COBB Tuning Blog

COBB Tuning would like to congratulate One Lap of America winners TopSpeed Motorsports for dominating the event in their AccessPORT-Tuned Nissan GT-R! Doug Wilks & Leh Keen dominated the event by sweeping all the road course sections and finishing up 500 points ahead of 2nd place!

“TopSpeed Motorsports would like to thank the guys at Cobb Tuning for their support during the 2011 OneLap of America Series,” said Nathan Cicio of TopSpeed. “Cobb really went above and beyond with not only the quality and performance of the parts they provided, but also with amazing customer service. They were there for us every step of the way if we needed anything during the event. Thankfully, however, the parts performed flawlessly resulting in a dominating 2011 OneLap victory!”

One Lap of America is a grueling coast-to-coast driving event that pits drivers against the clock, each other and their machines. Teams must travel from track to track and compete in racing events in an effort to collect the most points along the way. Throughout the event, teams must race at one track and then transit long distances overnight to be ready to drive again in the morning! Having a mechanically fit car can mean more than having the fastest car, but the TopSpeed team had both!

The TopSpeed GT-R is sporting the very latest from the COBB Tuning product line for the GT-R including the AP-NIS-006 AccessPORT with Transmission tuning ability, SF Intake system and our upgraded silicon intercooler coupler kit as well as the GT-R Dual XLE By-Pass Valve kit. An AMS turbo kit has also been fitted to the car for extra power. The car was also equipped with a complete aerodynamics package for more downforce.

“We couldn’t have asked more of the COBB Tuning parts,” said Nathan. “From the GT-R Accessport to the hard parts they supplied, together they worked in perfect harmony in order to produce the power we needed to put our Nissan GT-R at the front of the pack. We won 14 of 14 road course events and 15 of 18 overall events in total, winning by over 500 total points. I can’t thank Cobb enough or say enough about their level of service and quality of parts!”

For more information on AccessPORT support for your Nissan GT-R, visit our website at COBB Tuning.com, visit the COBB Tuning Forums or call us at 1-866-922-3059. To join on the COBB Tuning conversation, head over to our COBB Tuning Facebook page and click the LIKE button to stay plugged in, or follow us on Twitter!

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Come and visit the COBB Tuning crew at the 5th Annual Subiefest on October 9th at Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond CA. COBB Tuning will be on site in full force with a vendor booth, the COBB Motorsports Time Attack race rig and Subaru STI Time Attack race car! This event is the largest gathering of Subarus in the country, attracting participants to the biggest all-in-one Subaru meet, car show, track day and “run what ya brung” time attack competition.

COBB Tuning will be on hand with our friendly and knowledgeable tuners and sales staff to answer any questions you might have. We will have a large display of our full selection of Subaru Performance Products. AccessPORTs will also be available for any enthusiasts that wants to add instant horsepower to their car for the track day or the drive home! Meet the newest members of the COBB Tuning team from our recently-announced retail location COBB Tuning SoCal, set to open later this fall. The SoCal team will be available to answer any questions you might have about tuning or services at our newest COBB Tuning facility!

Cameron Benner, the current Redline Time Attack Street Tire Class championship leader, and his 2006 STI, will be representing COBB Tuning at this battle royale of Pleiades-badged sluggers. Cameron and his AccessPORT-tuned, 500whp STI will be competing at the highest level of the competition in the “Top Speed Class” in an effort to bring home the trophy of the fastest Subaru in the land.

Come check out the COBB Tuning Motorsports Trailer and pit area, get great tuning advice from our tuners and knowledgeable staff and have lots of fun at Subiefest 5! We will see you in the pits!

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Redline Time Attack hosted it’s fifth west coast event (Round 8) of the year at Spring Mountain’s 19 turn, 3.1 mile circuit outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. LIC Motorsports and the Takata Time Attack Impreza were in attendance to continue their pursuit of a Modified AWD Championship.

“All year we have been battling issues relating to brake bias and rear end grip,” said Adam Levy of LIC Motorsports. ”With a two month break in the series we decided to take the opportunity to make some significant changes in hope of making an improvement. We removed the ABS system, added a driver adjustable brake bias proportioning valve, and completely rethought and redesigned our rear suspension. On two separate occasions prior to the race we visited our local track to ensure the changes were dialed in before we made the eleven hour drive to Las Vegas.”

