THROWBACK ARTICLE to 2008:
The hybrid turbocharger, which rapidly became known as ‘The Ultimate Subaru Turbo‘, has been designed for use on Subaru Imprezas offering drivers low lag, high horsepower and maximum torque. The turbocharger specialists also designed the breakthrough turbo so it remains reliable under the most demanding conditions.
Now Turbo Dynamics, who have been quietly testing the turbocharger under a variety of specifications to make sure the units were performing reliably and to their high-performance expectations, have released Dyno Graphs with jaw-dropping figures to confirm the MD555’s place at the top of the market.
One of the people to buy and run with an MD555 is Justin (aka Jay) Rush who tested the turbo on his 2.3-litre JDM spec. engine. When the dust had settled and the map had been tweaked, Justin achieved a fantastic result of 463.6 BHP and 481 ft-lbs of torque. This result was achieved running the car on Shell V Power pump gas at 1.9 bar of boost. If these results weren’t enough, when running the car on V Power with a 10% methanol map, pushing to 7,300 RPM, Justin achieved 482.7 BHP with a “very nice 503 lbs” of torque on top.
Delighted with his car’s increase in horsepower, Justin said “We’re all really pleased with things… the car is definitely set up perfectly now and this is pretty much the limit for the engine turbo/setup etc. as it stands. – More could be gained with head camshaft work, which I may do in the future, but for the moment I’m just enjoying how well the car is performing. On the road in 5th & 6th gears, peak boost of 1.9 bar is achieved at less than 3500 rpm on the road. This is an excellent turbo for people looking for quick spool and power/torque in excess of 450 BHP and 450lbs/ft whilst retaining the stock position.“
These Dyno results backup the previous jaw-dropping figure of 570 BHP, when the MD555 was run on Shell V Power pump gas. Even more amazingly, the turbo achieved 618.5 BHP when the engine was mapped using race fuel by the tuner Subaru 4 You. The MD555 was also tested in Terry Buckel’s Time Attack car and better still, helped Terry to improve his race position by seven places the first time the car was raced in anger. Of Terry’s success with the MD555, Len at Subaru 4 You commented: “To say he is well happy is an understatement!“
Turbo Dynamics’ Sales and Technical Director, Craig Hodgson, said of the Dyno Graphs and MD555’s proven power “These Dyno figures are fantastic and have actually exceeded our expectations. The MD555 is producing brilliant results and we know there is even more to come! Our feedback has been very positive, which is great after all the work and creation time put in by Turbo Dynamics. We would like to thank Len at Subaru 4 You, Justin for being our guinea pig(!), Charlie at Surrey Rolling Road for his time and Simon at Jolly Green Monster who expertly mapped the engine.“
Not to rest on their laurels, Turbo Dynamics have also been busy continuing their development program of the MD555 and currently have two further variants of the unit being tested by world-renowned tuning companies.
Craig added, “Our customers should watch this space as we’ll have the results from the new variants shortly. We expect them to be equally as impressive as those achieved to-date. When the full results are in, the MD555’s range will be proven to be from 380 BHP to 570 BHP; meaning a variant of the MD555 will be available to suit all of our customers’ needs, depending on what performance output they require from their cars.“
A virtual drop-in replacement for Subaru Imprezas, on single-scroll turbo applications, the MD555 fits directly in place of the standard unit, only requiring simple plumbing changes, which are available from TD approved tuners.
The unit also comes with an optional ceramic coating at no extra cost to the end-user. Turbo Dynamics use Zircotec’s thermal barrier system, which enhances the performance of the turbocharger; increasing response by reducing thermal losses through the turbine housing. The thermal barrier system also helps to reduce under-bonnet temperatures, which are a common problem associated with high-performance turbocharger applications.
The MD555 turbine housing was designed using the latest CAD/CAM technology. While in development, the aerodynamics flow characteristics were redesigned to improve response and performance. The housing has been designed to incorporate two different internal volutes and four trim sizes of turbine wheels to match Turbo Dynamics’ customers’ exact requirements.
Turbo Dynamics have said they’re particularly proud that the MD555 turbine housing, which has been cast and machined in the UK, utilises all of this technology in conjunction with a foundry used by the main turbo manufacturers. The housing uses OE specification material with wastegate parts, which have been machined from solid billet material of a higher grade than standard.
The company has produced a product of the highest quality, which has now been tried and tested with outstanding results. Turbo Dynamics are selling the MD555 with the option of free ceramic coating. To order one of the revolutionary turbos phone TD now on tel. +44 (0)1202 487497 or email sales@turbodynamics.co.uk to find your nearest stockist/tuner. The team are also on-hand to answer any technical queries about the MD555.