Subaru has the trademark bonnet scoop. the car is instantly recognisable with it, and let face it without it, would not be the same. However, I work on cooling system and this design is very inefficient. Do you think in the future they will work on a better front mounted cooler and get rid of the scoop?

 

Most people seem to think the design is very effiecient, considering it's location. A Scoob can make over 400bhp on the standard TMIC, which surely proves how efficient the overall setup is.

The design is chosen because of its compactness with regards to packaging. The engine can be assembled in a complete state and fitted straight into the car, this would be harder to do wth an FMIC setup.

Granted, a TMIC setup is never going to be as good as a FMIC one, but I feel it may be here for some while yet.

 

As MrRA really, all things considered the later TMIC's do seem to be capable of handling quite a bit more power than originally designed for. They have manufacturing advantages (therefore cheaper car to buy) and also very short pipework, which equates to good turbo spooling characteristics..

TBH, the only reason I can see subaru changing to a FMIC is due to increasingly tighter pedestrian safety regulations..!

 

I agree about the packaging issue and think that subaru engineers at that time could see this as there only alternative. Front end drive being where it is with little space. Who would have thought that the top scoop would have become such a status symbol of car?

The very same top mounted cooler, mounted at the front of the car would give approx 30% more cooling capability. As you say it's ok for 400bhp but that figure could be achieved far easier with the placement of the intercooler alone.

Just wondering from a performance perspective wether they would change this in the future. Keep the scoop just for show from a marketing perspective.

 

I just think the engine bay looks so much better with a top mount, FMIC gives the engine bay the look of an EVO. YUK

 

It's scoobys trademark now so they can't get away from it. But the lancer is pushing 30% more colder air into the inlet manifold. That's too much for so called competition?

 

If all cars keep getting bigger to meet crash test regulations, more room at the front would allow the turbo to be fitted next to the FMIC and a short inlet to a reversed manifold....
Sadly if manufacturers are allowed to build "Group B" rally cars and not real cars based on product then there is no reason to spec it so highly.

IMHO

DunxC

 

People get too hung up on front mounts..

The maths might make sense, but from a driving perspective you have to have silly power for it to make a real difference IMO.

 

^^^

Yes, but the fact that you can achieve colder charge temps with a front mount means you can whack the boost up a bit without overly increasing charge temps to the point of pre ignition and det hence produce more power.

Evo owners can quite happily crank boost up to 1.65bar + on standard internals, how many Impreza owners can say the same?

 

Mine really dropped the power after about 20 minutes of "spirited" driving in high ambient temperatures, it doesn't now, but there is the issue of lag.....

DunxC

 

And presumably lag in all temperatures, against the fairly rare issue in our climate of high ambient temps.

In a way I can understand why people do it - but personally, I don't think the pay-offs are good enough to have to deal with the increased lag.