AMSPerformance.com

AMS tunes the new Mercedes 5.5 biturbo engine

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:14:54 +0000

Not long ago the shop picked up a new 2012 Mercedes E63 AMG 5.5 biturbo development car. Over the past couple of months Mitch and Chris (AMS Tuners) have been working inside our new European Tuning division of AMS called Archetype tuning

Using our in house software they were able to remap our E63 and pick up some ridiculous power.

225 ft lbs of torque over stock and 155 more whp in the mid-range…. all from JUST a custom AMS /Archetype tune.

Next up is a slew of hardware upgrades including the turbos.

AMS Alpha 12 GT-R: 9.61@149mph R35 Pump Gas Record

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:34:10 +0000

Friday May 4th 2012

We had the opportunity to take one of our ALPHA 12 GT-R's to the track for some testing. This particular ALPHA 12 had just come home from a very in depth media trip to California. In fact it still had its 91 octane tune loaded in. Our tuners Chris and Mitch along with special projects technician and driver Ivan Phipps drove 76 miles to Great Lakes Dragway in neighboring Wisconsin. After multiple 9 second passes by Chris Black, the keys were tossed to Ivan where he blasted off a 9.61@149mph. What makes this pass so impressive is that it was done on the lowest power setting available for the ALPHA 12 on its 91 octane map (for Calfornia Emissions.

Motor Trend Review: Going Plaid in AMS Performance’s 1100-Horsepower Nissan GT-R Alpha 12

admin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:36:33 +0000

“WOW. I don’t think I’ve EVER hit triple digit speeds that quickly,” began my post-drive e-mail to Martin Musial, president and founder of AMS Performance. It wasn’t necessary to include some of the profane superlatives I shouted while at the helm of his Nissan GT-R Alpha 12 a half-hour earlier. He’d ridden shotgun.

“We all do the same thing during and after every run,” he said after my first five-second throttle-smash. By the end of the sprint we’d passed the 120-mph mark, and there were still three gears left to go.

Despite its modest, nearly bone-stock looks, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill Nissan GT-R built off the automaker’s Tochigi production line. I’d call it an evil American-ized twin designed to shock your senses with its awesome performance. It’s a Godzilla doped up on a high-octane cocktail of HGH, steroids, and every other performance-enhancing drug you can imagine. It’s one bad mutha capable of more than Ridiculous (or Ludicrous) Speed. Yes, in five seconds, I went Plaid.

Its creator isn’t your run-of-the-mill tuner, either. Chicago-based AMS Performance began its business by crafting the high-horsepower Merkur XR4TI. Yes, Merkurs. Eventually, Martin (a mechanical engineer by trade) grew interested in Mitsubishis, particularly the Galant VR4, then the Eclipse, and eventually, the Evolution platform.

Come 2008, Martin and his team focused time and resources on modifying the all-new Nissan GT-R. (They also service and modify everything from Hyundais to Porsches.) Nowadays, the team of 30-plus people engineer, prototype, and fabricate as many components as possible in their 18,000-square-foot headquarters in order to ensure their quality.

Back to the Nissan. AMS offers four Alpha power packages for the GT-R: 6, 9, 10, and 12. Multiply each number by 100 and you’ll get the approximate power output of the completed car. I say approximate because each car and the fuel they’ll drink (read: chug) is unique; cars are tailored in terms of tune and extremeness to what an owner wants.

Before any production package could be put on the street, AMS gutted the carefully installed powertrain and looked for any inherent weaknesses. Engineers scanned the entire VR38DETT engine and its bay using SolidWorks 3D CAD, then produced a precisely fitted prototype turbo kit. Then they performed numerous stress tests on the engine with the kit installed, specifically focusing their attention on the sand-casted block.

“We discovered that 1000 lb-ft of torque rips the block in half,” Musial revealed.

So they included a long list of reinforced internal parts — most of them custom made — to the Alpha 12 getup.

“All said and done, we probably went through 5 or 6 motors — or around $70 grand worth — to figure out that threshold and to improve upon it,” said AMS sales chief Eric Gaudi.