As James took to the track for his Saturday morning practice sessions, the improvement in rear grip became quickly apparent as two consecutive rear axles were broken. The atypical axle failures indicated that the axles were seeing higher stress levels than in the past. With some slight adjustments to the car and James’ driving style, additional failures were averted. As the practice day progressed temperatures increased and the serious desert heat over-stressed some cars forcing them to an early retirement. The Takata Impreza was not immune to the heat either as the engine’s head gasket began to fail. Despite limited practice, the team opted to park the car until Sunday’s Time Attack to reserve the engine’s performance and avoid tempting complete failure of the gasket.

Sunday’s Time Attack again challenged teams with extreme heat. Fortunately the Takata Impreza was able to withstand the heat despite a compromised head gasket. Even under higher boost levels used for the Time Attack sessions, the LIC Motorsports’ racing radiator and oil cooler maintained a safe temperature for the engine. James claimed 3rd in Modified AWD for the team in the Time Attack. The performance allowed the Takata Impreza to start the Super Session sprint race on the front row with Brian Lock in the Cobb Tuning GTR. With both the Takata Impreza and Cobb GTR battling the heat, the 15 mile Super Session became a test of endurance.  Both cars broke away from the rest of the pack with the Cobb GTR out front. James maintained a close gap to the GTR throughout the race but was unable to find a passing opportunity, giving Takata Time Attack a 2nd place finish.

“I am so impressed by the changes Adam and Noah have made to the Takata Impreza,” said driver James Elterman. “I now have great confidence in the braking system and we are clearly out braking our competition. Furthermore the rear end grip is exceptional and I can accelerate out of the corners significantly sooner which enables us to achieve higher speeds on the straights. Above all I am grateful for the reliability of the car which has allowed us to collect points in every event thus far, which is something that cannot be said of any of our competitors.”

After 5 events Takata Time Attack loseWeight Exercises its lead in the Championship for the first time giving Brian Lock in the Cobb Tuning GTR a 5 point advantage. The series resumes on October 24th and 25th for the penultimate round at Infineon Raceway in Northern California where LIC Motorsports hopes to make the best of their home-field advantage.

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The COBB Tuning AccessPORT for the 2011 Subaru STI is now available from COBB Tuning and all COBB Tuning Dealers and ProTuners. The AccessPORT for the 2011 STI is the only hand-held ECU reflash and interface device available for the 2011 STI allowing enthusiasts to instantly increase and monitor the performance of their vehicles! The AccessPORT is completely plug-and-play with Stage1 and Stage2 calibrations pre-loaded and ready for install!

POWER. FLEXIBILITY. CONTROL.

The AccessPORT is the industry leading OEM ECU flashing, managing and monitoring assistant. Unlock power hidden within the ECU by replacing conservative factory settings with more aggressive calibrations. The result is impressive gains in torque and horsepower while maintaining a high degree of safety. The AccessPORT comes with pre-installed maps that are optimized for common performance modifications.

Tuning flexibility ranges from simply loading one of the included performance maps designed for common modifications, all the way to complete custom map authoring using our powerful AccessTUNER software. Extract maximum power from virtually any modification while retaining the drivability and sophistication inherent in the OEM ECU.

Boost Select new for 2011 STI!

The 2011 STI AccessPORT also includes “Boost Select” functionality built into the maps. These new maps allow the SI-Drive to select two different boost settings. Boost can be increased in varying increments from “S” mode to “S#” mode using the SI-Drive knob on the fly giving the control to go from “Driving Miss Daisy” to “Bullit” performance with the twist of a knob!

Typical Performance Gains Stage 1: +X% HP and +X% TQ (see modification requirements) Stage 2: +X% HP and +X% TQ (see modification requirements)

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COBB Tuning is happy to announce the re-release of the COBB Tuning Front Mount Intercooler for the MAZDASPEED3. The v2.0 FMIC for MAZDASPEED3 has been revised to give more clearance for the stock core support, oil-cooler lines and stock shift Lose Weight Exercise allowing for easier installation and less modification of your car!

The COBB Tuning FMIC features 2.5-inch powder-coated charge tubes feeding a large “bar and plate” 24-inch x 3.5-inch x 7.9-inch aluminum core with blue 5-ply silicone couplers with T-bolt clamps plus everything you need for a simple and painless installation.

While the revised boost tubes will clear the stock shifter Lose Weight Exercise, all COBB Tuning intercooler kits now come with the COBB Tuning lightened shifter Lose Weight Exercise for improved fitment and more precise shifting feel.

