Unichip gives Land Rover Discovery / Defender TD5 turbo upgrade to 176bhp

 Unichip gives Land Rover Discovery / Defender TD5 turbo upgrade to 176bhp
Land Rover Defender TD5 upgraded by Unichip, 1332, 07.07.2010

An increase of 49bhp

Unichip has unveiled a new performance package for the Land Rover Discovery 2 / Defender TD5.

Dubbed the Sport Conversion, the package consists of an Owen Developments Garrett turbocharger and a Unichip ‘U-Connect' ECU. These modifications enable the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine to produce 176 bhp (131 kW / 178 PS) and 279 lb-ft (378 Nm) of torque - an increase of 49 bhp (37 kW / 50 PS) and 63 lb-ft (85 Nm).

According to the company, over 200 lb-ft (271 Nm) of torque is available between 1700-4200 rpm which makes it "perfect for towing or off road use." More importantly, extensive testing has found the conversion actually improves fuel economy thanks to "extra mechanical and electronic efficiencies realized by the Unichip Europe conversion."

The package will be available for all Discovery Series 2 TD5s (produced between 1998 and 2005) and manual-equipped Defender TD5s. Pricing starts at £1396.00 (£630.09 including VAT) and all components are covered by a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty.

Check out the press release for additional information.

Source: Unichip Europe

UNICHIP EUROPE LAUNCHES LAND ROVER DISCOVERY TD5 SPORT CONVERSION PACKAGE - BOOSTS POWER TO 175 BHP PLUS

  • Performance upgrade kit produced by Unichip Europe and Owen Developments
  • Features brand new specifically designed Owen Developments Garrett turbo and specially mapped ‘U-connect' plug and play Unichip piggy back ECU
  • Dyno proven to greatly increase torque and power, adding 49 bhp and 63 lb.ft to all Land Rover Discovery 2 TD5 models produced from 1998-2005
  • Dramatically increases acceleration without harming fuel economy - accessibly priced at just £1396.00 fitted, excluding VAT.
  • Also compatible with manual transmission versions of the Land Rover Defender TD5 model

It's long been the farmer's favourite, but the venerable Land Rover Discovery Series 2 TD5's rugged nature and off road capabilities have ensured the model's enduring popularity with the motoring public. However, even in acclaimed TD5 format, few could ever label the 135 bhp, Series 2 model as ‘potent,' especially when overtaking or towing with heavy loads.

Hence why Unichip Europe is delighted to announce a new ‘Sport Conversion' upgrade package for the 2.5 litre, five cylinder TD5 Discovery, designed to transform both the car's on road acceleration and off road performance. Central to the conversion is a brand new, advanced specification Owen Developments Garrett turbocharger, allied to a specially mapped Unichip ‘U-Connect' supplementary engine management system.

Designed as a like for like swap with the original TD5 turbocharger, the totally brand new Owen Developments Garrett unit features considerably higher flowing compressor and exhaust turbine housings, enabling the 2.5-litre, five cylinder engine to produce significant power and torque increases without mechanical strain or turbo lag.

The other crucial component in the package is a ‘U-Connect' plug and play Unichip ECU, designed and developed specifically for the TD5. This unit comes pre-mapped by Unichip Europe with adjustments to fuelling and turbo boost levels to maximise performance throughout the rev range. Fitted in minutes, courtesy of its specially developed wiring loom, the Unichip's ECU map is the end result of months of dyno and road testing, towing and off road assessment to ensure optimised settings and reliability.

Dyno testing has shown that Unichip Europe's Land Rover Discovery TD5 Sport tuning package produces a dramatic performance improvement right throughout the rev range. Brake horsepower increases from a tested 127 bhp at 3776 rpm as standard, to 176 bhp at 4000 rpm, representing a peak gain of 49 bhp over the standard car, making the Discovery feel considerably more sprightly and willing at high revs.

And this extra power output has not come at the expense of torque, because the Unichip Europe tuned Land Rover Discovery manages to produce more torque than the standard car at every point in the rev range. Peak torque increases from 217 lb.ft at 2919 rpm to 279 lb.ft at 2957 rpm, equating to a 63 lb.ft gain.

But peak numbers are only half the story, because such is the effectiveness of the conversion that from 1700-4200rpm over 200 lb.ft of torque is always available, making the package perfect for towing or off road use where low rev grunt is at a premium. It also transforms the in-gear acceleration and flexibility of the Land Rover Discovery TD5, enabling swifter, safer overtaking and a much more dynamic driving experience.

This has been proven by in-gear acceleration times figured during road testing, as it shows that the upgrade shaves nearly 4 seconds from the Discovery's 3rd gear 30-50mph acceleration time.

Standard Land Rover Discovery TD5:-

30-50 mph
3rd gear             10.3 sec
4th gear             13.7 sec
5th gear             18.2 sec

Unchip Europe Land Rover Discovery Sport conversion:-

30-50 mph
3rd gear             6.4 sec
4th gear             8.1 sec
5th gear             15.1 sec

Crucially, at a time of soaring fuel costs and despite the considerable performance hike, extensive road testing on the Unichip Europe Land Rover Discovery Sport conversion for the TD5 indicates no fuel consumption penalty. Overall fuel economy actually improves marginally, thanks to the extra mechanical and electronic efficiencies realised by the Unichip Europe conversion.

Priced competitively at just £1396.00 fitted excluding VAT, the Unichip Europe Sport conversion suits all manual and automatic transmission Land Rover Discovery Series 2 TD5 models produced between 1998 and 2005. In addition, the package is also directly compatible with manual transmission variants of the Land Rover Defender TD5.

The Unichip U-Connect ECU package can also be purchased separately as a performance enhancement for the Land Rover Discovery / Defender TD5 and is available now directly from Unichip Europe or from one of 35 Unichip dealers across the United Kingdom, priced at £630.09 including VAT @ 17.5%.

For peace of mind the Unichip Europe Land Rover Discover Sport upgrade is covered by a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty.

For more details log onto www.unichipeurope.co.uk

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Comments (7)

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 Hero Sina Hero Sina
how about Ford T model?
July 7, 2010 3:04 pm
 ALMERAIKHI ALMERAIKHI
Who on Earth would spend time on this?!?
July 7, 2010 3:10 pm
 die.bahnfahrer die.bahnfahrer
wcf... please mark paid articles as "advertisement". Thank you
July 7, 2010 4:47 pm
 Jeremiah Clarksonius Jeremiah Clarksonius
That is a nice thing!
July 7, 2010 6:39 pm
 THEBENCHMARK THEBENCHMARK
Wow, with an additional 49hp I bet this thing will be so not as slow. "perfect for towing or off road use." What do you tow with 279lb-ft? I'd like to see this thing merge onto the freeway with traffic going 80mph safely while towing a bike rack!
July 8, 2010 11:19 am
 997-GT500-STI 997-GT500-STI
Flashback segment!
July 10, 2010 12:37 am
 unknown unknown
REALLY? WCF has really gone down the drain with these stupid articles.
July 11, 2010 6:46 pm