Tuned In
High Performance Academy
High Performance Academy Presents: Tuned In. A podcast interviewing influential people from around the world at the top of their respected fields. Covering topics such as Tuning, CAD, Performance Engine Building, Automotive/Motorsport Wiring, Data Analysis, Driver Coaching/Training, Motorsport Fabrication and Car Setup.
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Top 10 Tuned In Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Tuned In episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Tuned In for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Tuned In episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
07/04/24 • 129 min
If you’re planning a big race or street car build, it’s worth thinking about how you can harness the power of 3D scanning, CAD, and additive manufacturing on the big jobs.
In this episode, BBi Autosport’s Dmitriy Orlov explains how you can incorporate these tools into your build process, how he utilised them when building the infamous “Hoonipigasus” Porsche 911, and a whole lot more.
Use “ORLOV50” to get $50 OFF your 3D Modelling & CAD for Motorsport course: https://hpcdmy.co/CADb
BBi Autosport is one of the best known aftermarket Porsche specialists out there, pumping out a range of high-quality parts and builds over the last decade. Based at the company’s California facility, Dmitriy is the product development engineer behind it all, despite not having the educational background in mechanical engineering that you might expect of someone in his line of work.
Dmitriy is self taught, and that gives him a unique perspective on design and manufacturing. He talks us through his design process, and discusses how far technology has come in the last few years — both in terms of what it can achieve and how accessible it’s become to the home enthusiast. Dmitriy explains how the average person can harness all this tech to drastically trim down the amount of time and money being spent on a serious race or street car build.
This then gets us on to the topic of 3D printing final parts in metal, and Dimitri dives into just how useful this technology has become. As he points out — sure, you might not have the capability to print metal at home, but it’s now becoming viable to send your design to a third party which can then create the part using its own multi-million dollar printers.
The conversation then moves on to Dmitriy's most well-known project, the “Hoonipigasus” Porsche 911 hillclimb monster. This is a car that most people will be aware of and think they know a lot about, however Dmitriy is able to give us some really interesting insights into the build, its immense challenges, and how he and his team overcame those challenges.
Follow Dmitriy and BBi Autosport here:
IG: @orlovdesign, @bbiautosport
YT: BBi Autosport
WWW: orlovdesign.com, bbiautosport.com
Don’t forget, you can use “ORLOV50” to get $50 OFF your 3D Modelling & CAD for Motorsport course: https://hpcdmy.co/CADb
Timestamps:
4:06 How did you become passionate about the automotive industry?
8:15 How did you learn your skillset?
9:57 Does having shop floor experience make you a better designer?
11:42 Are there any drawbacks to not having an engineering degree?
15:51 When did you start diving into 3D modelling and CAD?
20:32 What are the steps from CAD model to actually machining a physical part
23:10 What did you do before working for BBI and what is BBI?
32:28 Design process.
43:06 Choosing the right manufacturing process for the part.
51:07 Designing a manifold not just for 1000hp, but to fit and work on a factory vehicle.
58:05 How has 3D scanning changed things for BBI?
1:06:40 Are there affordable scanners that are worth buying?
1:12:10 What CAD software do you use and why?
1:20:46 Do you use FEA?
1:27:18 What is the Hoonipigisus?
1:31:15 Engine and gearbox configuration.
1:34:28 Biggest challenge?
1:38:49 Challenge of running a drive shaft from a rear trans to front differential?1:41:30 How much of a disadvantage would it have been rear wheel drive?
1:48:50 Are there any key aspects you’d do differently?
11/07/24 • 105 min
Many enthusiasts want to build something unique simply for the sake of “being different”. And while that’s fine, different doesn’t necessarily mean better — or even good, for that matter. Morgan Clarke of MCD1 doesn’t have that problem, though. What he creates is definitely different... But it’s also very, very good.
Use MCD100 to get $50 off HPA’s Motorsport Fabrication Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/fabpackageb
Morgan Clarke isn’t your typical vehicle designer and fabricator — he tends to avoid CAD and 3D scanning, he doesn’t have any formal training, and he’s certainly had a rough road to get to where he is today — yet he’s a highly regarded and sought after builder in the world of offroad vehicles.
Starting his career in industrial fabrication, cars were only an occasional side hobby for Morgan. That is, until people in the industry started to recognise his design and fabrication talents and enticed him away from the boring 9-5 and into a motorsport-focused fab shop. Morgan talks us through his challenging journey from directionless troublemaker to the owner of a successful and very much in-demand design and fabrication shop.
