[1]Boosted performance is always a fun topic to bring up at shows like the SEMA Show [2]. There is such a large diversity of people at the show, that it is possible to really get a wide range of responses and input from all different markets.
[3]Typically, the responses vary from the diehard displacement guys who don’t want anything to do with boost to the young guys who grew up with imports and wouldn’t think about running anything that didn’t have a turbocharger on it. But, what is most interesting is that everyone seems willing to share their opinion. So, we figured we would head over to the BorgWarner [4] booth to see what is new and listen to some of the topics at hand.
Immediately upon arriving at the booth we couldn’t help but notice the Borg-Warner Indianapolis 500 trophy on display. Tony Kanaan [5] is the current Indy 500 winner and the 100th face on the trophy. BorgWarner had “TK” signing autographs Tuesday and Wednesday of the show. By the time we arrived, TK had already left and it was all about boosted performance with their two lines of turbochargers, AirWerks and EFR.
EFR (Engineered For Racing) is a clean sheet design approach that is 100 percent aftermarket. No OEM parts means no OEM application restrictions. This meant they were free to experiment with the latest and greatest technology like Gamma-Ti turbine wheels (roughly half the mass of a standard Inconel wheel), integrated BOV (Blow Off Valves), wastegated housings designed for gasoline engines (meaning larger wastegates than what is traditionally on a wastegated housing designed for a diesel), dual ceramic ball bearings, water-cooled center sections and a wide range of units designed to support anything from 225 horsepower up to 1000 per turbocharger.
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On the AirWerks side of the booth, it was all about brute strength with the line of proven, durable and cost effective solutions. The AirWerks line of chargers ranges from 120 to 1650 horsepower per turbocharger. This line of proven chargers are still getting some “line love” upgrades. The S400 line just received a new compressor design featuring a dual discharge connection (V-band clamp and hose clamp in one cover) as well as a compressor wheel speed port already machined into the compressor cover.
With more innovations coming, stay tuned as BorgWarner continues to push boosting to the next level.