The finalized balanced and blueprinted engine is a piece of tuner art. It has a 4.0-liter displacement and is topped with an AMS CNC race ported cylinder head using Ferrea components and bespoke camshafts, among a mile-long list of parts. The turbo kit includes all the usual upgrades: bigger turbos, front-mount intercooler, revised air filters, induction kit, and blow-off valves. There’s a full fuel and exhaust system redo, too. Tying it all together is a barrage of reprogrammed computer software, MAF/MAP sensors, and the ever-important COBB AccessPort.

Aside from the engine, the six-speed BorgWarner dual-clutch transaxle is reinforced with Shepherd Transmission’s tried-and-tested Dodson kit (improved lubrication, cut gears, etc.). Axles can be replaced if a customer desires; the same goes for catalytic convertors, which, of course, come at an extra cost.

Total output for the Alpha 12 is an astounding 1100 horsepower and 900 lb-ft of torque on 93 octane fuel. Feed it race fuel and AMS says you’ll see somewhere in the 1500 horsepower/1050 lb-ft of torque range. Whoa.

I’ve tested AMS’ 800-horse Alpha 9 package before. It was a life-changing experience. Tack on another 300 ponies, and the type of straight-line violence the Alpha 12 is capable of is truly mind-bending. I reckon it’s what F/A-18 Super Hornet pilots feel every time they launch from a carrier: instant, massive, unholy, mega-positive-G-load thrust.

The quickness with which the turbos spooled was breathtaking. And even more amazing was how the gummy Nitto tires and the mightier transmission, in collaboration with a reprogrammed launch control program (LC5 for you GT-R nerds), got every pony to the pavement. As a cherry on top of this delicious rocket ship, my body wasn’t beat up and my ears weren’t ringing following my brief 20-minute drive.

Open-wheel Formula car, tuned rocket ship, exotic European ride — nothing compares in my experience. Well, at least nothing that costs less than a few million bucks. (I have yet to take a Veyron to lunch.)

I concluded my e-mail with one line: “We can’t wait to spend more time in it.”

(P.S. AMS got back and said they would oblige. So stay tuned for more coverage of the AMS Performance Alpha 12 soon.)

Photos by Michael Shaffer

OFFICIAL AMS TEXAS MILE VIDEO! 233.1 MPH DRIFTING ACTION!

admin — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:19:20 +0000

After besting the GT-R 1/4 mile record at the TX2K12 with an 8.62@173.81mph pass, the Alpha Omega GT-R went straight to the Texas Mile in an attempt to reset the GT-R top speed record of 218mph.

FRIDAY

The morning was spent preparing the Alpha Omega for tech inspection. A 1/2 mile shakedown pass was performed early afternoon. With much more power than what we had worked with last October, the Alpha Omega was literally flying down the track. Nonetheless, Ivan Phipps, the projects technician and driver for the Alpha Omega kept at it – pulling a 221mph top late Friday afternoon which was enough to claim the record!

SATURDAY

With the absence of wind Saturday morning, the decision was made to press on. The Alpha Omega only used approximately 1050whp of its available 1600whp on Friday's record pass. With approximately 1250whp dialed in, the crew wanted to see if the car could at least break the 230mph barrier before heading home for the weekend.

On Saturday's one and only pass down the Mile, Ivan was able to get the Omega to the 1/2 mile marker with a speed of 197mph. The car's handling was loose due to the implementation of factory aero components, but the throttle remained pegged to the floor. Ivan passed the 1 mile marker at 233.1mph.

It was a new record for the R35 GT-R, but not without a hitch. Due to a dip in the runway past the mile marker, the Omega's suspension compressed and lifted. Combined with the effect of the parachute, the force was enough to lift the rear wheels of the Omega off the ground. When the car rebounded, it lost control, sliding more than 90 degrees sideways. Ivan was able to regain control of the GT-R. Needless to say, there was much reason for the team to celebrate. The Omega now holds two major GT-R records in back to back weekends.

We plan to continue testing the limits of the GT-R platform with improved aero and a final drive gear. To follow the Alpha Omega GT-R project, join us at Alpha GT-R or AMS Performance on Facebook.

