the market is vigorously tested so we can be confident our products can withstand the abuse you intend to throw at them. With the intercooler piping for the 2016 2.0T LTG engine, we have gone through the proper steps to get the data gearheads want to see.

Our engineer put our dyno and flow bench to work to see how our design stacks up. We plan to offer these intercooler pipes individually as well as a kit, so both the cold and hot-side pipes had to be tested individually. The good news is promising numbers followed.

Flow bench data for our prototype intercooler pipes

The first thing our engineer wanted to do was

Mishimoto prides itself on the ability to improve the cooling systems on just about any vehicle that rolls through the garage door. Intercoolers have become our bread and butter at this point. That being said, BMW's are notoriously over-engineered, so improving on the meticulous German design isn't going to be an easy task.

It seems that the engineers at BMW wanted to make sure they provided the best equipment on their "Ultimate Driving Machine," which means tight spacing. Peeling the front bumper cover from our loaner 2014 335i M Sport reveals a space no bigger than a toaster oven. A tricky intercooler project lies ahead, but that's OK, because we're up to the challenge.

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We have a lot of advanced equipment at our disposal that would make a design for an upgraded intercooler pipe kit for this 2016+ Chevy Camaro 2.0T superior over stock in many ways. We aren't only aiming for these pipes to have spot-on fitment. It's crucial to think about every design detail and consider how you can keep these pipes with you throughout your quest for more power without having to do anything to them. This means incorporating design features that can support even more modifications - whether you plan to use them or not. I'll take you through how we accomplished this.

Prototype intercooler pipes up for testing

Our engineer was able to get his hands on detailed 3D model data files of the

I've always wondered if it's a coincidence that the start of tax-return season is timed so conveniently with the startup of the race season for us gearheads. How is it that our hard-earned money withheld from our wages the previous year is graciously beset upon our bank accounts, but then immediately drawn right back out to fund the rest of the car parts we all want? It's something I succumb to almost every year, with 2017 not excluded, and I know I won't be alone. There are just some things we all need for our cars to reach that next level. Our intercooler core for this 2016+ Camaro 2.0T will certainly fall into that category.

Prototype Mishimoto 2016 Camaro 2.0T intercooler core

There were

Turbocharger compressors like denser air, which is why us car enthusiasts joke about how, although the winter is the motorsports off-season, it's peak "boost" season. Cars with forced induction love the colder, denser climates because by driving in colder weather, the turbocharger or supercharger gets fed a bit more air than in warmer weather. That's why you might feel a harder punch from the gas pedal in the middle of a freezing Chicago December compared to a Daytona Beach July.

Since we don't all boost happily in the Siberian Tundra, the way to replicate this effect is by finding a way to supply more air to your method of forced induction. One way to do so is by making your intercooler piping or charge pipes larger. Larger pipes allow more airflow, which translates to more power. Our lead engineer for this entire intercooler project is very familiar with this idea, before creating larger pipes, we must first evaluate the stock pipes - hot side and cold side - to know exactly what we

I told you this project was going to move fast. In the last update, we laid down our design plans for how we will give this RS coolant expansion tank some sprucing up. Not only did we make the tank more pleasing to look at, we also increased the capacity and added a neat sight tube so you can check your levels with ease. You guys have been asking for it, so let's get up close and personal.

The stock unit pales in comparison to the size of the Mishimoto tank.

One of the first things you'll notice with this tank is the capacity increase over the stock unit. We are making this tank to fit both the Focus RS and ST, but that doesn't mean we have to stay within the size parameters