Xios Motorworks Focus Zetec Turbo Kit History

The Xios Motorworks turbo kit for the ford Focus began life as the late Ford Focus Aerocharger turbo kit. Built in a co-operative venture by Aerodyne and renowned turbo guru, Corky Bell, author of “Maximum Boost”, the Aerocharger kit was designed to allow Focus owners to achieve excellent power numbers and response while leaving all the stock car’s emissions equipment intact. The unique placement of the Focus’ 2.0 Zetec catalytic converter makes it impractical to place a turbo in the conventional exhaust manifold-attached location while still retaining the catalytic converter. To remove the catalytic converter would not be street legal. Bell’s innovative design placed the turbo after the catalytic converter, allowing the kit to be 49 state legal. Additionally, as the kit left all of the car’s stock emissions equipment intact, it had the potential to attain California’s strict CARB exempt status and be 50 state legal.

Another notable feature of the Aerocharger kit was its revolutionary Aerodyne Variable Area Turbine Nozzle (VATN) turbocharger. By varying the area of the exhaust turbine blades exposed to exhaust gas, this turbo had the capability to adjust its “hot side” flow characteristics. This allowed the turbo to spool much faster than the conventional turbos of the day while still allowing for reasonable top end power output. Unfortunately, the turbo’s unreliability when pushed beyond its limits was its downfall. Due to the number of unique internal moving parts, the turbo was very sensitive to being over-spooled. Many boost-addicted customers, while attempting to extract a few more horsepower out of the turbo, met with the unfortunate sound of turbo failure when they upped the boost beyond the Aerodyne’s limits. Unfortunately, Aerodyne closed its doors in 2003.

Not wanting the kit’s inherently good design to go to waste, Bell Engineering Group, Inc. (BEGi) reacquired the kit and modified it to mate up with a new and readily available turbo, Garrett’s most advanced consumer turbo, the ballistic dual ball bearing GT series. The kit was thoroughly redesigned to utilize the fast spooling, efficient, and “bulletproof” GT-28R turbo. In addition to modifying the parts that hooked directly to the turbo, Bell made several other changes. The intercooler piping and intercooler inlet and outlet ports were enlarged from their previous size of 1.75” to 2” and a bypass valve, unnecessary with the Aerocharger, was fitted.

It was in this form that Xios Motorworks purchased rights to the kit. We have developed it even further, by simplifying its installation, smoothing its design and increasing its options. Also, as SCT dealers, we are in the process of creating a software solution for the kit.