The difference between a magnificent recipe and a lack-luster entree can be as simple as one secret ingredient. The Honda S2000 is one of those cars that has many of the components of a masterpiece: razor-sharp handling, balanced chassis, good brakes and awesome looks. However, the S2000 is still lacking one key ingredient: horsepower. The F22C engine introduced in 2004 delivered some additional torque over the previous generation F20C engine, but the engine still lacked the raw power and torque that some S2000 owners craved. Kraftwerks USA in Norco, California recognizes the need for increased performance and has developed a supercharger kit geared towards enthusiasts looking for more power.

The first supercharger system from Kraftwerks fits the 2006-08 Honda S2000. The core of the supercharger kit is a Rotrex C30-94 supercharger unit regulated to six psi of boost pressure (10 psi for the High-Boost kit). The most striking feature of the Rotrex supercharger is its rather small size. The Rotrex C30-94 supercharger is extremely compact and lightweight weighing just 11.2 pounds. Rotrex's hybrid design uses a turbocharger-derived compressor housing and Rotrex's patented traction-drive transmission to deliver a compact supercharger unit.

Conventional Centrifugal Superchargers

Most centrifugal superchargers use a gear-driven transmission to overdrive the impeller to speeds up to 70,000 RPM. According to Oscar Jackson of Kraftwerks, the shaft speeds of most conventional centrifugal superchargers are too slow to work with a compact turbocharger compressor section. As a result, companies producing conventional centrifugal superchargers had to use larger compressor housings for increased air volume. With a Rotrex supercharger, shaft speeds are up to four-times faster than a conventional centrifugal supercharger. Higher shaft speeds allow for high-flow rates with a physically smaller compressor section.

The Rotrex Difference

With Rotrex's traction-drive transmission the impeller shaft speed can be spun up to 250,000 RPM. This is a unique quality of Rotrex's traction-drive system. The traction-drive system has a drive ratio of 1:9.49, enabling the impeller to spin much faster than gear-driven superchargers. Unlike most centrifugal superchargers that use internal gear drives to increase the impeller shaft speed, the Rotrex unit uses an elastic annulus and three roller planets with bearings to drive the supercharger spindle. Rotrex's patented "ramp effect" increases efficiency and reliability in the transmission by regulating the torque transfer capability on demand through self-adjusting planet geometry. The Rotrex transmission is lubricated by a specially-developed synthetic-traction fluid (SX100). Besides lubrication the traction fluid also enhances the traction-drive performance by securing optimum friction between the rolling elements. The Rotrex supercharger system also uses its own self-contained lubrication system and oil cooler. Besides lubrication the Rotrex oil aids in the cooling of the supercharger. According to Rotrex, high-impeller speeds and low noise are just some of the advantages the traction-drive system has over traditional gear-driven transmissions.

Fuelin' It

Supplying fuel for the additional volume of air forced into the cylinders is extremely critical to overall engine performance and longevity. The Kraftwerks kit includes higher-capacity 650 cc/min fuel injectors and Kraftwerks' plug-and-play injector clips. The Kraftwerks connectors eliminate the need to cut and resolder the injector clips allowing for a cleaner and quicker installation. Fuel and ignition timing are controlled by a Hondata/Kraftwerks ECU reflash. Kraftwerks teamed with Hondata to develop a razor-sharp tune for the supercharger system.

Perfect Recipes

The Kraftwerks S2000 kit includes all required hardware and electronics for a complete installation. The base supercharger kit is currently pending CARB-certification. Kraftwerks has tested the base kit and successfully generated 312.6 horsepower and 209.4 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. With the high-boost kit, power levels jump to 364.2 horsepower and 240.6 lb-ft of torque at the wheels.

Some chefs spend years in search of the perfect recipe. The team at Kraftwerks may just have the secret ingredient to spice up any S2000.

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