The COBB Tuning FMIC v2.0 for MS3 also integrates seamlessly with the SF Intake System and Turbo Inlet Tube for the complete COBB Tuning Intake Package! AccessPORT calibrations for the COBB Tuning SF Intake and FMIC package can be downloaded from the MAZDASPEED3 Map Database.

The COBB Tuning FMIC v2.0 for the MAZDASPEED3 is available now for purchase from COBB Tuning.com with free ground shipping.

• Bar and plate 24″ x 3.5″ x 7.9″ aluminum core.
• 2.5″ aluminum tubing powder coated dark gray.
• Piping has been revised so that it does not interfere with the frame rail, bumper beam and oil lines.
• 5-ply blue silicone couplers.
• Stainless steel t-bolt clamps.
• Powder coated black mounting and power steering cooler relocation brackets.
• Stainless steel fasteners.
• Minor trimming of the bumper cover required.
• Will work with stock BPV or aftermarket BPV that is stock style fitment.
• Retains the stock bumper beam and does not require cutting the bumper beam.
• Under tray can be reinstalled with no modifications.
• Does not require disconnecting of the power steering lines.
• CFD tested and airflow optimized.
• Tested 0.65psi boost pressure loss across the core
• 85% efficient intercooler means greatly reduced core outlet temperatures!
• New shift Lose Weight Exercise that is 0.66 lbs less than stock which improves the shift feel and allows for more pipe clearance.

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With September nearly upon us, The COBB Tuning Motorsports Team is preparing for the final three races of the Redline Time Attack Season. With the conclusion of the East Coast Championship, the COBB Team will be concentrating on securing the championship in both the Street and Modified AWD classes in the COBB Tuning Motorsports Subaru STI and Nissan GT-R.

The COBB Tuning Motorsports STI has run a very impressive season finishing on the podium at every single event and twice in first place in class! Driver Cameron Benner has shown that his aggressive driving style, coupled with the tuning power of the AccessPORT wins races. The combination of a Cosworth engine tuned with the COBB Tuning AccessPORT has proven to be a winning formula by finishing every single event on the podium. Thanks to the crew at COBB Tuning Surgeline, the car is a shining example of what a properly-prepared Subaru can achieve in the hands of a talented driver backed by a dedicated team.

“This season of Redline has been about development for both the car and myself,” said STI driver Cameron Benner. “We started at Buttonwillow with our first podium in 3rd place, and since then have continued development on the STI platform. The car has been wonderful to drive and continues to get better with every event. I’ve really focused with my car chief on dialing the suspension setup to optimize the chassis for the amount of power the AccessPORT enables the car to put down. We’ve got some new cooling upgrades in store for Pahrump and will be pursuing another win to further secure the Street Tire overall championship.”

Cameron leads the AWD Street Tire Class with 162 points; 46 points ahead of 2nd place, Steve Ruiz, in the AEM stand alone-tuned EVO X and 55 points ahead of 3rd place Jon Drenas in his AccessPORT-tuned EVO X.

The COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R driven by Brian Lock has had a very successful, if not a bit of a challenging season, with the team pushing the envelope of performance in the highly competitive Modified Class. Being one of the first teams ever to race this exotic monster, the COBB Tuning Motorsports Team has discovered a few weak points in Godzilla’s scales leading to not a few late nights both at and away from the race track. Those late nights have produced incredible results with the GT-R taking the podium and the overall class-win at every event it has finished in the AWD Modified Class, as well as a series first of two overall event wins by a Modified Class car. The GT-R has only DNF’d at one race this season at Round 3 in Las Vegas as the bone stock engine internals tired of putting out nearly 1,000 crank horsepower.

“This year has been extremely taxing, but rewarding. As with our GT-R racecar, our crew has been pushed to its limits time and time again only to persevere and win”, said GT-R Driver Brian Lock. “The grueling pace of a full coast to coast racing schedule along with two emergency engine rebuilds, constant chassis development to keep up with the amazing power our AccessPORT squeezes out of the engine, and lots of travel have left everyone a bit burned-out after Willow Springs. This nice break has allowed everyone to recharge their batteries and the GT-R to get some much-needed R&R. We will be back in Pahrump ready to secure our championships.”

