Installation and testing:Luke Munnell And Stephen Rhim
The Claim:The Power Neo is nothing more than a fancy case that clamps around a vehicle's fuel feed line, housing two neodymium magnets that sit opposed to one another, about 13mm apart. By properly applying the device to any gasoline or diesel engine's fuel supply, Top Fuel claims the Power Neo will "break down fuel molecules into ultra fine particles", immediately increasing power and torque, reducing emissions, and increasing fuel efficiency.
The Test:Rounding up our standard test mules - Carter's SR-powered 240sx and my project Miata - G-Dimension's Stephen Rhim and I conducted several back-to-back dyno tests, both with and without the Power Neo applied to each vehicle, to determine if using the device brought any measurable increase in power or torque. Fuel efficiency and emissions weren't tested, but if the device could bring power gains without increasing the supply of additional fuel, it stands to reason that combustion efficiency would be improved - increasing fuel economy and decreasing emissions.
| TEST 1 | LUKE’S PrOJECT MIATA |
| MD AUTOMOTIVE, WESTMINISTER, CA |
| BASELINE | 94.0 lb-ft of torque, 105.4 whp AVG |
| TOP FUEL NEO | 94.0 lb-ft of torque, 105.4 whp AVG |
| TEST 2 | CARTER'S SR-POWERED 240SX |
| XS ENGINEERING, GARDEN GROVE, CA |
| BASELINE | 221.1 lb-ft of torque, 242.8 whp AVG |
| TOP FUEL NEO | 217.9 lb-ft of torque, 241.7 whp AVG |
FictionThe verdict:Sorry, Top Fuel. You may manufacture some great products for today's performance imports... but the Power Neo isn't one of them. Our repeated testing showed no measurable power or torque benefit by installing the Power Neo on either of our subject cars, meaning it likely didn't change emissions or fuel efficiency, either. Why didn't it work? Most experts argue that magnetic force has absolutely no effect on gasoline or diesel whatsoever; others, that modern-day fuel injected engines are already so efficient (approximately 98% of their injected fuel is burned) that even if magnets could improve combustion efficiency, immeasurably small amounts of power and/or fuel economy would be gained.
Our advice: for maximum power and mileage benefits, spend your hard earned dollars on a good tune, not on magnetic gimmicks.
As a long-time reader, I must hand it to you: I really like the new direction Import Tuner is headed. Great job on all the new sections, especially Fact or Fiction. I love that a reputable magazine like 2NR is finally stepping up to the plate and calling out all the gimmicks and bogus products that plague the automotive industry. My only request is that you test more products that are unique to our scene, or that advertise directly in the magazines, like the Name Witheld ads I always see on your pages - everyone knows they're total crap!!--Derrick Bishop, Frederick, MD
Just when we think we've seen all the B.S. products out there, one of you guys writes in and reminds us there's still work to be done. As enthusiasts, we generally know a thing or two more than most when it comes improving our cars, so for the past few months, Fact or Fiction has focused on gimmicks marketed to the general public, for the simple fact that there's just more of them. But that's not to say our scene is immune from them, and in this 10 year anniversary issue, we're planting the Fact or Fiction crosshairs on one of Japan's most well-known tuning companies, and testing one product we've had mixed emotions about since its release a couple years ago-Top Fuel's Power Neo.