Special thanks to our sponsors: ADV1, Dodson Motorsport, Driveshaft Shop, Exedy, Nissan Motorsports, and Shepherd Transmission.

AMS Alpha Omega GT-R at TX2K12: 8.62@173.81mph Record!

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:03:08 +0000

With the tracks closed in the Chicagoland area until late April, our annual trip down to the TX2K GT-R Nationals events in March offer us the first opportunity to test new vehicles that we've been working on throughout the winter months. This year, initial testing of the AMS Alpha Omega at the TX2K12 was a definitive success. This was the first time the Omega has ever made an appearance at the drag strip and much was accomplished and learned.

SATURDAY

On Saturday, the Alpha Omega began on a low boost setting around 24lbs. After that, boost was increased to around 35lbs max and our first clean pass was just short of the record ET by three thousandths of a second (8.79@169mph)! At the end of that pass, one of the intercooler pipes popped, shooting downward at the under tray. This, along with the deployment of the parachute (causing the GT-R to dip) was believed the cause of the lip ripping off the vehicle as seen in the video. Ivan Phipps, our mechanic and driver of the Alpha Omega worked quickly to replace the lip, under tray and bumper so that we could make another pass.

The last pass of the day was made just before the lanes closed. Ivan launched hard with a 1.47 60ft, and began losing traction badly a little farther out. Most people at the line thought he would abort with the lanes being so narrow, but he stayed in it and straightened out to break the ¼ mile record with an 8.63@172.15mph pass! Again, the lip tore away from the bumper and the cause was finally attributed to the high speed and larger intercooler interfering with the lip support brackets. Ivan already had a solution in mind, but without another front end, the crew would have to pack it up and head home.

With the car breaking loose on the last past, the AMS crew felt the Alpha Omega had more left to accomplish on Sunday so the crew worked hard to source a donor GT-R for some parts. That evening, our sales manager was able to source a front end from NAGTROC forum friend two hours away and then found that Hennessey had an extra bumper and lip in storage that they were also willing to offer.

SUNDAY

Ivan began early in the morning to repair the front end and reinforce the lip with a set of modified brackets. The preparation was intense yet efficient, and the Alpha Omega made its first pass of the day with an 8.62@173.81mph — breaking the record it had achieved the day prior off a slower 1.53 60 ft.

We attempted to run one more pass with the boost turned up past 35lbs, but the track offered very limited traction and Ivan aborted the final pass. Overall, the car ran strong all weekend long and was ready to take on the Texas Mile the following weekend. BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL. The Texas Mile video is one you will not want to miss!

AMS would like to sincerely thank Tim Sanders, Hennessey Performance and "Wreckless" (nagtroc.org member). Without their help, generosity and support, this achievement would not have been possible.

Special thanks to Dodson, Exedy, Sheptrans and Driveshaft Shop for their support of the Alpha Omega project as well.

AMS Gets Ready for Texas

admin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:42:38 +0000

Ivan asked if he could make some updates to our Shop GT-R. Say hello to our new package….ALPHA OMEGA.

1000+ WHP on 93 octane! Tim sanders ALPHA 12+ GT-R

admin — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:24:45 +0000

Tim's GT-R is nothing short of a monster. In preparation for its final delivery AMS tuner Chris Black has been finishing up Tim's tunes. Earlier this week he put down 1265whp on C16 spinning the tires on the dyno despite having 5 people sitting in it. Today Chris decided to finish Tim's 93 octane map.

The 93 octane numbers were simply incredible!

1012 whp 800ft lbs of Tq on 93 Octane (US)

Making this (if I am not mistaken) the first 1000whp GT-R on pump gas.

Tim's GT-R is a little different than most ALPHA 12's. IN addition to full blown ALPHA 12 he added the following:

ALPHA Ported Throttle Bodies
ALPHA Prototype Intake manifold
ALPHA Prototype Race intercooler kit

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New Big Power Parts & Performance Packages Available for Your Evolution X From AMSPerformance

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:40:19 +0000

Over the past few years we have been making many improvements to the Evolution X platform. After our Championship wins in the Redline Time Attack Series of 2009, we focused on making an even more potent engine and turbo package for the street and track.

