'99 Magnuson GMC Sierra - Performance Trends

What's Hot:*Gotta love 50 more horses* Cool foglights and bumperless front end* Great sound

What's Not:*It's not available yet!* Will have a bumper in production form* Exhaust too loud for the feds

Chrysler GT Cruiser Concept -First DriveW hat You See: A cool, semi-customized PT Cruiser concept car. What We See: A clear look at the '02 PT Cruiser Turbo.

DaimlerChrysler has long made a practice of hiding its future products in plain sight. The original Dodge Viper, Plymouth Prowler, and Plymouth Pronto Cruiser concept cars are proof that many of the company's show toys end up rolling down the assembly line in one form or another. The key to the GT Cruiser's production potential is its 2.4L turbocharged four, which betters the stock Cruiser's 150-hp output by an impressive 50 horses.

The system was developed in-house and incorporates an Eaton turbocharger, a cast alloy intake manifold (that looks production-ready), and an intercooler. More horsepower, and the turbo's 225 lb-ft torque rating, required the installation of a Dodge Neon ACR spec racer's five-speed manual transaxle.

The GTC's extra grunt certainly addresses what is one of our few complaints with the PT Cruiser (we actually drove the Panel Cruiser, another concept car incorporating the same driveline as the GT Cruiser shown here). Its power increase is felt throughout the rev range, and the fun factor increases by a bunch. A short intake tract means minimal turbo lag. Boost checks in at relatively low rpm levels, making for a much crisper launch-we estimate a 1.5-sec drop in 0-60-mph times. Other than the burbling low-restriction exhaust system-which sounds great, but probably wouldn't pass a government sound test-this turbo install feels vice free and ready for the showroom.

Which it probably is. We hear that a turbo-motivated PT Cruiser is, in fact, on its way as a production reality for the '02 model year. It likely will include sportier suspension tuning, 17-in. wheels and tires, and maybe a revised front end, similar to the one on this GT concept. We'll let you know as soon as we drive one. Or maybe we just did.-Matt Stone

What's Hot:* Aggressive lowered stance* Pin-you-in-the seat acceleration* Hauls lots of stuff

What's Not:* No serious off-roading with these wheels and tires* Already marginal fuel economy suffers

Magnuson GMC Sierra - Performance TestOnce upon a time, a pickup was a humble tool for hauling. Now the tune is different, with more trucks sold than automobiles. However, many pickup drivers clamored for more punch under the hood, so manufacturers have begun to build products such as the Ford Lightning and Dodge Dakota R/T. But the aftermarket is never content to let the OEMs get all the glory.

Take this truck built by Magnuson Products as an example. It's a '99 GMC Sierra SLT Standard Cab Shortbed with an Eaton supercharger slipped under the hood, the same supercharger fitted to factory Buick, Pontiac, Ford, Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz cars. The Roots-type blower sits atop a 5.3L V-8 and delivers 4.5 lb of boost. It's enough, Magnuson tells us, to twist 288 hp at the rear wheels at 5300 rpm. That's a 94-hp increase over stock and is more than sufficient to turn the 305/60ZR18 Toyo Proxes into piles of tire dust. Our track testing proved what we felt at the seat of our pants-this engine really loves a supercharger. It ran 0-60 mph in 6.2 sec, a huge improvement over the stock truck's 8.4 sec.

Metal Crafters did the body mods, while the finishing touches include a Peter's Precision grille and Miracle Designs paint work. Gaylord crafted the tonneau cover and the rubber surrounds a set of MHT "Throttle" alloy 18x9.0-in. wheels.

Retail price of the forced induction system is $3700, not including installation, which works out to about four hours for a qualified shop. This balanced package lets owners haul their stuff to market all that much quicker.-David Newhardt

Source:Magnuson Products805/642-8833www.magnusonproducts.com

Ignition Box AdviceThere are many spark-enhancement boxes on the market, each a sophisticated piece of electronic equipment that can be easily damaged if a few precautions aren't followed. The best advice is to read the instructions carefully before installing your box.

1.Spark PlugsSome newer cars come from the factory with platinum-tipped spark plugs. These usually work fine with most aftermarket ignitions, assuming you follow the instructions regarding proper plug gap.

2. Tach AdapterIf your vehicle fails to start, or if the tachometer doesn't read correctly after you install an ignition box, you may need a tach adapter. This simple device allows the vehicle's factory engine computer to accept the ignition box's tachometer signal.

3. Good ComponentsBe sure the rest of your ignition components are in good shape before installing an ignition box. Weak plug wires or worn spark plugs will limit the performance gain of the box.

4. Timing lightsMany timing lights will not properly read the multiple sparks of many capacitive discharge ignitions-the timing will seem to jump around. Ignition specialists such as MSD offer special timing lights for CD ignitions.

5. ConnectionsAvoid bad electrical connections. Sloppy wiring or improper connectors are a leading cause of ignition box failure. Often, a "bad" box checks out fine once returned to the manufacturer. A subsequent check of the wiring job reveals faulty installation.