*Now Available!* OEM Turbo Upgrade!

[32spoke]

There is a very small increase in lag with the larger wheels (both compressor and turbine), but it’s subtle enough that most drivers won’t notice it unless they’re specifically trying to evaluate it. In normal or casual driving, the response is effectively indistinguishable from the OE turbo.

Overall responsiveness was a key requirement for this project. When we partnered with TurboKits.com on development, I made it clear that maintaining near-stock transient response was non-negotiable for this particular configuration. TurboKits.com is fully capable of producing more aggressive/higher output, higher-lag combinations, but this setup was intentionally designed to suit the majority of owners who want a meaningful step up in performance without sacrificing drivability.

Regarding CARB EO compliance, that would ultimately be a question for TurboKits.com, as this is their product. That said, the unit uses the factory OE housings, so it remains visually identical to the stock turbocharger.

Thank you for your reply. So likely that just a slight change in driving habits would make the upgrade but with a touch of lag unnoticeable! Will your software be CARB legal with the Stock engine components? Likely not with this turbo upgrade… unless.. as you wrote, this turbo upgrade manufacturer decides to throw some money down for the EO

Sponsored

 

[32spoke]

great chart! Thank you.. I know of a guy that has made models to the OE software on some vehicles, and the software doesn’t get picked up as aftermarket.. legal, no… but also not noticed by the smog tech.
you are in the industry, I assume? If so, we gotta catch a beer sometime.

Original turbo + aftermarket intercooler (and not tuned) = pass smog

Aftermarket intercooler and turbo = fail

and if you're tuned you'll fail immediately anyways

Intakes always need carb eo, charge pipes don't, turbo inlets don't

CARB says "hoses" will pass but if the tech sees a silicone hose with an aftermarket logo on it you're getting failed lol which is probably why COBB went out of their way to get EOs on their turbo inlets and intercooler couplers and charge pipes

 

[izzy]

great chart! Thank you.. I know of a guy that has made models to the OE software on some vehicles, and the software doesn’t get picked up as aftermarket.. legal, no… but also not noticed by the smog tech.
you are in the industry, I assume? If so, we gotta catch a beer sometime.

Not in the industry just have owned a few WRXs so I know too much about this stuff

The Subaru community has gone through this same scenario a thousand times over and what you can and can't get away with has been well defined.

Also what is worthwhile and not worthwhile upgrading too.

I'm surprised these guys are pushing a turbo kit without a downpipe being available first.

A downpipe and tune would get you more power in the same RPM range as stock vs a turbo. Turbo is gonna move your power up the RPMs, no way around that.

If you wanna get around CA smog, unbolting the downpipe and reflashing your Accessport to stock every 2 years is what the Subaru guys do for decent gains without having to tear the car completely apart every other year.

If you get pulled over and your hood popped with aftermarket non EO parts (prior to a vehicles first smog 8 years) you'll definitely get reffed which gets complicated and expensive lol

I would not drive around with the accessport on your dash. CHP is not stupid. You'll also need to flash back to stock, unless the tune is EO it'll be detected during smog.

OTT is developing a DP

Intake, intercooler and charge pipe I would all pass on. DP+tune has historically been proven enough to get decent gains.

Or honestly, just a tune, and every 2 years reflash the truck to stock.

 

[JustDSM]

what aftermarket parts is all required for the stage 3 tune? i can’t imagine it’s just the upgraded turbo. Intercooler, downpipe, exhaust?

Any dyno results with the stage 3 tune? And what’s the costs for someone that already has the DIY stage 1 tune?

Great question.


There’s a bit of nuance to the answer, because the aftermarket ecosystem for this platform is still in a formative stage. Customers are exploring what’s possible, manufacturers are gauging demand before committing to production-level components, and tuners—ourselves included—are developing solutions with the parts currently available while also prototyping pieces to validate what the engine truly needs.

Right now, several components in development from various manufacturers will play an important role in fully unlocking this motor’s potential. One of the most critical is the throttle body elbow we’ve highlighted previously. It represents a substantial restriction in the intake tract and significantly limits high-RPM airflow. As of today, no one has produced a functional, production-ready replacement that eliminates this choke point.

Circling back to your main question about requirements:
At a minimum, we strongly recommend an upgraded intercooler. We’ve logged extensive time on what we consider the “bare-bones” setup, and an intercooler is essential for maintaining consistent performance and acceptable charge temps.

