This car is my daily driver, and with gas prices what they are tody, I am very happy that this car can get over 30mpg while still driving spirited!
Steve's Factory/Dealer Vehicle Options:
Power Group Value Package, [includes (AU3) Door locks, power, (AU0) Keyless entry, remote, (A31) Windows, power and (K34) Cruise control]
Premium Monotone Appearance Package, [includes body-colored lower cladding, front and rear fascias, door handles and rear lift gate trim]
Protection Package, [includes (AJ7) Air bags, seat mounted side-impact, driver and right front passenger and (UA6) Theft-deterrent alarm system]
Cargo box, rear (SPO-supplied, dealer installed)
Cargo convenience nets, rear, 2 (SPO-supplied, dealer installed)
Storage, seatback with first aid kit (SPO-supplied, dealer installed)
Sound system, ETR AM/FM stereo with DVD-based navigation system, includes 6-disc remote-mounted changer, programmable equalizer, Radio Data System and 6-speakers
Lo-Jack
Paint sealant
Scotchguard interior
Steve's Performance Modifications:
K&N Typhoon Short Ram intake (red anodized)
Magnaflow stainless steel cat-back exhaust system
Mobil One 5w30 synthetic oil
Net results: 172.33hp / 124.57ft/lbs torque to the wheels
Steve's Suspension Modifications:
Hotchkis Performance front and rear anti sway bars
Hotchkis Performance upper strut tower brace with adjustable camber plates (red anodized caps)
Hotchkis Performance lowering springs
Steve's Tire/Wheel Modifications:
TSW Volcano 19"x 8" 5-spoke wheels with hyper-black centers
Bridgestone S-03 245/35ZR19 tires
Steve's Interior Modifications:
Titanium-metallic medium window tint (65%)
No other interior mods at this time
Steve's Exterior Modifications:
Pontiac factory gfx kit with both rear spoilers
Advanced Composite Specialties hood with functional dual snorkel inlets for K&N short ram intake
Star Armor Shield clear bra
This was a project car from Pontiac (one of those $1 cars--where I get the car for a year, dress it up with involving aftermarket parts, getting editorial in several magazines and websites, show it at SEMA, then I give Pontiac $1 and they give me the pink slip!)
We tested the car both before-and-after on the horsepower increase with the Magnaflow exhaust and K&N short ram intake, and also did before -and-after slalom and skid-pad runs with the Hotchkis suspension and tire/wheel package as well.
Before-and-After dyno testing at K&N's facility
With the help of the K&N tech crew, they installed the Typhoon� Air Intake System while still on the dyno, and then made several 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gear runs, and took the average of each to get our new horsepower numbers. Here are the K&N results:
2nd Gear:
Stock = 154.02-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N = 163.54-hp @ 7600rpm (9.52-hp increase)
Stock = 111.03-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / K&N = 118.19-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (7.16-ft/lbs increase)
3rd Gear
Stock = 154.31-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N = 165.18-hp @ 7600rpm (10.87-hp increase)
Stock = 114.10-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / K&N = 121.60-ft/lbs of torque @7000rpm (7.5-ft/lbs increase)
4th Gear
Stock = 151.70-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N = 163.53-hp @ 7600rpm (11.83-hp increase)
Stock = 112.43-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / K&N = 119.05-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (6.62-ft/lbs increase)
The Magnaflow cat-back stainless steel exhaust--getting installed at Magnaflow's facility.
Typically, a high performance exhaust system should increase the horsepower about 8-to-10% as well (about the same increase that the K&N got), and Magnaflow�s dyno testing backs that up. But, if you have one product that claims a 10% increase, and you add another product that claims a 10% increase, most of the time you do not get the full 20% increase. To be fair to both companies here, if we had the time to do separate dyno runs on each piece of equipment independently, we probably would have seen the same increase in horsepower from the Magnaflow exhaust with a stock air intake, as we did with the K&N intake and the stock exhaust. With that in mind, we did not expect to double our horsepower increase from the K&N numbers (see blue line on dyno charts), but here are the Magnaflow results:
2nd Gear
K&N = 163.54-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 167.07-hp @ 7600rpm (3.53-hp increase)
K&N = 118.19-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 118.82-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (0.63-ft/lbs increase)
3rd Gear
K&N = 165.18-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 172.33-hp @ 7600rpm (7.15-hp increase)
K&N = 121.60-ft/lbs of torque @7000rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 124.57-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (2.97-ft/lbs increase)
4th Gear
K&N = 163.53-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 171.23-hp @ 7600rpm (7.70-hp increase)
K&N = 119.05-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 124.94-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (5.89-ft/lbs increase)
To put this more in perspective, we�ll compare the stock results to both systems installed:
2nd Gear
Stock = 154.02-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 167.07-hp @ 7600rpm (13.05-hp increase)
Stock = 111.03-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 118.82-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (7.79-ft/lbs increase)
3rd Gear
Stock = 154.31-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 172.33-hp @ 7600rpm (18.02-hp increase)
Stock = 114.10-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 124.57-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (10.47-ft/lbs increase)
4th Gear
Stock = 151.70-hp @ 7600rpm / K&N + Magnaflow = 171.23-hp @ 7600rpm (19.53-hp increase)
Stock = 112.43-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm / &N + Magnaflow = 124.94-ft/lbs of torque @ 7000rpm (12.51-ft/lbs increase)
Hotchkis front & rear sway bars.
Hotchkis lowering springs.
Hotchkis upper strut brace.
Then everything was installed at Hotchkis's facility.
Then we're off to California's Raceway out in the parking lot to do our before-and-after 500ft skid-pad and 600ft slalom test with these results:
Stock w/ stock Tires
Slalom Peak = 66.4 Ave = 65.76
Skid pad Peak = 0.81 Ave = 0.79
Stock w/ 19" Tires
Slalom Peak = 65.69 Ave = 65.07
Skid pad Peak = 0.833 Ave = 0.82
Hotchkis Suspension w/ Stock Tires
Slalom Peak = 68.81 Ave = 67.47
Skid pad Peak = 0.849 Ave = 0.84
Hotchkis Suspension w/ 19" Tires
Slalom Peak = 71.92 Ave = 70.80
Skid pad Peak = 0.858 Ave = 0.85
To give you some reference on the above numbers, here are some other vehicles that Hotchkis has worked their suspension magic on in the 600ft. slalom:
`95 Mustang�stock = 64.2 mph / Hotchkis = 67.5mph.
`03 Mini Cooper---stock = 66.9 mph / Hotchkis = 69.8mph.
`03 Subaru WRX---stock = 62.5mph / Hotchkis = 67.8 mph.
`03 Acura RSX---stock = 66.4 mph / Hotchkis = 69.7 mph.
`03 Audi A6---stock = 62.5 mph / Hotchkis = 67.8 mph.
