GM Vehicles To Feature Wireless Cell Phone Chargers
Recommended Reading: GM Partners with Powermat to Offer Wireless Charging in Chevy Volt, Other Cars
Last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) saw the debut of a number of new vehicle electronics systems. Hyundai announced BlueLink, Toyota announced Entune, and GM had two announcements: first, they’re going to start selling OnStar systems at BestBuy. Next, they’re going to start adding wireless charging pads to new GM vehicles (including, pardon the pun, the new Volt).
While it’s great to see GM thinking about integrating cell phones into vehicles, here are two questions: Read more
Dynomax Sponsors 2011 King of The Hammers Race
Recommended Reading: DynoMax® Sponsors 2011 King Of The Hammers Desert Racing Series
Rock crawling – which is commonly known as “driving a vehicle over things that no one thought possible” – is one of the most hard-core automotive endeavors. Desert racing – which is commonly known as “if we break down out here we just might die” – is also one of the most hard-core automotive endeavors. King of the Hammers is a racing event that combines the two – here’s what you need to know: Read more
EFR Turbos from BorgWarner TurboSystems
BorgWarner might be more known in some circles for their gearboxes than their turbo applications, but the company’s excellence in engineering has also seen them produce some interesting power adders. The company has long manufactured OEM turbochargers for companies such as Porsche, Audi and BMW, and they have also been an important part of past racing championship teams, giving the brand a distinguished history in both the street and track driving realms.
EFR Line
A pair of EFR turbochargers.
The latest state of the art turbocharger offerings from BorgWarner are the EFR line, which were introduced this past fall. Read more
Two New Exhaust Questions Answered This Week
Because of the holidays, we’re not going to post much on the blog this week. However, you should definitely check out two new Common Questions articles we’ve written:
1. How does an exhaust system work?
Both of these articles answer some basic questions and have some information that both beginners and experts will enjoy.
Happy holidays!
New MBRP Cat-Back Exhaust for 01′-05′ Duramax
MBRP has announced a new single, side exit cat-back exhaust system for 2001-2005 Chevy and GMC Duramax trucks. The new system is part of the MBRP Performance Series, which offers big sound and performance without a big price.
MBRP uses aluminized steel for their Performance Series instead of stainless steel to save money. While stainless is always a good choice, it’s not always necessary. Stainless systems last a long time, but what if you’re buying a replacement exhaust system for an older vehicle? There’s not much point in buying a top-quality exhaust for a vehicle that’s on the downhill side of life.
Stainless systems are very corrosion resistant, but what if you live in a dry, rust-free climate? There’s not much benefit in that situation. You can learn more by reading our stainless vs. aluminized steel comparison.
MBRP’s new system for 2001-2005 Duramax features: Read more
NEW – Corsa Axle-Back Exhaust for 2011 Ford Shelby GT500
Recommended Reading: Corsa Introduces Performance Exhaust System for 2011 Ford Shelby GT500
The 2011 Mustang Shelby GT500 is a beast. 550 horsepower and 510 ft-lbs of torque for as little as $50k…not too shabby all things considered. While Car and Driver’s review of the GT500 is critical of the Shelby’s understeer and rear live axle (more on that in a second), it seems generally positive. After all, what’s not to love about a 550 horsepower Mustang? Unless you’re staunchly anti-Ford, the answer is…I think I can build a better Mustang for $50k.
Take a stock 2011 GT Mustang for $30,500k, and then: Read more
New Corsa dB Performance Cat-Back Exhaust System for 2007-2010 Chevy Trucks
Recommended Reading: dB Performance Exhaust Systems for 2007-2010 Silverado and Sierra 2500HD Trucks
If you’ve never heard of dB Performance exhaust, that makes two of us. Despite being owned by Corsa – one of the bigger names in after-market exhaust – I’d never heard of dB Performance until today. As far as I can tell, they’re a new division of Corsa that was created in 2009 (at least that’s when the domain name was registered).
dB targets Ford, Dodge (aka Ram), GM, and Jeeps, as well as diesel trucks. dB’s mission: “to develop systems that allow you to enjoy the look and big sound of your truck.” They list off a few of their system features, including: Read more
CarLashes…Seriously? WTF?
Hopefully, this is *NOT* America's next must-have auto accessory.
They’re called “carlashes,” people, and they suck.
Or maybe not. If you’re into making your car look cute and cuddly-wuddly wike a wittle person, these may be the coolest accessory you’ve ever seen. Right up there with bumper stickers that have lots of flowers on them or that goofy and ridiculous “flower holder” found in every VW Bug made since 1998. Read more
New 2011 Mustang GT Headers From Bassani
Recommended Reading: 2011 Mustang GT Headers
Headers are one of the most important components in your exhaust system. If you have a boring, run-of-the-mill set of exhaust manifolds on your car, going with a set of after-market headers can boost power. This is because:
- Headers are designed to increase cylinder “scavenging,” boosting combustion efficiency and therefore power.
- Headers are often less restrictive than stock exhaust manifolds.
- Headers eliminate or reduce the possibility of exhaust gases from one cylinder polluting another
HOWEVER, after-market headers can also impact your torque curve. Read more
Torque Converters Explained: High Stall is a GOOD Thing
Recommended Reading: Torque Converter Selection – CHP How It Works
Do you know what a torque converter is? If you have an automatic transmission and you’re looking for more performance, you should. Chevy High Performance magazine has a great article about torque converters that beginners and non-beginners will find interesting.
Nice diagram of torque converter from Banks - click to see the original image
First, what’s a torque converter? Read more
