Testing day has finally arrived and it’s time to see how our new Fiesta ST parts perform! After weeks of prototype design and fabrication, we have our first prototype Ford Fiesta ST intake system ready for dyno testing. Our first round of product testing is being conducted for two reasons:

First, we want to evaluate power output. Our initial post explained that we were skeptical about making power with our intake. The Fiesta is a MAP-based vehicle and only uses its MAF sensor to gather temperature data. Through our years of development, extracting additional power from speed density (MAP-calculated) is a bit of a challenge. The gains we usually see on these vehicles is a result of reduced restriction within the intake tract. With this intake we’ve certainly improved flow, so let’s see what we are able to produce.

Our second goal with testing is to procure sound clips with our Ford Fiesta ST intake installed. When replacing the restrictive stock setup, intake volume is typically increased, which can be a great added bonus for aftermarket intake installation.

No more waiting, check out the video!

First impressions, this intake sounds fantastic. Noise from the bypass valve is far more audible with our setup installed. Turbo spool sounds are also increased, but not to the point of annoyance. If I was a FIST owner, this would be the blend I’d want for sound improvements.

Next, let’s take a look at the dyno plot we produced with back-to-back testing of the stock Fiesta intake and our prototype.

One thing to keep in mind regarding our testing. Each plot shown is an average of three runs from each setup. We made pulls until the car produced three consistent plots, which were then averaged. To be clear, we did not compare a low run from the stock Ford Fiesta ST intake to a high run from our setup, so this data is completely repeatable.

Our pull starts at 2500 rpm and ends at around 6300 rpm. As you can see, the Mishimoto intake made gains throughout most of the power band, to the tune of around 1-3 whp/wtq on average. Maximum gains of 6 whp and 10 wtq were recorded early on in the pull, at just over 3,000 rpm. Pretty good results, especially considering we did not anticipate huge gains.

As we’ve noted, reduced restriction is the primary contributor to these gains. Our filter has a lot to do with this, made evident by the surface area comparison below.

The stock filter is rather small and we were able to easily improve the size of the filtration area.

Coming Up!

Last series we discussed checking out both intake temperatures as well as the functionality of our additional port on the airbox. The port proved to make negligible differences on the dyno, but we are still interested in seeing if it can contribute to bringing cold air into the box. We will be conducting some additional testing to determine if any changes are needed with our Fiesta ST intake prototype design!

Keep an eye out for more blog updates on new Mishimoto Fiesta ST parts!

Silicone Turbo Inlet Hose

Starting at the turbocharger compressor inlet, we have our silicone inlet hose. This piece was constructed specifically for this kit and is extremely robust.

Five layers of silicone comprise this hose, along with embedded fibers and steel wire for added rigidity. This hose must withstand the suction created by the turbocharger, which is why additional materials are embedded for added strength.

Along with suction, this hose will also see relatively high temperatures. Silicone in this five-ply formula will have no issues providing years of reliable performance.

Aluminum Intake Pipe

Next along the air intake route is our aluminum piping.

This pipe features smooth mandrel bends to route intake air from the airbox to the turbo inlet hose. Distinguishable features include the MAF (mass airflow) housing, two CCV (crankcase control valve) line ports, and a mounting bracket.

Each of these components assists in making our end product a full bolt-on intake solution.

Airbox and Filter

One of the most interesting components in this kit is the airbox. This portion of the system directs airflow from the stock front scoop to the air filter contained within the box.

This image shows the intake’s pipe entry point as well as the portion of the box that attaches to the stock air scoop. This airbox was shaped specifically to fit within the constraints of the very confined FIST engine bay. The top of this airbox features rivet nuts to attach the lid.

Looking at the base of the airbox reveals our two mounting pegs. These are designed to emulate the stock airbox mounting pegs, and they should drop into place perfectly.

Check out a look at the box with the lid installed!

This kit will utilize our oiled air filter, which provides impressive filter surface area yet still manages to fit within the confines of this tiny engine bay.

Our filters are completely serviceable, meaning they can be cleaned and re-oiled for a lifetime of repeated use.

Coming Up – Installed Images

We have one final test fit to conduct before starting the manufacturing of our first batch of intake kits. Once this prototype is installed, we will snap a few pictures and post them for your enjoyment.

With our final prototype in hand, our team went to work bolting everything into place. We’ve made minor tweaks to the design, so we just want to be sure fitment is spot-on for our final iteration.

Check out a few shots from the final install.

Everything bolted on perfectly, and this setup looks quite nice in the engine bay of the Fiesta. We will be making one small adjustment to our logo location; in the spot pictured it is a bit hidden by the hood prop rod clip.

Finish Options

Everyone likes to have options; they provide the opportunity to personalize your engine bay setup or match other existing components. We recognize this need, and our team decided on three options for the intake pipe finish. Check it out.

Our three options are polished, wrinkle black, and wrinkle red. The wrinkle finishes are powder coated for optimum scratch and damage resistance.

We highlighted the polished option in detail in our last segment. Check out a couple additional detail shots of the two powder-coated options.

Wrinkle-Black Powder Coat

Wrinkle-Red Powder-Coat

2016 Fitment

As many of you are aware, Ford changed the CCV system on the 2016 model. This adjustment required adding an additional port to our intake piping. Unfortunately, many of the existing 2014–2015 intake systems will not function with 2016 models unless serious modifications are made.

Not to worry though, as our team is working on an adapter that will allow our intake to be used on the brand-new models. Below is a render of our adapter.