GT Pro in Fullerton, CA (see panel) hosted this year's dyno event thanks to its four-wheel Dynojet 424X dynamometer. The company builds some of the country's most powerful imports, so is well-versed in getting the most out of an engine. However, they did allow the teams to run the dyno themselves if it was requested. And we should also thank the guys from 034Motorsport who stayed after their runs to help strap down the other competitors.
034's VR6 turbo held first...
034's VR6 turbo held first place for most of the morning with a deafening 645whp run
Waiting for us when we arrived at the dyno were 034, who were eager to run. They quickly strapped down their hybrid Audi A4 quattro VR6 turbo and started tapping away on the laptop that was plugged into the car's brain.
As they completed the first run, nobody was quite prepared for its sheer violence; its exhaust gases knocked over a giant fan that was placed besides the side-exit pipe, while the noise and vibration caused our video camera to go into spasm on each run.
The first pull netted approximately 596hp, which was more than we'd ever seen from a VR6. After spraying nitrous on to the intercooler and setting up the super-fans brought by Torque Factory to blow more air through the intercooler, the second run produced their best 645whp with 523 lb-ft. Satisfied with the results, they made room for Torque Factory.
Torque Factory S4 finished...
Torque Factory S4 finished third in the overall dyno standings
The Torque Factory S4 was actually AWE Tuning's entry from etGP06, which had made an impressive 512whp. With the car strapped down, they repeated last year's figure, then got 515whp, 512 lb-ft on the second attempt and decided to call it a day, satisfied with the results.
Up next was the EuroCode Tuning S4. This was the firm's first GP with the Audi V6 and were expecting good numbers. However, we had to wait while the dyno tech hunted for a good rpm signal for the dyno software. This was eventually resolved and the first run proved to be the best at 652whp, 570 lb-ft.
EuroCode S4 on its way to...
EuroCode S4 on its way to winning the AWD Dyno award with incredible 651whp
Despite spraying nitrous onto the intercooler, the engine was heat-soaked and lost 7hp on the second run, so EuroCode retired victorious. They were the dark horse of etGP07 and let everybody know they weren't here to play.
After Mini-Madness was strapped to the dyno, the car produced three runs within a few horsepower of each other, proving to be one of the most consistent performers. The best run produced 226whp, 181 lb-ft.
Following them was Fireballed! Racing with its hyperactive Mini turbo. The dyno techs were dubious about what it could achieve but changed their minds after the first run. Sadly, it didn't register any numbers because the car wasn't tied down securely enough.
Fireballed! Racing caused...
Fireballed! Racing caused the GT Pro dyno tech to resign when it hit 415whp!
Or more accurately, its ridiculous power caused it to move on the rollers. On its second run they recorded an absurd 415whp, 333 lb-ft and they retired satisfied.
Based on last year's numbers, this Mini would've been the most powerful FWD car at etGP06. However, this year there was more to come...
Next up was the Stasis Audi TT. To be honest, this car threw us a curve-ball. We were expecting some crazy-fast Audi S4, or perhaps something to rival last year's Lotus Elise turbo. But we weren't expecting a FWD TT with a best run or 287whp, 300 lb-ft. While it's a respectable number, it wouldn't be the most powerful 2.0T, so how could it hope to win the track events? Had Stasis miscalculated the opposition? Only time would tell...
ABD finished third in the...
ABD finished third in the FWD class with big-turbo 2.0T
The ABD Mk5 GTI was strapped to the dyno amid compliments about its incredible paint job. It came out of the box with 351whp, then hit 381whp, 310 lb-ft, before dropping to 364 with heat soak - no drama and respectable numbers.
The ABD GTI uses the VF-engineering conversion, so VF itself had created a special motor for the GP with lower compression to run more boost and an even bigger turbo.