Ever wrung out your new Z06 Corvette and thought, It’s fast…but it could be faster? If you have, ProCharger’s got some new goodies that are right up your alley.
One of them is its 100-percent custom sheet metal intake manifold. All you have to do is unbolt your Z06’s stock blower and put this ProCharger piece in place. (You owners of LT1-powered C7s can also put this manifold on your engines.) It comes with “CNC billet intake runners and base plates and thick wall sheet metal built to withstand insane amounts of boost.” ProCharger thoughtfully packaged all of that engineering into a manifold that will allow you to keep your factory hood line.
Another one is ProCharger’s aircraft-grade billet aluminum centrifugal supercharger, available in various states of aggression. At the low end, there’s the P-1SC-1, which is capable of helping your LT4 generate 725 horsepower – at the wheels. The F-2 is at the top end and can get you to an engine output rating of 1,600 horsepower.
According to ProCharger, “With simply removing the factory blower [and adding a ProCharger], and leaving the 100% factory tuning (same timing, same fuel, same boost [roughly 10 psi]) we were rewarded with a gain of 115HP over stock! After testing at the stock boost level was complete, we upped the boost by just a few psi to 13psi, and were rewarded with 720rwhp! (827HP*) – while still running the factory timing, and pump fuel.” At that higher boost, peak torque goes up, too – by nearly 61 lb.-ft. Just imagine how much better a camshaft designed for centrifugal blowers would make things…
A third ProCharger add-on for the Z06’s V8 is the company’s air-to-air intercooler. These components have been tested in traffic, on the track, at the strip, and in the lab to make sure they’ll keep your engine’s temperature nice and low.
ProCharger hasn’t released pricing info for its reversible, plug-and-play setup, but expect it to be in the neighborhood of what the company charges for its regular C7 system (the intake will be a separate charge). You can also count on being able to pick the finish you want on a variety of parts, including the head unit, intake, and intake plate.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