We experimented with numerous engine configurations and turbos to find the ultimate combination of power and response. After a grueling test period we made our selections: The end result was even more power and better spool-up times than ever before!

AMS Evolution TDX Package: The Culmination Of All The Latest Technology

For the ultimate in street and road course performance and the results of ALL of our latest developments, we bring you the AMS Evolution TDX Package. This series of performance upgrades boasts a massive 2.4 liters of displacement for that extra low-end torque to accelerate out of turns with ease. We complimented this powerplant with our new 900XP V-band Turbo Kit and our EVO X CNC Ported Cylinder Head to give you all the power of our Championship Winning Time Attack Evolution X plus more!

This package delivers you the ultimate EVO for the street making 700 HP & 400ft.lbs. of torque on 93 octane pump gas! Opt for a race gas tune and 850+ HP & 500+ ft.lbs. of torque are on tap. With full torque coming in at just over 4000RPM and carrying all of the way to redline, this package will turn your EVO X into the V-8 slayer that AMS cars have always been known for!

AMS Evolution TCX Package

For our Evolution X drag racers, we now offer the AMS Evolution TCX Package. At the heart of this performance package is our high-revving, AMS 2.2L Big Bore engine. The added displacement of this powerplant helps lower spool-time of the newly designed 900XP V-band Turbo Kit. Since this engine maintains the stock length for stroke, it has a long and wide power-band achieving a 9500 RPM limit!

With 850+ HP and almost 500 ft.lbs. of torque on tap, your TCX EVO will be capable of firing off low 10 second 1/4 mile passes at the drag strip. The power is there, so with the proper tire and suspension setup, 9 second 1/4 mile times are not out of the question!

Like the TDX Package, the TCX still exhibits excellent all-around capabilities for use on the street and road course too. In fact, the TCX package offers the same engine and power of our Championship Winning Time Attack Evolution "TA-X"

NEW BIG BORE STROKER ENGINE AND IMPROVED TURBO KITS

AMS 2.4L Big Bore Stroker Short Block

If you are running an upgraded turbo system, the new AMS EVO X 2.4L Big Bore Stroker is key to keep you ahead of the competition. When used with our available CNC Cylinder Head, this engine provides MASSIVE torque yet retains a horsepower curve that climbs all the way to the 8500 RPM redline!

This new engine produces an amazingly wide power-band that carries a flat torque curve planting you firmly in your seat with response and spool-up like you've never felt from a 4 cylinder! On the street, full spool can be achieved at just above 4000rpm – giving you all the power and torque to exit out of turns quicker on the road course and to leave your opponents in the dust on the street!

AMS EVO X V-Band Turbo Kits Now Fitted With New XP Series Turbos

All of our AMS Evolution X V-Band Turbo Kits are now equipped with our latest XP series of turbos. Looking for a little more top-end power, we implemented a newer, slightly larger turbine wheel and the results were phenomenal. Overall, our turbo kits gained additional mid-range and top-end power without sacrificing power down low.

Click the links below for more information on each turbo kit.

AMS 750XP V-Band Turbo Kit (Street / Road Course / Drag Strip)
AMS 900XP V-Band Turbo Kit (Street / Road Course / Drag Strip)
AMS 950XP V-Band Turbo Kit (Street & Drag Strip)

AMSPerformance’s Hearse Build – Update 9

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:47:11 +0000

Wow! We have made some serious progress over the last month! The dedication of the guys during holidays, vacations, nights and weekends is really bringing the Hearse to life.

Shane, Lance & Greg were able to get the final prep done and the rear section of the 1 ¾ roll bar completed over our Christmas break. The guys will be completing the bar with removable door bars after the car is up and running.

The engine/trans wiring harness is now complete with a custom ECU mount, fuse and relay board. Lance went the extra mile and basically rewired the entire car. The ECU mount and relay/fuse panel will all be hidden under the rear floor and easily accessible. The gauges were finished off with a boost and wideband on the A-Pillar. The remaining wiring for battery relocation , main power and grounds, battery cutoff switch, gauge harness, etc have all been completed as well.

