Turbocharging - EFR vs GTX
Honeywell have enjoyed total domination in the performance turbo arena with their Garrett GT ball bearing range of units and have recently released their new GTX range with further performance gains. Now Borg Warner rock the turbocharging world by responding with their EFR Series.
EFR stands for ‘Engineered for Racing’. Borg Warner proudly boast that these turbochargers are a breakthrough in durability, responsiveness and installer/user satisfaction.
Borg Warner are celebrated for their lead in the commercial turbocharging field, with their standards among the highest in the engine boosting industry. Their commercial turbochargers are designed for resistance to abusive thrust loads, the ability to cope with high vibrations, for their durability and reliability, and aerodynamic performance. As a major turbocharger supplier to the O.E.M., it was only natural for them to introduce their EFR turbos into the tuning and performance aftermarket.
It’s the aerodynamic development that produces the big power production which is beneficial to the performance enthusiast/racer. With the commercial turbochargers, boost pressures of 45-50psi (3bar) are commonplace. Borg Warner then looked carefully at the requirements of the performance car enthusiast and racers. Among these requirements were: lighter weight, compact, versatile, high exhaust gas temps, fast response, cosmetic appearance, features to aid installation and to do away with the necessity for turbo related accessories.
Borg Warner then got to work, starting with a clean sheet of paper, no pre conceived ideas, no restrictions. A table of every notable design characteristics for an engine boosting device was drawn up, giving special attention to new ideas never formed before in metal. The turbo had to be capable of high boost levels, huge airflow, extreme durability, of fitting a variety of different engines, cylinder configurations and manifolds, to come in twin or single scroll, have an easily converted outlet, house an integrated shaft speed sensor, have the capability of between 250 and 1000HP, improved driveability, quick response at low boost levels and low engine speeds and fast spool up times.
The result was groundbreaking – a reinvention of the modern turbocharger. An optimally matched, super efficient turbocharger suited to high-power engines. As standard the turbocharger parts incorporate Gamma-Ti turbine wheels, dual ceramic ball bearing cartridges and investment cast stainless steel turbine housings, a combination that has created a revolution in aftermarket turbo technology.
Borg Warner's New EFR Performance Turbochargers
This exciting new turbo technology from BorgWarner is set to be hitting be the performance aftermarket very soon - the EFR turbo is already expected to be the hottest performance product for 2011...
The EFR line of turbos was born out of an internal BorgWarner Turbo Systems program labeled Advanced Aftermarket Products or AAP. The program was engineered by a cross-functional team that began with the proverbial clean-sheet of paper. No legacy products, no preconceived notions of what a turbo could or could not have; no restrictions. The aerodynamics for the product line were selected using a range of optimized combinations that would give users turbo solutions anywhere between 250 and 1000 horsepower capability per turbo. Next, a list of every notable design characteristic for an engine boosting device was tabled. Specific interest was given to new ideas that had never been formed in metal or had never been combined into an aftermarket turbo.
The result is the new EFR (Engineered for Racing) line of turbos from BorgWarner. These turbos contain a bevy of key attributes such as Gamma Ti turbine wheels, dual ceramic ball bearing cartridges and investment cast stainless steel turbine housings. Collectively, those features help give the EFR line its innovative appeal and will provide a breakthrough experience in durability, device responsiveness and installer/user satisfaction.
Turbo guru's Turbo Dynamics now have the exciting opportunity to supply these new turbo's and to develop them further for fast road and race.
For more information, visit turbodynamics.co.uk.
