ScionScene Magazine
Your #1 Scion Enthusiast Resource
Secret Black Box
Weapon*R Secret Black Box mod By Phil
Weapon*R, a Nor-Cal performance factory specializing in intakes and other performance parts announced a new air-fuel ratio computer aptly named the "Secret Black Box." This computer is currently in the testing phase and will be available to the public within a month. It will be available for most Scions as well as other K-Car platforms like the Honda Fit and subcompacts like the Mazda 3. The secret black box will be shipped specifically tuned to various upgrades and mods on your vehicle, such as intake whether its short ram or full cold air, headers, and exhaust. On a casual glance, the black box looks nothing more than just as it says, a black box. There are no special markings except for the Weapon R logo and a small sticker that says, "will destruct if you attempt to open." HAHA, hmm maybe I should try. Company spokesperson, Leo Now would not comment on what's exactly inside the black box or what it does to your air-fuel ratio. He only said, "If I tell you, I might need to kill you." All kidding aside, Weapon-R used the ScionScene project xB2 as a dyno test bed for their new line of products. A prototype Secret Weapon cold air intake was installed along with a stainless steel 4-2-1 header and S pipe, and of course the secret black box. The only other performance mod on the B is the Strup axle-back exhaust system. The dyno showed superior gains in both horsepower and torque. The stock run shown in red below is with the Strup exhaust only and the blue are the gains in both torque and horsepower. The ScionScene project xB was able to show an increase of 17 hp and 28.9lbs of torque to the wheel!!! If you look at the stock numbers, this is HUGE increase in power. The TRD supercharger, priced at close to $5000, adds only 40hp and 60lbs of torque. They were able to get half of that using just an intake, header, and black box. The ScionScene xB is using only an axle-back system while the huge stock submarine resonator stays in place. Imagine the power gains if we removed that and added 2.5" piping from the cat-back? Leo thinks we can get to about 20-22hp increase with a torque increase of about 30-33lbs. Such simple and inexpensive mods that can increase up to 20-25% of such a small 4 cylinder engine's overall power curve is unheard of.