They also installed a custom liquid/liquid transmission cooler which is located under the passenger side of the car. This is fed with -12 AN lines off the heater core and will certainly keep the 4L80 temps in check.

The new fuel system Lance laid out consists of the stock fuel tank modified with – 8 AN hose feeding a custom 2.75 gallon aluminum surge tank built by Shane. We are feeding 2 Bosch .044 pumps and Fuelab filters with -8 hose. The system then exits the filters via -6 hose to a -6 Y which feeds the under hood Fuelab regulator with a -8 hose before hitting the fuel rails. The fuel lines are all TFE to eliminate any fuel smell associated with standard braided lines most commonly used. The entire system was designed to be removed with ease by simply unplugging the harness and disconnecting fuel lines in the case it ever requires servicing. We will have a bulk head with service door once the new rear floor is completed.

The vac. and boost references we chose to do in AN line. This allows for a solid leak free source and makes for a clean install compared silicone hose.

Shane has put a lot of his detailed touches to the under hood fabrication of this beast. The charge pipes are all completed consisting of 3.5” aluminum, a Tial BOV and heat shield to aid with keeping the intake charge nice and cool. The 5” air intake is completed along with an aluminum fabbed air box. Shane also built a similar shield on the driver’s side to keep things looking symmetrical. The Tial wastegates are installed along with custom 1 ¾ SS dumps exiting the front fenders which should make things interesting under WOT. LOL

We are excited to mention the car runs as of 1/31/12 . We have some additional things to wrap up which consists of the above mentioned door bars along with a CF driveshaft, suspension, rear floor and some other odds and ends. The project is looking to be on schedule and we hope to be on the dyno within the next couple weeks shaking it down.

Alpha GT-R’s Sweep The Puerto Rico ½ Mile Event Yet Again

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:52:57 +0000

While Puerto Rico might be small compared to other countries, it is the epicenter of performance cars in the Caribbean. Over the past 6 years AMS has

built a solid relationship with Predator Performance and they were one of the first companies to install our ALPHA GT-R packages when first released. Predator has a reputation for orchestrating top quality builds and their work with the ALPHA GT-R’s is no different!

1 mile and ½ mile events have been gaining popularity all over the world. In Puerto Rico they use a runway at the Rafael Hernandez Airport to host the “PR ½ Mile Event”.

Since its inception the event has been dominated by the ALPHA equipped GT-R’s built by Predator Performance. The field is packed with very quick, high-end, high-performance cars including Porsches, Ferraris, Corvettes and even a twin turbo Gallardo. The entrees for this third event were no different and it was no surprise that the ALPHA GT-R’s came out on top yet again and by a huge margin! As you can see from the listing below the GT-R’s were running the show. Every highlighted entry is a car built by Predator Performance.

Winning the entire event was an ALPHA 10 GT-R owned by Jose I Carro running 179.99mph in just a ½ mile!! This monster was built by Predator Performance and custom tuned by AMS tuner Chris Black.

The runner up was Edgardo Melendez in his fully built ALPHA 9 GT-R running a very impressive 178.57mph in the ½ mile.

Coming in third was another ALPHA 10 GT-R owned by Ubaldo Santago. Ubaldo currently holds the record for Puerto Rico’s quickest GT-R with a 9.63@150mph. A broken drive shaft early on in the event ended his day leaving him with a best run of 177.44mph.

Overall the event was a HUGE success! You’ll be happy to know that the local airport has agreed to 6 more ½ mile events in 2012!

Here are some more pictures from the event:

TT Gallardo

Carlos’ ALPHA 9 GT-R

It’s hard to believe such a small island is home to so many GT-R’s

Predator Performance would like to thank their sponsors for their continued support:

AMS Performance
TS Promotions
Outback Steakhouse
PR Wheels Magazine
Sunoco Racing Fuels
ZFO Photo Designs
Graphic Printing
Aros y Gomas
SneakyRacing.com

http://www.predator-performance.com/
http://www.alphagtr.com