TURBOSMART ELECTRONIC EXTERNAL WASTEGATE
We see loads of new products at Autosport, but every now and then there’s one that stands out as a real gamechanger. And these new electronically-actuated external wastegates from Turbosmart are just that! To fully grasp the impact of this new technology and what it means, let’s first have a quick recap of the older systems. A wastegate is needed to allow excess exhaust gases bypass the turbo, and therefore allow us to control the turbo’s speed and boost pressure. Traditionally, this wastegate is opened by a mechanical means, most commonly a spring holding it closed until a certain boost pressure is achieved. But these new electronically-actuated wastegates don’t require any springs, or any of the associated complicated ancillaries such as air injectors, bleed-valves, and so on. Instead, the wastegate itself can be electronically controlled directly by the ECU. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for boost control strategies, and we bet tuners and engine mappers can’t wait to get their hands on this latest tech. The new electronic wastegates are available in 45mm and 60mm sizes (based on Turbosmart’s popular Gen-V range) and use the same mounting flange and orientation as previous models (although Turbosmart are already working on a ‘StraightGate’ too), so will be an easy upgrade for the more conventional style of wastegate. Full travel from fully closed to fully open takes 0.6seconds, and with just five wires to hook up, this is really going to revolutionise boost control on tuned cars for the future. We can’t wait to see what results it produces.