I know that our blog has been silent for several months, but it’s only because there’s been so much going on here at Banks. In a time when others are simply folding up the card table and are taking down the tent, we’re looking at what things we want to concentrate on next. Being that Gale Banks Engineering is an actual engineering firm and not simply a go-fast shack of speed parts, we are in a rather unique position where we can turn our attention to other places where we have the talent and expertise. We’ll never turn our backs on trucks, but it’s also not the only thing we’re about. No one-trick pony here!

So what’s on tap you ask? Well, diesel technology is always advancing… and so do our tuner products. What can we do to get the most out of today’s diesel without harming the emissions or the vehicle? Diesel injection systems now are much smarter than they were just last year. You can’t just hose a stream of fuel into a combustion chamber anymore to get a kick in the pants because the sensors and ECU will put a stop to it immediately. I’m sure you can go “bandit” and start pulling parts, but that ends up messing everything up including your engine. A recent example of how to do it right is our Sidewinder Jetta project, which just keeps getting better.

See, when the Robert Bosch Corporation came to Banks and asked if we could inject some excitement into the rather (and I say this with respect) pedestrian Volkswagen Jetta TDi, the answer was “heck yeah.” It wasn’t all about adapting our tried and true tuner technology that was developed in-house, it was how do we take this great car and make it a kick to drive. Since this was a new Piezo injection system the task was a bit harder to get performance. Because all of the know how is under our roof we were able to take on the task and produce a unit capable of giving you a stupid grin and scaring your passengers at will. Then we merged our prototype tuner with the new Banks iQ, developed a custom cold air intake and exhaust system, and finished it all off with a special wheel and suspension package. Powerful, grippy, economical and fun are not words usually used to describe the same car… but it’s a recipe we have used here for decades. It was quickly inducted into the Bosch demonstration fleet where it became a favorite of journalists and automotive engineers alike. We even keep a version of the Sidewinder Jetta in our own fleet where it serves as a test bed for even more upcoming diesel technology and electronic systems.

There’s also the continued development of new environments and abilities for the Banks iQ. I can’t begin to tell you all the cool stuff we’ve been working on for that… at least not in this entry. It’s a product that has almost endless possibilities. Almost like a sketchbook that has blank pages to draw on right after your last masterpiece. It’s a great feeling to be so involved in what has become the fastest selling product in the company’s history.

Let’s see… what else? Oh yeah, there’s marine engines, turbo stuff, military projects, new electronic products, continued racing development, crate engines, projects with OEs… whew! I wasn’t fibbing when I said there’s a lot going on, and I’ll do my best to let you all in on it in future entries. Stay tuned.