This season, COBB Tuning sponsored the Redline Time Attack Modified Class and this has turned out to be the most closely contested class of the series. These cars walk a fine line between street and full blown racer with some cars pushing well over 700whp! The COBB Tuning Modifed Class is the battleground for big power and the winner of this class will be well deserving of the street cred and bragging rights that a victory here will bring!

The COBB Tuning Modified Class GT-R currently sits in 2nd place, just one point behind the Takata Time Attack/LIC Motorsports STI. The LIC STI is also powered by a COBB Tuning AccessPORT, tuned by our experienced calibrators at the COBB Tuning Surgeline facility, and is making just under 550whp on the stock ECU! Mike Cronin Jr is sitting third in the Fontana Nissan GT-R, also tuned with a COBB Tuning AccessPORT, making the COBB Tuning Modified Class a clean, AccessPORT-powered sweep!

These next three events will be crucial for the team as they push to continue their winning ways and prove to the world that COBB Tuning has what it takes to not only best the nation’s top AWD vehicles, but also take the overall Redline Time Attack Championship!

For the East Coast Championship, both the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R and STI finished third in their respective classes despite not running at the final race at Sebring in Florida. While the COBB Tuning Motorsports team made a strong showing in the East Coast Championship, the team decided to concentrate on the West Coast series and focus efforts closer to home.

The next event will take place September 18th-19th at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch in Pahrump, NV. This event could be the deciding race in the championship!

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COBB Tuning Surgeline customer Brian Gee and his 575whp GT-R made the pages of the September 2010 Issue of SuperStreet Magazine. Brian’s 2009 GT-R was built and tuned at COBB Tuning Surgeline in Portland, OR by GT-R maestro, Tim Bailey with a COBB Tuning AccessPORT. The car features a custom fuel system built by COBB Tuning Surgeline so that this Godzilla can run on E85! To read all about Brian’s killer ride!

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Takata Time Attack recently celebrated Independence Day with participation in Redline’s fourth west coast event of the year dubbed The Liberty Grand Prix. Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, California set the stage for a challenging contest as temperatures exceeded 90 degrees and average speeds on the course exceeded 100mph for Modified class cars. The LIC Motorsports crew was busy in the weeks preceding the event preparing for the challenge. The Takata Time Attack/LIC Motorsports STI is making over 500whp and is tuned on the stock ECU with the COBB Tuning AccessPORT, once again proving the AccessPORT is Motorsports grade!

“Chassis development has been and continues to be our focal point for development of the car” said Noah Levy of LIC Motorsports. “Based on feedback from our driver and the advice of some of our partners we have made some changes to the car to improve its high speed stability. Along the way we have also removed some Lose Weight Exercise from the car. We were hopeful for dramatic improvements in the handling of the car.”

As driver James Elterman took to the track on Saturday, he immediately found new confidence in the car at high speeds. Development continued throughout the weekend with alignment, spring rate, aero, and rear differential changes. With each change came reduced lap times and by Saturday evening it was looking as though a podium finish was attainable.
The serious business of racing took pause on Saturday night as the main straight of the raceway was converted to a drag strip. Street cars, prepared drag racers, as well as some Time Attack cars raced the 1,000 ft. drag strip as the sun set. The Takata Impreza made an impression on the fans as it posted the fastest trap speed of the evening at 112mph. After nightfall the fans and racers were treated to a 22 minute fireworks show.

In Sunday’s first Time Attack session James claimed 4th position just 1 second out of 3rd. The final session again proved to be a critical one.
“Going into the final round of the Time Attack we all felt the car had the potential of reaching the podium.” said Elterman. “We made some minor changes going into the final round but unfortunately we took a small step in the wrong direction. Despite this I was pushing for an improved time. The first lap offered no improvement, and on the second lap I had in incredible off in Turn 1. Fortunately the damage was contained to the front splitter, but it forced our retirement from the session.”

With no improvement in the final session, the team retained 4th place in Modified AWD. After some quick repairs by the LIC crew to the front splitter, the Takata Impreza was ready for the Super Session sprint race. James started in the second row of grid in 3rd for Modified AWD. After the race’s first lap, the 034 Motorsports Audi in 2nd position retired due to a mechanical issue, putting Elterman in 2nd. Four laps later the Cobb Nissan GTR of Brian Lock crossed line first for Modified AWD, with Elterman in 2nd.