In this episode, Morgan takes the time to drop some great advice on how we can all improve our fab skills, and discusses why he doesn’t feel the need to use CAD or 3D scanning in his work, bucking the industry-wide trend towards harnessing tech in the build process.
We then get into the juiciest part of the conversion, as Morgan goes deep into the details on his most well-known build, an incredible Lamborghini twin turbo V10-powered Range Rover Velar Prerunner, known as the MCD1 Dakar Prototype.
This machine is a testament to the idea that beautiful form follows well-executed function, and every inch of the jaw-dropping build is an absolute work of art, from the chassis, to the suspension, to the mid-rear mounted boosted V10 capable of 2000hp. We’re able to dig deep into this project’s inner workings and the concepts that make this desert-destroying weapon what it is.
With great discussions around the pros and cons of different materials, off road suspension system choices, what makes his vehicles so fast and capable and plenty more, this episode featuring Morgan Clarke is a must-listen.
Follow Morgan here:
IG: @morganclarkedesign1
YT: MORGAN CLARKE DESIGN
TK: morganclarkedesign1
WWW: shopmcd1.com
Don’t forget, you can use MCD100 to get $50 off HPA’s Motorsport Fabrication Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/fabpackageb
Time Stamps:
4:03 How did you get into cars?
7:00 Where does your engineering knowledge come from?
13:26 What sort of off-road vehicles are you building?
17:47 How did you learn to fabricate?
23:32 Welding Chromoly
31:25 How did you get into motorsport fabrication?
37:06 Tips on how to develop fab skills
41:48 How and when do you use CAD?
47:15 Fabricated vs billet
50:34 What is the Dakar Prototype and how did the concept come to life?
58:56 Pros and Cons of Independent rear suspension vs live rear axle
1:05:09 Engine package
1:09:45 Drivetrain
1:13:42 What electronics are you using?
1:15:30 Designing and manufacturing complex parts
1:18:43 How do you feel about such a work of art being beaten up when driven in the desert?
1:22:44 Overview of MCD and how you got it to what it is today?
1:36:03 Final 3 questions
12/03/24 • 17 min
Suspension dampers (aka shocks) are well-established products, so in this day and age, surely anything you get off the shelf from a high-end brand should be ready to roll, right? Wrong.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Andre Nader of DNA Autosport & Modal Suspension explains some of the variances that generic off-the-shelf products, no matter the price, must operate within compared to dialling in custom bespoke suspension for your car, tyre choice and driving style.
He runs through some key points around ride/suspension frequency and its relationship to spring rates, as well as what a driver might be looking for in order to know that his damper setup is sub-optimal, which includes hopping or skipping on the surface of the race track and instability under braking.
Why remote reservoirs are used, how a 'safe' car balance isn't necessarily fast and how trying to cover up the poor suspension with extreme alignment/setup changes is a slippery slope is also explained.
TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Dampers: Omitted Performance?
0:25 - Andre Nader - DNA Autosport
0:38 - Why A Bespoke Damper?
1:10 - Race Suspension
1:34 - Window Of Performance
2:30 - Chasing Tyre Performance
3:20 - Issues To Look For
4:20 - Spring Rate Selection
5:16 - Ride Frequency
6:01 - Tyre Temperature Data
7:05 - Alignment Vs Springs & Dampening
8:18 - Car Balance Vs Spring Rate
9:26 - Ride Frequency Calculation
10:05 - Modal Damper Construction
11:01 - McPherson Strut Vs Multilink
11:43 - Compression And Rebound
13:21 - Why? - External Reservoirs
14:40 - Lap Time Gains: Off The Shelf Vs Custom
15:32 - Where To Spend Your Money?
16:22 - Modal Suspension
16:44 - BUILD.TUNE.DRIVE
09/05/23 • 13 min
Get the what, how and why on the 6.0L LS-powered Nissan Frontier, aka Navara from owner/builder Stephen Dorrick of @LOJConversions.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
A 700hp+ 6.0L LS engine owing around 6k USD powered this rather porky 4720lbs (2100kg) chassis to 2nd place in the GTT @optimabatteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational at @semashow. Build wise forged @MAHLEGroup pistons and @Lunatipower connecting rods are used along with @KingBearings engine bearings, ported LS3 head and aftermarket cams. The twin @BorgWarnerCorporate Airwerks S257 SX-E run around 13psi but there is room to go up to 20psi on occasion thanks in part to the use of an E50 flavoured ethanol fuel blend.
