There's nothing like the sound of the first dyno pull in the morning, with angry turbos screaming for more air. And it always appears just when the mob is busiest, surrounding our lovely girlfriend, trying to snap pictures or get a phone number. The dyno battle was on.
It seems like year after year our contenders are realizing that dyno horsepower bragging rights aren't necessarily what wins the USCC, or makes for a fast car. Last year, seven of the 10 cars put down over 500 to the wheels, compared to this year's two, and it's been two years since anyone broke the 600whp mark. Yet the cars are getting faster on the track and at the strip.
The venerable RB-powered GT-R still reigned supreme when it came to peak power, despite the popular claim that the engine is now defunct when compared to Nissan's new V-6 blocks. Joe Rigonan's R32 GT-R proved the point by edging out Cheston Chiu's built and twin-turbocharged 350Z by a mere 8 whp. Both cars ran on conservatively sized turbos. The eagerly awaited R35 GT-R managed to only eek out 443 horses, even with its Cobb AccessPort ECU reflash. According to the K&N dyno staff, this is similar to what other stock USDM GT-Rs have put down, despite the constant error codes that this R35 kept spitting out. We think that there's a lot more real power to be seen on the road versus the dyno, based on the temperamental behavior and the 120mph trap speeds we later saw at the dragstrip. That's the second fastest trap speed we've ever recorded.
On the flip side, Mitsubishi's new Evo X engine, the 4B11T/C, showed its brawn against the venerable iron block 4G63. Even with its increased displacement, the stroked 2.3-Liter powered Evo VIII still posted 7 whp less than the AMS Evo X.
Much anticipation surrounded the E85-powered Mazda3, built by drag race legends the Bergenholtz brothers. This is the first time that anyone in the USCC has ran the dyno with an alternative fuel, much less dual fuel capabilities. Armed with a built 2.3-Liter MZR motor, Cosworth hardware, and a top secret spec Garrett turbo, the Mazda nearly cleared the 400whp mark while keeping the car streetable in terms of power delivery. The higher knock threshold of the ethanol mix gas allowed for more aggressive ignition timing, more boost, and much lower charge temperatures.
Also in the sub-400 club was my personal favorite, the big turbo, STi-powered Renner Motorsport Subaru Impreza L. We had hoped for more, but the 100-degree day, limited airflow, and slipping six-puck metallic clutch capped the car's true power potential. The Renner boys finally managed a clean, slip-free run in Third gear, which limited the load on the turbo and brought down the total power.
Just 3 hp shy of the Impreza were the BMW boys from Groma Fabrication. The Rotrex supercharged and nitrous fed 325i mashed out a healthy 377 whp and, more importantly, over 440 lb-ft of torque. There should have been more too, except that they didn't bother tuning the car past 5,000 rpm and, even then, it still ran filthy rich. A bigger shot of nitrous would have helped to compensate for all that extra fuel. Just as the car started to really pick up on the dyno, the nitrous shot stopped and the power bogged, making for an interesting double-humped dyno graph.