na Exige supercharger upgrade
Discussion
Recently, I find myself being extremely tempted to go for an aftermarket supercharger upgrade to give me a little more oomph. A bit of research suggests that the Sinclaires Katana install would be a good option with significant power and torque increases and a proven track record.
Has anyone here had this upgrade and do you think it was worth it?
The car is primarily used on the road although tracking it in the future is a distinct possibility.
Has anyone here had this upgrade and do you think it was worth it?
The car is primarily used on the road although tracking it in the future is a distinct possibility.
Probably worth a post on www.seloc.org as there are plenty of people on there who have had the conversion done.
Friend of mine had it done and with a good manifold,sports cat,exhaust and map made around 260bhp.
Seems to have a good reliabilty record AFAIK
Friend of mine had it done and with a good manifold,sports cat,exhaust and map made around 260bhp.
Seems to have a good reliabilty record AFAIK
Having finally decided to take the plunge, yesterday I picked up my newly ‘Katana’d’ Exige from Sinclaire’s and thought I would share my initial thoughts. A massive thank you to all at Sinclaire’s for going that extra mile and working late to get it all finished.
Unfortunately, it was dark, it was raining hard and my route home was mostly the M25 so, there weren't many opportunities to enjoy the supercharger or see what it could do. In fact, only one opportunity arose on the way home to give it some beans but, one opportunity was more than enough to plant a massive grin firmly on my face!
The difference is huge, the noise is fantastic and the power delivery is worlds away from what I was used to. It is linear and it is pretty much instant - it feels like driving a completely different car...a much, much quicker car!
I have a nice long drive planned at the weekend so, will hopefully have more to report afterwards. First impressions though, are very very good indeed and so far the upgrade seems to have been worth every single penny
Unfortunately, it was dark, it was raining hard and my route home was mostly the M25 so, there weren't many opportunities to enjoy the supercharger or see what it could do. In fact, only one opportunity arose on the way home to give it some beans but, one opportunity was more than enough to plant a massive grin firmly on my face!
The difference is huge, the noise is fantastic and the power delivery is worlds away from what I was used to. It is linear and it is pretty much instant - it feels like driving a completely different car...a much, much quicker car!I have a nice long drive planned at the weekend so, will hopefully have more to report afterwards. First impressions though, are very very good indeed and so far the upgrade seems to have been worth every single penny
Speckle said:
21TonyK said:
What spec did you go for? Just charger and map or "everything"?
Went for the charger with induction kit and a bespoke map. Dyno'd at 222bhp at the wheels which is apparently 'a good one' - certainly felt good to me!Thanks
21TonyK said:
Speckle said:
21TonyK said:
What spec did you go for? Just charger and map or "everything"?
Went for the charger with induction kit and a bespoke map. Dyno'd at 222bhp at the wheels which is apparently 'a good one' - certainly felt good to me!Thanks
Are you considering an upgrade yourself?
I had the conversion done, but initially with the Std map.. The car was pinking on light load, so I had to get a custom map done.. I also had an oil leak from the dipstick o ring which has made the whole experience a bit of a nightmare, as I had to back to sincs a few times to get the car right. Mine was about 210 at the hubs I think.
From driving, it still retains a bit of the character of the NA car, in that the supercharger starts to come in at about 3500 rpm.. My cam change is at 5000 and it pulls well to 8200. I notice the difference most in mid range, especially in 4th gear. You do get used it it quite quickly though.. So beware... Interested in your driving thoughts too to compare to mine..
Jon
From driving, it still retains a bit of the character of the NA car, in that the supercharger starts to come in at about 3500 rpm.. My cam change is at 5000 and it pulls well to 8200. I notice the difference most in mid range, especially in 4th gear. You do get used it it quite quickly though.. So beware... Interested in your driving thoughts too to compare to mine..
Jon
Nice one.
Had my Katana for the last 30,000 miles/2 years. They normally come in between 210 and 225 depending on your setup (induction/manifold/cat/exhaust).
As soon as your belt begins to screach on a cold startup you need to change your supercharger belt (mine lasted about 20k miles). Other than that check your oil every few weeks as they tend to use a bit more.
Had my Katana for the last 30,000 miles/2 years. They normally come in between 210 and 225 depending on your setup (induction/manifold/cat/exhaust).
As soon as your belt begins to screach on a cold startup you need to change your supercharger belt (mine lasted about 20k miles). Other than that check your oil every few weeks as they tend to use a bit more.
Thanks for the tips Stevey, I'll bear them in mind.
I've now driven around 600 miles and have got a good feel for difference in power on a good variety of roads and, I can report that the grin on my face hasn't gotten any smaller
Overtaking is practically a formality now and the supercharger whine as you do is extremely addictive! I had an induction kit and sparco steering wheel fitted at the same time so the combination of the increased power, better noise and steering wheel feel made it feel like I was driving something altogether more expensive!!
I was concerned about losing a bit of the car's character by not having the mechanical 'clunk' of the cam change at 6200rpm. What I hadn't counted on was how much more I would prefer the car's new character - it is so much easier to drive 'enthusiastically'
I have absolutely no regrets and would recommend anyone with a n/a exige or 111R to give it some serious consideration if they hanker after a bit more oomph.
I am probably more excited about driving my car now than I was when I got my first Elise, or when I went from the Elise to the Exige in the first place. Feels like a brand new car and I couldn't be happier
I've now driven around 600 miles and have got a good feel for difference in power on a good variety of roads and, I can report that the grin on my face hasn't gotten any smaller
Overtaking is practically a formality now and the supercharger whine as you do is extremely addictive! I had an induction kit and sparco steering wheel fitted at the same time so the combination of the increased power, better noise and steering wheel feel made it feel like I was driving something altogether more expensive!!
I was concerned about losing a bit of the car's character by not having the mechanical 'clunk' of the cam change at 6200rpm. What I hadn't counted on was how much more I would prefer the car's new character - it is so much easier to drive 'enthusiastically'
I have absolutely no regrets and would recommend anyone with a n/a exige or 111R to give it some serious consideration if they hanker after a bit more oomph.
I am probably more excited about driving my car now than I was when I got my first Elise, or when I went from the Elise to the Exige in the first place. Feels like a brand new car and I couldn't be happier
Edited by Speckle on Tuesday 21st September 12:17
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