A @haltech Elite 2500 manages the engine with an I/O expander to increase sensor inputs for a well set up and nicely prioritised engine protection strategy. This Nissan is AWD with the use of a TR6060 mated to a transfer case from a Chevy Blazer which gave Stephen an easier job of using the likes of a Y62 Patrol rear diff with that rear end seeing 70% of the torque split.
The LS retains a wet sump, however, it has been modified and an Accusump is fitted for extra insurance and with essentially only @vikingperformance2574 Berserker coil-overs fitted there are plans to upgrade much of the suspension components in the future to remove excess compliance as well as a focus on weight reduction.
08/01/24 • 130 min
Do I need electronic wastegate control? What about CO2? And how do I know what size wastegate is needed for my build? These questions and a whole lot more are answered thanks to this week’s guest, Matt Wright from Turbosmart.
Use “MATT25” to get $25 OFF HPA’s Boost Control course: https://hpcdmy.co/boostb
Matt has a unique understanding of the industry, having worked for two of Australia's biggest aftermarket performance brands — two decades at Haltech and a more recent move to Turbosmart.
We start this episode by delving into the path that Matt took to get where he is today, covering the early days of Haltech that saw him dealing with some fairly rudimentary electronics and software as a support tech. Matt grew with the company and would go on to head up Haltech’s expansion into the United States. There are some great discussions here about VE-based tuning, the future of standalone ECUs, and what Matt thinks is missing from the current crop of standalone offerings.
After 20 years of service, Matt decided to move across the road to Turbosmart, where he’s helped push the development of new products — especially its new range of turbochargers. Matt discusses these new turbos before diving deep into the world of boost control, getting way into the weeds on all things external wastegate.
Sure, the idea behind a wastegate is simple enough, but things get a little more demanding and complex when a vehicle’s performance starts to get pushed to its limits.
Follow Matt here:
IG: @turbosmarthq
FB: Turbosmart
YT: Turbosmart
WWW: turbosmart.com
Don’t forget, you can use “MATT25” to get $25 OFF HPA’s Boost Control course: https://hpcdmy.co/boostb
Timestamps:
4:39:20 How did you gain an interest in cars?
16:54 Did you move into Haltech tech support with almost no tuning experience
24:28 What was your role at Haltech?
27:10 The difference between American and Australian car scenes
32:15 Haltech’s growth into the US market
39:45 Key changes in ECU tech over the years
47:30 What do you think is missing from aftermarket ECUs?
54:43 How does an ECU company balance technical features while keeping it user-friendly?
1:03:55 How did the opportunity at Turbosmart come up?
1:08:38 Overview of Turbosmart
1:13:10 Turbosmart’s external wastegate, Why is it so good?
1:17:54 Pros and cons of electronic wastegate?
1:34:08 What is a StraightGate?
1:42:52 How do we pick the right size wastegate?
1:47:30 Bringing Turbosmart turbochargers to market
2:05:35 Final 3 questions
10/24/24 • 127 min
Have you ever wondered how small aftermarket companies are able to drastically improve on parts from OEMs and huge players like Garrett or Borg Warner that have massive R&D departments and even bigger budgets behind them? If you ask this week’s guest, Robert Young of Forced Performance and Xona Rotor, he’ll tell you: “We try harder and we’re better at it”.
Of course, the reality isn’t quite that simple... Luckily we’ve got a full two hours to dig into this topic and many others surrounding the world of performance turbocharging.
Use FORCED25 to get $25 off HPA’s Boost Control Tuning Course: https://hpcdmy.co/boostb
On this episode of Tuned In, we start by looking at how Robert became the turbocharger guru he is today as the name behind Forced Performance and Xona Rotor — the latter formed in partnership with Greg Jones of Tial Sport.
This is a story that involves years spent studying physics and mechanical engineering, as well as hands-on experience at turbo shops and with his own projects that ranged from old Ford Fairlanes and fast air cooled VW drag cars, to the early DSM drag world of rapid Mitsubishi Eclipses.
Both Robert’s companies produce ultra high performance aftermarket turbochargers and turbocharger components for a range of vehicles, and as one of the main brains behind these sought-after products, Robert is an absolute goldmine of turbo knowledge.
This means that the conversation quickly dives very deep into the world of boost, discussing a huge range of topics — journal vs ball bearing, billet compressor wheels, compressor maps, turbo sizing, and so much more.
This episode is a true turbo tech info dump in the best way possible. If you have any interest in going fast, don’t sleep on this fascinating conversation with a big brain of the forced induction world.
