Lexus IS200 | Turbo Conversion | Unichip Tuning
- Since it's launch way back in 1999, the Lexus IS200 still doesn't look out of place on the UK roads. It's certainly stood the test of time; and coincidentally, the chief engineer of the IS200 was Nobuaki Katayama, the brains behind the acclaimed cult classic Toyota AE86, before moving onto the company's LeMans & Rallying programmes...
- Anyways, we're quite sure that Mr. Katayama would've endorsed the Unichip Module in all it's glory - so it's fitting that we've had a Lexus IS200 in for performance tuning this week.
- In this particular case, this Lexus has a turbo conversion, air filter & a few other goodies strapped onto it's 2.0-litre six-cylinder engine. But without anything to aid additional fuelling, what's the point? That's kind of like building a flatpack wardrobe without the supporting nuts / bolts to keep it in place...
Above: A diamond, albeit a little rough around the edges...
- Without blowing our own horn too much, the Unichip Module is realistically the most viable option for this kind of work, due to it's cost-effectiveness & it's pure capability as a complex tuning solution.
The Tuning Process | Lexus IS200 | Turbo Conversion
- The tuning process always begins with a quick inspection, followed by a power run on our Dyno Dynamics rolling road to establish a base for our tuning & to determine the vehicle's actual power output. From here, the Unichip Module [and supporting turbo module] was installed with relative ease. No mess, no fuss - it's hardwired straight in between the vehicle's existing ECU & it's respected engine sensors.
- It become quickly apparent that, without any system in place to support the additional fuelling required for the client's turbo conversion, uprated injectors were required. We decided to fit a 7th injector into the intake piping as a means to compensate for this (below).
Above: The coveted "7th Injector" installation.
- Once we'd made the hardware changes necessary for the optimal use of engine / turbo resources, it was strapped back onto our rolling road for a proper mapping.
Above: The Lexus IS200's engine bay, showcasing the Unichip X & Turbo Modules.
- After a successful tuning session, the results even surprised us...
Lexus IS200 | Unichip X | Turbo Module Tuning Results:
- Taking into account the IS200's engine producing 153HP well over 2 decades ago, the turbo conversion, intake and additional injector, we managed to safely extract over 224.0HP from a vehicle with relatively minor performance modifications.
- This figure really is "pushing" the upper bounds of the IS200's stock inline 6 engine / gearbox, but, as every competent tuner / "tunee" will know, the final power figure is largely irrelevant. We're looking for improvements to driveability and, with access to over 55,000+ tuning tables using the Unichip Module, we can fine tune tiny increments along the rev range - totalling to a much better spirited drive.
- There is no other custom tuning solution on the market that's as cost effective as the Unichip Module. Get in touch with us today for your free tuning consultation today.