The intense battle for the Modified AWD Season Championship continues with James Elterman and Brian Lock standing out from the rest of the pack. After 4 events Elterman retains a small lead over Lock with 150 points to his 149 points. With three races left in the series the Championship may likely come down to the final event.

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The COBB Tuning Motorsports Team once again proved the power of stock ECU tuning with the COBB Tuning AccessPORT by scoring two first place wins in class as well as an overall win in the Modified AWD class. Brian Lock rocketed the COBB Tuning Motorsports GT-R to a first place win in the Modified AWD Class during the Record Assault session putting the GT-R well ahead of his next nearest competitor by a full second with a 1:23.488 lap time, smashing through the Modified Class track record in the process.

Not to be outdone by his teammate, COBB Tuning Motorsports STI driver, Cameron Benner, quickly raced to the top of the standings during Saturday practice and held that position for the duration of the weekend. However, this was no run away victory as Steve Ruiz in the Stoptech EVOX nipped at his heals as the two fought for lead by tenths of a second. In the end, Cameron was able to grab the AWD Street Tire win with a 1:30.200 lap time.

Both cars were able to handily take their classes in the Super session as well, with Cameron besting several Modified class cars in the process. Brian Lock and the GT-R proved once again that the GT-R is a formidable opponent, especially in the hands of Lock who has spent the majority of his career banging doors in Grand Am Cup and USTCC touring car racing. Brian was able to jump into 2nd place behind the GST Motorsports Super Modified Impreza and hold his lead over 3rd place James Elterman in the Takata Time Attack/LIC Motorsports STI to the finish line.

For Cameron, the Super Session was incredibly exciting as he battled several Modified Class cars. Cameron was able to dispatch the Street Tire RWD 135 BMW of Mike Bonanni, who was suffering oiling issues, as well as the Modified Class 700hp front wheel drive class AFB Motoring Mini of Dez Ballard. Cameron and the mini drove an incredibly close race with the two swapping position several times. In the end, Cameron was able to pull the mini down the back straight on the penultimate lap and hold that lead to the checkered flag despite his 200whp disadvantage.

Despite some minor mechanical difficulties for the STI, ambient temperatures that reached over 105 degrees on race day and track temps that soared above 150 degrees, the cars performed flawlessly showing that solid preparation and a well-sorted car, as well as reliable horsepower thanks to the COBB Tuning AccessPORT, win races.

The team has a 2-month respite from Redline Time Attack and will use that time to repair, refit and do some testing. Look for the team to back on track in Sin City in September!

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COBB Tuning is proud to announce the release of AccessPORT Stage2 AEM Cold Air Intake Calibrations for 2008, 2009 and 2010 STIs equipped with AEM Cold Air Intake number 21-478WR. Calibrations for 93, 91 and 91 ACN (Arizona, California, Nevada) octane fuels are available. Now you can enjoy the added power of your AEM CAI Stage2 STI with an Off-The-Shelf map developed by COBB Tuning!

These calibrations are intended for Stage2 vehicles with aftermarket downpipe with catalytic converter or full turboback exhaust and AEM Cold Air intake only. Other intakes or catless exhaust systems may cause the vehicle to run poorly. Fueling calibrations may be skewed if other intake systems are used. These calibrations are intended for AEM CAI ONLY; this is not a generic cold air intake calibration.

Available Calibrations

These Maps are available for download from Subaru AccessPORT Map Database:

Stage2+AEM 93 v104 – 93 or 94 octane ONLY. +29%hp / +39% lb-ft

Stage2+AEM 93 v104 LWG – 93 or 94 octane ONLY. This calibration is intended for vehicles with over boost or boost creep issues. +29%hp / +39% lb-ft

Stage2+AEM 91 v104 – 91 or 92 octane ONLY. +26%hp / +29% lb-ft.

Stage2+AEM 91 v104 LWG – 91 or 92 octane ONLY. This calibration is intended for vehicles with over boost or boost creep issues. +26%hp / +29% lb-ft.

Stage2+AEM 91ACN v104 – 91 ACN octane ONLY. This calibration is for those users in Arizona, California and Nevada. If detonation occurs, octane booster is recommended. +26%hp / +29% lb-ft.

Stage2+AEM 91ACN v104 LWG – 91 ACN octane ONLY. This calibration is for those users in Arizona, California and Nevada. If detonation occurs, octane booster is recommended. Intended for vehicles with over boost or boost creep issues. +26%hp / +29% lb-ft.

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