| Blitz SBC I-Color - World Exclusive
One year is a very long time. That is how long we had to wait for the Blitz SBC i-Color to finally make its way to U.S. shores. We first spotted the unit at the 2004 Tokyo Auto Salon and were blown away by its capabilities; not to mention the color LCD screen, a first for boost controllers. Was it worth the wait? An astounding yes. The i-Color is awesome, by far the best controller on the market today.
Turn on the boost controller and you are greeted with an opening image of a Blitz turbocharger. However, go through the function screen and you are able to choose between three images (turbocharger, supercharged engine or an air filter and exhaust background). Once the i-Color is operational there are five submenus to choose from (meter, digital, graph, calibration and function). The most important of the submenus to enter into is the calibration menu where you can personalize the i-Color to your preferences as well as enter your vehicle's weight, tach outputs, speed outputs and turbocharger types. Calibrating the i-Color is extremely important, otherwise the power output graphs will be off as well as controlling boost pressure (if you plan on controlling boost using the speed map).
The obvious reason for installing a boost controller is to control boost pressure on a turbocharged engine and the Blitz i-Color is one of the best at that. First off, the Blitz i-Color utilizes the same dual solenoid actuators found in the SBC i-D to manipulate wastegate diaphragm pressure until the desired boost level is attained. The theory in the dual actuator design is that the actuators are capable of keeping the wastegate shut until the last possible moment for increased turbo response. By using two actuators there are two ports for relieving pressure instead of one. Whereas one actuator design would have to start opening the wastegate port at 3000 rpm to maintain 15 psi of boost pressure a dual actuator design can keep the wastegate shut until 3300 rpm allowing for the turbocharger to spool for another 300 rpm before relieving the pressure. In turn the turbocharger response is better, enabling it to generate more power from 3000 to 3300 rpm.
The i-Color is able to store four different channels as well as control boost versus speed or rpm. The latter of the two boost channels is extremely handy on traction-limited vehicles. In both the speed and tach (rpm) maps there are 16 different preset points for boost control. For example, on a quarter-mile run where traction is limited up to 25 mph you can lower the boost pressure until you get up to 25 mph where there is more traction you can raise the boost pressure up from there. With four different channels the user is able to save four different settings (track, race gas, street, valet, etc.) Not mention you can always turn the unit off for factory wastegate control.
Unlike the previous generation SBC i-D boost controller the i-Color has a built in chassis dyno. The i-Color is able to calculate how hard the vehicle accelerates by using vehicle speed, rpm and weight to output a power figure. We have found the unit to be fairly accurate in calculating power outputs if the vehicle weight is accurate. The dyno graph will display both power and torque. The only drawback is the numbers generated will only display in PS, kW, kg.m, N.m and not horsepower and lb-ft.
The neatest part of the i-Color unit is the meter display function where the user can choose from four different meter colors (black, blue, white or carbon). The meter can display boost, pressure, temperature, A/F ratio, rpm, speed, power and up to three data inputs (TPS, MAP, etc., in voltage). However, to get some of the readings requires optional sensors that are available through Blitz. There is also an option to display from two to six readings at once, with peak outputs recorded. Also in the digital display mode, the i-Color can record and play back for 99 seconds. The playback function is ideal for recording a run down the dragstrip, around a road course or even a dyno run.
The i-Color has limitless functions and is by far the most impressive boost controller on the market. The digital meter display, playback functions, second-to-none boost control, chassis dyno and graph displays are just a few of its capabilities. The only gripe we have is the size of the display but guess it would just increase the cost of the unit to beyond the reach of average day consumers. If you want the most innovative boost controller on the market we highly recommend checking out the Blitz SBC i-Color.