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Japanese Tuner Adds What Most Think BRZ Needs: More Power

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Masinori Kuwahara, among the first people in the world to get their hands on the all-new HKS GT Supercharger Complete Kit (GTS7040L) specifically for the Subaru BRZ, and by extension, the Scion FR-S. Kuwahara-san is a parts retailer here in Japan, and he's also a friend and business partner of the HKS president. It helps to have friends in high places.

According to Kuwahara, the HKS unit is "a basic kit with high potential." He said installation on his personal BRZ was relatively easy and took about a day, with the only major structural modification revolving around shifting the radiator frame in order to properly mount the boost pipe. Once the supercharger was installed, the car was put on the dyno and some slight adjustments were made to the fuel and air flow as well as ignition timing. He saw a real, measured increase in power from 157 to 235 horsepower (in Japanese measurements) at the rear wheels, and all with a largely stock motor.

How high is high potential? Kuwahara believes that with a complete rebuild of the new FA20 2.0-liter boxer-four, it could push as much as 400 horsepower, but he's confident he could get it to 280 horsepower with new fuel injectors, an aftermarket exhaust system, and some valve reworking. Unlike rebuilding the engine, these modifications and power improvements would be reasonable enough for an advanced tuner to achieve. We've already seen as much at the recent 2012 SEMA show, where several Scion FR-S cars were fitted with superchargers. HKS partner Evasive showcased a prototype HKS unit on its SEMA Scion FR-S.

Kuwahara's already had the car out on the road (the HKS kit is production spec and fully street legal in Japan), and said its overall feel is "not much different than stock." Not surprising, the power surge comes on at higher RPMs, although it maintains a smooth feel at lower revs, where he's spent most of his time driving the car.

So while the HKS unit could help alleviate the BRZ's much-discussed lack of overall power, it doesn't come cheap. Kuwahara said it costs approximately $6000 (in Japan) for the supercharger alone, which doesn't include an upgraded ECU chip. Is it worth it? Kuwahara thinks so, but of course, he's cozy with the president of HKS, so take it with a slight pinch of salt. Unless you also have friends in high places you'll probably have to wait a bit to get your hands on one. It's a combination of an order backlog in Japan (no surprise there) and emission regulations that will require some correcting before HKS can legally import it for U.S. street use.

While not for everyone, the HKS application would make sense for the occasional racer looking to get a performance boost on race day, but it's also sedate enough for everyday driving. With the ease of installation and a roughly 75 horsepower performance bump with only slight tweaks, it's easy to see why the HKS Supercharger would make sense for owners desperate for more performance from their rear-drive sports coupe.5

http://www.motortrend.com/features/p.../#ixzz2DRUK37Q