Let’s not kid ourselves, the Mazda MX-5 is not and never was a fast car. Quick? Yes. Fun to drive? Absolutely. But certainly not fast. This enlarged go kart of a car consistently delivered smiles to owners everywhere over the past 16 years of production, due to its excellent handling […]
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Tuning the GRB STI for More Power on E85
The very instant you drive a brand-new car off the lot, you have just lost thousands of dollars. The immediate depreciation of value is, hands down, the worst part of buying a new car. According to data collected by Edmunds.com, new cars lose an average of 11-percent of their value […]
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Edelbrock’s Supercharger Solution for the BRZ/FR-S
Popular opinion is known to sway with the reveal of new information. This fact holds true for any segment from politics to tuning philosophies. Over the past three years as performance parts manufacturers continue to roll out different forced-induction systems for the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S, the general consensus on the […]
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Test And Tune: 2014 Mitsubishi Evo X MR l Adding Power with a Flash, Exhaust and Intake
EIGHT YEARS AGO, MITSUBISHI’S EVOLUTION X ASSUMED the duty of carrying the performance torch for the marque as its flagship performance platform. Powered by a 291 horsepower, turbocharged 4B11 engine, the EVO X proudly continuedthe Evolution legacy with the latest Super-All Wheel Control (S-AWC) AWD system and for the first […]
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Test & Tune Part 3: Nissan Silvia S15 | Camshafts, Manifold, and 100 Octane Fuel
In the first two Test & Tune segments, our 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 gained a total of 68.9 horsepower by removing exhaust restrictions, increasing airflow into the compressor, reducing intake air temperature and fine tuning the engine management system. The Tanabe Concept G Blue turbo-back exhaust system, Blitz LM Intercooler, […]
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Test & Tune: 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 | More Airflow, More Boost, and + 36.3 WHP
In the first Test and Tune segment, our 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 illustrated how much of a difference quality aftermarket components would make to a turbocharged engine. The Tanabe Concept G Blue turbo-back exhaust system reduced exhaust restrictions and also increased boost pressure. The value of fuel tuning was clearly […]
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Test & Tune: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8
A normally-aspirated 6-cylinder engine making 300 horsepower deserves some praise. Until recently, 300-horsepower required a V8 or some form of forced-induction. Today, technology allows more horsepower-per-liter than ever before. Unfortunately, a well-tuned engine from the factory means that the aftermarket may struggle to find any additional horsepower. As the Hyundai […]
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Test & Tune: 2005 Mazda RX-8
Rotary versus Piston: The rivalry between rotary and piston owners has long been established before many of us were born. The rotary engine represents the epitome of small displacement engines that pack a heavy punch. The first 10A rotary engine was used in the Mazda Cosmo in 1965. With a […]
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Test & Tune: 2011 Mitsubishi EVO X GSR Part 2 | More Power Under the Curve, Same Boost Levels
In our last installment of the Mitsubishi EVO X Test & Tune, we added an intake system and a turbo-back exhaust upgrade and fine-tuned our way to a peak increase of 71 WHP. The addition of the COBB AccessPORT and Boost Pill allowed increased levels of boost pressure from the […]
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Test & Tune: Mazdaspeed3 | FWD Renegade
The import performance movement has always featured an ever-changing marketplace. During the ‘80s, the predominant weapons of choice were Mazdas, Datsuns or Toyotas. These lightweight RWD platforms made for perfect pocket rockets. In the ‘90s, the FWD import movement was spurred by turbocharged Honda Civics and Acura Integras tearing up […]
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Test & Tune: 2001 Nissan Silvia S15 | Uncorking the Silvia’s SR20DET Engine
Rare and different. Two words that epitomize the Nissan Silvia S15. It carries a mystique almost as captivating as Nissan’s Skyline GT-R. Nissan ceased production of the Silvia S14, known in the U.S. as a 240SX, at the end of 1998. America never received the Silvia S15. Like its Skyline […]
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Test & Tune: 2011 Mitsubishi EVO X GSR | Big Power Gains for the 4B11
The Mitsubishi EVO X is still one of the most popular choices for tuners and for good reason. The 4B11T long block has proven to be stout, capable of handling in excess of 500-plus horsepower regularly. Additionally, the GSR model’s five-speed manual transmission is able to hold equivalent power levels […]
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Mountune MP275 Power Package for Ford Focus ST
For most of us in the tuning market, warranty claims become a huge hassle when the dealer denies service based on modifications. Although some dealers are “mod-friendly”, service managers come and go and usually the hook-ups don’t last long. In the aftermarket world, tuning companies looking to offer a factory […]
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2011 Subaru Impreza STI GVB Part 3
In our last STI GVB Test & Tune, we increased the EJ257’s operating efficiency with a bolt-on intake system, a high-flow downpipe, and an exhaust system. These bolt-ons netted a peak horsepower gain of just over 31 horsepower but revealed the limitations of the factory intercooler system as the power […]
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2011 Subaru Impreza STI GVB Part 2
The last time we checked in on our Subaru STI sedan Test & Tune project, we extracted an additional 34.5 WHP by simply changing engine oil, installing new spark plugs, fine-tuning the engine calibration and increasing peak boost pressure by only 1.5psi. This time around, we enlisted the services of […]
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