Originally Posted by Brosef

Although much has been said about the ESS kits, I wanted to post my own impressions after a few hundred miles and hopefully cover some things that haven’t been discussed in previous reviews.

Quality: Enough has been said about how clean the install is, but I’ll reaffirm that the quality of the kit and its design are fantastic. You can tell that a lot of hard work went into engineering something simple and the install really looks factory with the exception of the painted manifold (which, by the way, I would highly recommend to anyone considering the kit – it’s nice to have the creative license to make the engine bay your own and IND’s paintwork is outstanding).

Drive-ability: It amazes me that with the amount of power this kit makes, it still drives just like stock when you’re putting around town, backing in and out of parking spaces, etc. Furthermore, although most of the real excitement lies within the second half of the RPM range, there’s absolutely no mistaking the additional power at lower RPMs. One of the more pleasant surprises of adding the S/C was the extra torque available at highway speeds; it’s enough of a difference to make pacing through traffic much more pleasurable.

Power: It’s tough to explain what the acceleration really feels like, but it’s somewhere between absurdity and insanity. When I picked up the car, after quickly showing me the engine bay, Ilia and I hopped in to go for a spin. The first thing he said was, “watch out for second gear – it’ll bite ya.” Sure enough, with the first opportunity I had, I hit it in second and couldn’t help but say “holy shit!” as the tires broke loose at 6k RPM and continued to spin into third. The newfound thrust is simply exhilarating. ESS estimates that the 575 makes ~41% more power on 93 octane, but if you told me it doubled the power on the right side of the tach I wouldn’t call you a liar. It feels like a much bigger rush than I had anticipated. One of the reviews I read previously put it well by saying it feels like the car lost 1,000 lbs. It’s also nice to know that it’s an easy upgrade to the 600 or 625, but at this point I can’t foresee myself wanting more power (I won’t say ‘never’ though). If I’m honest, it’s a little intimidating strapping into the driver’s seat knowing there’s a real chance you may end up in jail. The power is awesome, but it demands respect. (disclaimer: I don’t break speed limits nor condone it)

Big thanks to all the guys at IND for pulling everything together flawlessly. The feeling of comfort you get leaving your car with them is irreplaceable. They provide true white glove service and treat each car just as they would treat their own. Nate - forgive me for jacking your IP, but I figured I'd post the obligatory picture and whoever takes these pictures for you guys is incredible.

Thanks for reading.