hi guys --
After 8 months of testing and 3 months of driving, I wanted to update you on a project we have been working on in house. Our 1992 Sebring Silver R&D car has been used to test several new products we have been working hard on refining. After being "heads down" with this project and the other 14 major NSX vehicle projects completed in 2007 - we hope to provide updates like these to let you know of the exciting work that has been keeping us busy at ScienceofSpeed.
The objective of our testing was to test the limits of the factory engine's block and sleeve design, test and refine our piston design, and to test and refine the Lovefab turbocharger system to be able to offer a complete power solution for our customers that keeps the durability and balance of the NSX.
[engine design]
To begin with, the engine was removed, and prepared with our stage 1 forced induction engine package. This package is especially designed for the 1991-1996 NSX 3.0L engines that are equipped with iron cylinder liners from the factory. The liners are machined and honed to a slightly larger diameter to true the cylinders bore. Forged lower compression pistons are installed on the factory connecting rods that have been rebushed allowing the piston's pins to be fully floating.
There were several objectives with this engine build. First of all, we wanted to take the initiative to test the factory cylinder block and the block's sleeve capacity. With out resleeving the engine, we can cut down on complexity, cost, and lead time for our customers. We believe the potential of the block was over the 500 crankshaft horsepower we had previously rated this engine package to. We have been running the successfully to over 525 wheel horsepower (590+ crankshaft hp) on this NSX.
You can find more information on our forced induction engine program here:
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/produ...stom_engine_program/FI_custom_engine_program/
Our second objective was to test and refine our new piston design. After more than 2 years of building NSX engines (engine numbers 15, 16, and 17 and currently in process) we have made several changes to our piston design collaborating with Wiseco Piston. We have made several changes to our proprietary dome design after observing burn patterns after extended use, switched to a strutted piston design which has dramatically increased piston rigidity while saving weight, and have identified a skirt design, ring design, skirt coating, and clearancing measurements which have led to dramatically improved oil consumption - a factor in any higher than factory growth forged piston.
You can see a 3-dimensional model of our piston design here:
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[turbocharger system design]
Our last objective with this vehicle was to refine the Lovefab Turbocharger system in to something we could recommend for street and track use and support with proper installation guides and hands on experience.
In our experience of investigating the several systems available on the market, we saw the Lovefab system as having the highest quality and best potential. We have made several changes to the base kit working in conjunction with Lovefab. The system from ScienceofSpeed now includes all water lines including metal hard lines and silicone tubing with metalized wrapping for the turbocharger's water cooling system. We also tested and designed a heat exchanger design which improves cooling of the turbocharger system by moving the exchangers into the A/C condenser pockets. This in turn improves cooling efficiency for the engine’s radiator. While we still offer the single exchanger design for street cars that will be used in high heat environments, we have been impressed by how well the car manages heat at the track while still allowing the A/C system to function.
A part of this testing was also to identify a turbocharger design that will give the best power response for goal of 500 wheel horsepower. We tested three turbocharger and wastegate configurations and have arrived at something that for me personally has been a mind-altering experience. After 3000 miles of street driving and track events, I can admit that my ideal of what was possible with a single turbocharger on the NSX has completely changed. The power output of the car is extremely linear and easy to manage. I've driven many cars with other turbocharger systems in the same power output range and by far, nothing matches the smoothness of how the power is delivered with this specific turbocharger. We have a customer in California who now regularly tracks his NSX and his comments have been the same about how smooth the car is - much more than he was ever expecting. The car drives around on the street like a factory car – no oddities or offensive characteristics in driveability. Lay into the throttle and wow! Hang on!
If there is such a thing as a "magic horsepower number" - we believe that for most customer applications, this package which produces around 500 wheel horsepower and just under 400 wheel torque gives the best balance of the car for both street driving and track driving. Based on our testing, we also believe this number is the best for the car - keeping driveline and other component's durability within reason. While it is an apples to oranges comparison, this package produces more horsepower and about the same torque as today's performance benchmark - the C6 Z06.
Please see the dyno graphs below for more information. The dyno shows our prior testing at 14.5 PSI producing 308 wheel hp and 385 wheel torque.
We have installed this system on four cars in house and will be installing our fifth kit this month. Based on the refining we have done, the experience we now have to offer, and completion of the installation guide, we are now ready to offer this system with the detailed installation guide and the invaluable advice from hands on experience to customers who want to purchase the turbocharger system on it's own.
[aero/body]
The car definitely had to look the part, and I want to thank Downforce & Shine for supplying what I believe is the best setup for adding that performance look to the car with out taking away from the beautiful lines from the factory. We installed the Shine Type-One front spoiler and Downforce Stacy Ducted Side Skirts, Door Panels, 2002 DF-R Style Rear Valence, and NSX-R DF-R Style rear spoiler. These parts were provided quite some time ago as we began our relationship with Downforce and we knew right away that this was a company that took product quality very serious. Whenever I see this car, I see something that doesn't shout "aftermarket!" but a look that captivates, and slightly amplifies the understated beauty of the NSX. This extends from the body to the rest of the car. You can see in the engine bay shot alone that for the most part (other than the charge pipe in the engine bay) the car on the outside and in the engine back looks factory.
For more information on this NSX, please see this page:
http://www.scienceofspeed.com/revolutionized/ScienceofSpeed/NSX/Silver_Turbo/
We earnestly strive for balance in performance at ScienceofSpeed. Our goal is not to produce the wildest or highest horsepower NSX possible - but to produce the one that is most useable on the street and track. Our testing continues with work on continuing to push the factory cylinder block and the integration of a catalytic converter system into the turbocharger kit.
I’d like to especially thank Lovefab, Downforce, AEM and Wiseco for their continued support and collaboration of our R&D program for this car.
Please look forward to new updates on this and several other exciting projects that are wrapping up! If you have any questions on this, please don't hesitate to drop us a line.
Cheers,
-- Chris
still the most important thing for me in california lol... look forward to seeing your improvement on a great kit for a spectacular car!!