We’ve also confirmed that an upgraded intake is beneficial at the airflow levels this turbo can support. On the exhaust side, our prototype downpipe and cat-back have also shown measurable gains. However, I wouldn’t categorise those components as strictly required to run this turbo.

As a baseline reference, installing this turbo on an otherwise stock truck with a conservative 91-octane calibration will reliably deliver around 350 whp / 400 wtq on our DynoJet.

We do have dyno data for multiple hardware combinations tested during development, but we’re withholding those final figures until the supporting aftermarket components we consider essential are available. That way, we can offer a complete, well-rounded turnkey package—and provide custom options for individual builds as needed. For now, we’re calibrating these setups on a case-by-case basis depending on your specific configuration.

 

[32spoke]

I used to sell parts to LIC Motorsports, they were right down the street from my store in Novato! Noah would curse me when I had him install bilsteins on my S5. I used to own a 87 Buick Grand National, and yes… down pipe to allow the engine to breath.

Not in the industry just have owned a few WRXs so I know too much about this stuff

The Subaru community has gone through this same scenario a thousand times over and what you can and can't get away with has been well defined.

Also what is worthwhile and not worthwhile upgrading too.

I'm surprised these guys are pushing a turbo kit without a downpipe being available first.

A downpipe and tune would get you more power in the same RPM range as stock vs a turbo. Turbo is gonna move your power up the RPMs, no way around that.

If you wanna get around CA smog, unbolting the downpipe and reflashing your Accessport to stock every 2 years is what the Subaru guys do for decent gains without having to tear the car completely apart every other year.

If you get pulled over and your hood popped with aftermarket non EO parts (prior to a vehicles first smog 8 years) you'll definitely get reffed which gets complicated and expensive lol


I would not drive around with the accessport on your dash. CHP is not stupid. You'll also need to flash back to stock, unless the tune is EO it'll be detected during smog.

OTT is developing a DP

Intake, intercooler and charge pipe I would all pass on. DP+tune has historically been proven enough to get decent gains.

 

[JustDSM]

Thank you for your reply. So likely that just a slight change in driving habits would make the upgrade but with a touch of lag unnoticeable! Will your software be CARB legal with the Stock engine components? Likely not with this turbo upgrade… unless.. as you wrote, this turbo upgrade manufacturer decides to throw some money down for the EO

Honestly, you don’t need to adjust your driving habits at all. The difference in response is very small. If anything, I’m probably highlighting it more than most would, simply because I don’t want to mislead anyone. Even with the engine still “choked up” by the stock intake, filter, downpipe, and cat-back, the truck remains—for all practical purposes—just as responsive as it is with the OE turbo. It doesn’t lose its quick-spooling character or the strong low-end torque you feel during part-throttle driving, even in the most restrictive configuration.

Since there’s been some discussion around it: the downpipe on this platform isn’t the bottleneck that some assume, especially those coming from the Subaru world (and yes, we are developing one). It matters, but at the power levels being explored today, it’s not a major choke point.

As for emissions, we are in the process of obtaining a CARB EO for our Stage 1 calibration options with stock hardware.

And if the market shows meaningful demand for an upgraded-turbo calibration package, we will absolutely pursue EO certification for that as well.

 

[32spoke]

Honestly, you don’t need to adjust your driving habits at all. The difference in response is very small. If anything, I’m probably highlighting it more than most would, simply because I don’t want to mislead anyone. Even with the engine still “choked up” by the stock intake, filter, downpipe, and cat-back, the truck remains—for all practical purposes—just as responsive as it is with the OE turbo. It doesn’t lose its quick-spooling character or the strong low-end torque you feel during part-throttle driving, even in the most restrictive configuration.

Since there’s been some discussion around it: the downpipe on this platform isn’t the bottleneck that some assume, especially those coming from the Subaru world (and yes, we are developing one). It matters, but at the power levels being explored today, it’s not a major choke point.

As for emissions, we are in the process of obtaining a CARB EO for our Stage 1 calibration options with stock hardware.

And if the market shows meaningful demand for an upgraded-turbo calibration package, we will absolutely pursue EO certification for that as well.

Thank you for your candor! When the EO, happens.. I will order

Sponsored