Follow Robert here:
IG: @forcedperformance, @xonarotor
FB: Forced Performance Turbochargers, Xona Rotor
WWW: forcedperformance.shop, xonarotor.com
Don’t forget, you can use FORCED25 to get $25 off HPA’s Boost Control Tuning Course: https://hpcdmy.co/boostb
Time Stamps:
3:35 How did you get involved with cars?
8:52 Where did the passion for turbocharging come from?
20:15 Starting your own turbocharger business?
25:10 How hard was it to design a cast stainless steel exhaust housing?
29:06 Ball bearing vs journal bearing turbos
38:51 Forced Performance overview
43:35 Turbos for Subaru’s EJ engine
47:10 How did Xona Rotor start?
51:42 Why didn’t you copy Garrett’s bearing technology?
59:46 Why is Xona Rotor its own company?
1:01:51 How are Xona Rotor turbos so good, frustrations of copied turbos
1:11:40 Development process for the compressor wheels?
1:31:34 Evolution of turbine wheels
1:44:06 How do we find the right size turbo?
1:59:22 Final three questions
06/20/24 • 129 min
What you need to know about tuning General Motors’ LS engines thanks to Matt Sanford of Tuning-Tips.com.
Use “MATT100” to get $100 OFF HPA’s Tuning Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/starterb
Matt Sanford is a self-taught tuner that you might recognise from his YouTube channel of the same name, or his frequent appearances on mega channels like Cleetus McFarland.
Matt has been tuning all types of gasoline and diesel vehicles since his teenage years, but his main speciality and passion is GM’s LS family of V8s. In this episode, Matt first tells us how he came up in the diesel tuning world before switching to gasoline engines.
While he is fully versed in aftermarket standalone ECUs, Matt prefers using HP Tuner’s excellent reflashing platform. We take a deep dive into the Gen 3, 4, and 5 GM engine control modules, discussing how they work, and how we can get the absolute most out of reflashing them.
Of special interest is how these computers manage load measurement, using both mass airflow and speed density — and the process you need to go through to properly tune both.
The conversation then moves into tuning strategies around adding forced induction and/or an aggressive cam. Many people think you have to put up with reduced driveability with these modifications, but Matt explains that that’s simply not the case — if you know what you’re doing, a heavily modified LS can drive like a stock motor.
This episode is definitely for the LS crew, so if General Motor’s ubiquitous V8 is something you have an interest in, this is one you don’t want to miss.
Follow Matt here:
IG: @matt.p.sanford
YT: Matt Sanford
WWW: www.tuning-tips.com
Don’t forget, you can use “MATT100” to get $100 OFF HPA’s Tuning Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/starterb
Timestamps:
4:44 How did you get interested in cars?
8:02 Where did the interest in tuning come from?
13:05 What can the MPH number on a drag strip tell you about your engine tune?
19:42 At what point did you get access to a dyno?
21:39 Going from tuning gasoline to diesel and then back to gasoline.
29:01 Why move from EFI Live to HP Tuners and what is reflashing?
41:05 Key differences between tuning a standalone vs factory ECU.
48:31 Speed density in the GM world.
54:26 How should we be going about the tuning process?
1:01:04 HP Tuners built-in calculator for making changes to the virtual VE tables.
1:07:26 How do you calibrate MAF?
1:14:33 What is acceptable in terms of a short-term and long-term fuel trim combination?
1:19:40 What is spark air mass?
1:22:15 High octane and low octane tables.
1:31:07 GM’s knock control system.
1:40:37 Thoughts on MAF-less tuning?
1:42:50 Tuning options for a really aggressive cam.
1:51:46 Other common mistakes with LS tuning.
1:53:40 Injector upgrades.
1:57:35 Final 3 questions.
12/26/23 • 13 min
You might argue that it's not hard to build a better Ferrari than Ferrari could in the 80's, but good fabrication is only half the battle when it comes time to hit the race track and dial it all in on the international stage.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
With very little stock Ferrari left, this 640hp at 14psi (1000hp capable future proofing included too 👌) could be expected to face some massive teething issues and hours upon hours of adjustments before a major motorsport event, but that is not how Mike Burroughs of StanceWorks rolls, nor does he need to after putting the hard yards into to logical and quality fabrication work over the last few years.
With a quick pad change to counter some brake bias issues, Mike was setting lap times out the gate, also thanks to time spent on the simulator pre event. This left the team free to make methodical, iterative changes over the weekend so Mike could chase his personal goal of continuous improvement remembering he is an expert fabricator, not Logan Sargent (which is a good thing in a way since it meant he didn't crash).
