Looking at the import tuning timeline, Ultimate Racing is a well-established entity. The Toronto-based tuning shop opened its doors in 1992 when chief proprietor Johnson Lii had too many cars to tune and no centralized location to tune them. One of the byproducts of an innovative, leading edge tuning shop is how solving problems can lead to the creation of hard parts. To this end Ultimate Racing has developed a number of its own FMIC kits and most recently a complete Honda S2000 turbo kit.
Lii wanted the Ultimate Racing kit to provide reliable street power so he addressed all the challenges of coaxing a naturally aspirated engine into a harmonious life with boost...namely the positioning of the turbo, static compression versus compression under boost, fuel enrichment and tuning.
The first step to a successful turbo system is choosing the right turbo. For the S2000 kit an Innovative Turbo Systems T04E/T3 hybrid configured to Ultimate Racing's specs provides the pressure. The turbo is mounted to a heavy gauge, mild-steel tubular header built to withstand the punishing heat cycles generated by hard-working turbochargers. An HKS external wastegate regulates the boost and is positioned down low where the stainless-steel downpipe angles toward the back of the car.
Ultimate Racing made its own front-mount intercooler using a Spearco core and its own 2.5-inch stainless-steel I/C piping. An HKS Super SSQ blow-off valve combats compressor surge. Fuel enrichment and tuning are handled the right way. Lii and Ultimate Racing provided 440cc RC Engineering injectors and electronic tuning with their turbo kit.
"While high horsepower figures have their place, reliability and durability were Ultimate Racing's main priority," says Lii. "First off, providing true fuel management was key. Whereas many kit manufacturers include a rising-rate fuel pressure regulator to work with stock sized injectors, Ultimate Racing went the distance and provided larger injectors, and a pre-tuned electronic fuel management system in the GReddy e-Manage. The larger injectors can accommodate a generous amount of fuel while keeping fuel pressures at a safe level. The tuned GReddy e-Manage maintains stock driveability while providing the necessary corrections to ensure a smooth transition into boost and optimum power throughout at the kit's designated 7-psi max boost pressure."
Development and testing of the Ultimate Racing kit was performed on an in-house owned S2000 strapped to a Dynojet chassis dyno. In baseline testing the F20C peaked at 8500 rpm where it generated 191 whp. With the addition of the turbo kit the free-revving 2.0-liter Honda belted out 294 whp and a 196 lb-ft of torque. The biggest gain was at 9000 rpm where the baseline figure of 174 whp was eclipsed by 120 whp to 294. Testifying to the driveability of the kit, a generous 40-whp gain was realized at a low 4500 rpm.
The S2000 is one hot drop top and the F20C seems to really like boost despite its 11.1:1 compression ratio. The key to success is in the tuning and Ultimate Racing has that base covered with electronic engine control and dyno-proven programming which makes the Ultimate Racing kit a promising candidate for those S2000 enthusiasts who want to pressurize their driving experience.