SEMA Product Partner Spotlight: Sprintex
Sprintex Limited has been the world leader in supercharger technology for 25 years. Their growth is attributed to the fact that they are one of the very few companies that utilize the twin-screw supercharger. Sprintex recently opened offices in the United States. The company is looking to increase its presence here through the JK and the FCA Pentastar V6.
While originally known as Fleming Thermodynamics and located in Scotland over 30 years ago, Sprintex was relocated to Perth, Western Australia 11 years ago through ATG (Automotive Technology Group) and has grown ever since. They started in developing superchargers for motorcycles, like the Harley-Davidson V-Rod and various Ducatis. So, your Jeep’s Italian sharing can go beyond the Fiat Chrysler Auto brand when you install a Sprintex supercharger into your JK.
Recently, the company developed products for the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S/Toyota FT-86 that have been very popular for the small, 2.0-liter sports car. However, the horsepower-mad folks of Australia like power adders, and that demand led to Sprintex developing superchargers for Holdens, Land Rovers, the Toyota Hi-Lux and others. Now, the company is looking to feed off of the popularity of the JK Wrangler, thus it has created an office here stateside to start selling direct instead of using an importer/distributor here in North America.
“With the JK Wrangler being the most modified vehicle in the world, it’s an obvious vehicle for us to be involved with,” says Gordon Emslie, consultant to Sprintex Superchargers. “Even more so when thinking about the need for additional torque for those Jeeps when they are out climbing sand dunes or crawling over rocks.” The torque produced by a twin-screw supercharger outperforms that of the roots-style thanks to being a more efficient pump, and it can outperform a turbocharger from the hit of the throttle because it’s driven directly by the crank pulley rather than the exhaust.
Originally, the Jeep vehicles Sprintex built superchargers for were the TJ 4.0-liter inline-six, but now the firm concentrates on the Pentastar 3.6-liter V6. However, seeing a supercharger kit for the TJ, early generation JKs, and other Jeeps (new and old) isn’t out of the question if the demand is there. “Now that we’ve opened up Sprintex USA, already we’re starting to see a much more even demand across the country,” says Gordon. “We expect to see an increase in inquiries and demand for those products, especially the TJ and older JKs, as there are still lots of those running around.”
While Sprintex has done diesel products in the past, the tooling and development for the new EcoDiesel engine has not been implemented. There hasn’t been a demand for it just yet. “We have to be reactive and as proactive as we can be,” says Gordon. “Overall, we’re trying to recognize the direct requirements of our customers as well as the requirements of the regulatory bodies in terms of the CAFE regulations, etcetera.” Gordon also expects more of Sprintex’s OEM customers to demand more superchargers as FCA continues to reduce engine sizing for fuel economy and lower emissions. This is why Sprintex sees a larger demand for the 3.6-liter Pentastar engine and their supercharger kit.
For the future, Sprintex is looking toward meeting customer demand and increasing brand awareness of their superchargers in North America for both the aftermarket customer and the OEM market. “It’s interesting times as we go forward, but we’re quite excited to be involved directly now in the North American market,” Gordon says. “Not just from a customer perspective, but from an OE perspective as well.” JK-Forum looks forward to seeing Sprintex Limited grow in the U.S. and hopefully we’ll continue to see more JKs, TJs and future and classic Jeeps out there with their systems.