Mike and the crew did have some gearbox issues a while after this interview. It's all covered by some very polished content on the@stanceworks YT channel. It's well worth the watch.
What would be done differently if the clock could be reset and can we expect Mike back at the World Time Attack Challenge again?
08/31/23 • 95 min
Have you ever dreamt of climbing to the very top of your chosen motorsport and beating the world’s best? That’s exactly what Hayden Paddon, this week’s podcast guest, has done. As a past WRC round winner and current European Rally Champion, Hayden is a wealth of knowledge on all things rally, and spends some time in this episode talking through us through what life is like at the highest levels of the sport, what the future of rally might look like, and much more.
Use “PADDON100” to get $100 OFF our HPA Track Day Package: https://hpcdmy.co/trackdayb
Born in a little town in the South Island of New Zealand, Hayden Paddon was introduced to the world of motorsport early thanks to his rally-driving father. Racing karts and rally events growing up, Hayden went from strength to strength before claiming the first of five national rally titles in 2008. Hayden then burst onto the world stage, becoming the PWRC world champion in 2011, and soon found his way into the big leagues with the factory Hyundai WRC team, claiming a hard-fought win in 2016’s Rally of Argentina.
For any driver outside of Europe to get a seat in a factory WRC team is impressive — let alone a round win. It sounds like a fairytale, but the reality is of course very different — it’s been far from all rainbows and unicorns, and Hayden opens up in this episode about just how hard the journey to the top is. And then staying there? Well that’s even harder still.
Hayden talks us through the various machinations, politics, and extreme levels of pressure at this elite level of motorsport — and this includes some really good advice around getting and, more importantly, keeping sponsors.
These days, when he’s not dominating the European Rally Championship, recently becoming the first non-European to win it, Hayden spends as much time back home in New Zealand as possible, developing his own take on the possible future of the sport in his Hyundai Kona EV rally weapon. Hayden breaks down the build, explaining how it all works and what advantages and disadvantages an electric vehicle has over the traditional ICE-powered rally car.
This episode provides a fantastic look inside the world of WRC, covering everything from the insane stress of leading a rally with a seven-time world champion only two seconds behind, to how a co-driver and driver relationship actually works, and much more.
*NOTE* At the time of recording, Hayden was yet to secure this year’s European Rally Championship.
Don’t forget, use “PADDON100” to get $100 OFF our HPA Track Day Package: https://hpcdmy.co/trackdayb
Follow Hayden here:
IG: @haydenpaddon
FB: Hayden Paddon
WWW: haydenpaddon.com
11/05/24 • 13 min
It's unusual to see a new V10 engine go into production these days with the V10 and V12s engines of previous Formula 1, Prototype (LMP) and Grand Touring classes long being replaced by V8s and V6s, but Rodin Cars are bucking the trend with their RC.TEN engine project.
Mike Gartrell of @RodinCars runs us through some of the ins and outs of this V10 project, including how partners like Neil Brown Engineering have helped with the design and @PanklRacingSystems with production. However, with low quantity runs costing as much as €45,000 ($49,000 USD) per crank, the long-term plan is to bring the manufacturing in-house to their New Zealand base.
The 2024 World Time Attack Challenge was the first outing and test of the engine as part of the Rodin SINTURA project, a controversial carbon monocoque chassis that has been given an exemption to compete at the event.
RC.TEN Specs:
- 3998cc - (244ci) 72° naturally aspirated V10
- 12,000rpm
- 185bhp/litre
- Cast Aliminium head and block with Nikasil coated steel liners
- 86mm bore, 68.8m stroke
- DOHC
- Bosch direct injection system running 102 RON fuel
- 15:1 compression ratio
- 720bph @ 11,000rpm - N/A goals
- Twin Turbo Capable
- 160kg
- Link G5 ECU & electronics package
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FAQ
How many episodes does Tuned In have?
Tuned In currently has 311 episodes available.
What topics does Tuned In cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Motorsport, Performance, Courses, Podcasts, Automotive, Education and Racing.
What is the most popular episode on Tuned In?
The episode title 'Field Report: Swapping a Ferrari engine into a GT86' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Tuned In?
The average episode length on Tuned In is 54 minutes.
How often are episodes of Tuned In released?
Episodes of Tuned In are typically released every 5 days.
When was the first episode of Tuned In?
The first episode of Tuned In was released on Aug 5, 2021.
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