Is there one?

I heard of a one or two people looking into it,
but nothing yet.

I'd keep an eye on Jackson Racing, http://www.jacksonracing.com. They have a s/c setup for the previous CRV. If they update it for the new CRV, it's no big leap of logic to think that it might find its way into the E.

That said, it takes at least a year of R&D and field testing for major aftermarket mods like this. I wouldn't be comfortable with anything less.

makes sense I wouldn't want them rushing anything. I've never had a supercharger, I just wanna a bit more power for going through the mountians and stuff around here. Are they costly. and hows the installation?

>Are they costly. and hows the installation?

Ahhh... the $64K questions.

They are costly, in many ways. The kits are typically in the $3000+ range, and will cost another $500-1000 for a mechanic to install it for you. And they add zero to resale value - unless you chance into another enthusiast who is looking for that setup. In reality, they make the vehicle more difficult to sell because there is the easy-to-jump-to conclusion that the vehicle might have a history of being driven hard. You do it for yourself and only yourself, with the expectation that you will be keeping it until it collapses into a pile of rust.

My direct and indirect experience with installation is on a couple of Miatas, and an Escape. They were a piece of cake on the Miatas - a Saturday afternoon project. But that's a pretty open engine bay with a longitudinal placement - all the pulleys up front and very accessible, with the intake bits on top and quite easy to get to. Sidewinders like the Escape (and implicitly the CRV and Element) are a massive PITA because the stuff you need to get to are behind things, which are behind other things, which are all crammed into a cubbyhole. :evil:

These weren't my cars so I can't vouch for the driveability issues, but my wife had a long road-trip experience with one of the Miatas. She hated it - her biggest complaint was "you got full boost backing out of a parking lot space!", but in the s/c's defense she's not exactly lightfooted sometimes.

Would I consider an s/c for my future E? Maybe yes, maybe no. I was seriously thinking about one for my Escape, but it has other mechanical issues which make boost a big liability over the long term. One of the reasons I'm moving up to an E is that the Escape is already a gas hog (15 mpg in town! Yuck!), so any s/c setup is going to conflict with the objective of cutting down on the fuel bill. Anyway, we'll see.

I just exchanged e-mails with my contact at Jackson Racing, and, so far, they are saying "no" to a supercharger for the E.

Main problem is the demographic of who's actually buying the E - they don't see lot of Baby Boomers being interested in performance mods. This mystifies me just a little bit since the demo for the CR-V was roughly 60% female (a market also less likely to mod for go-fast), but, hey, they're the experts.

:?

hey mike,
you're right about companies not picking up the element for supercharger product lines..i was at sema last week and talked to a company that brought their element to a supercharging firm and was turned down for unknown reasons. he said it was because of time constraints and that the vehicle would never have been ready. But I'll keep my fingers crossed that someone develops a s/c kit for the element and keep you guys posted if I hear anything else. later

Hi, hondaone...

Did you find anybody at SEMA interested in the Element for anything other than cosmetic mods? Headers? Exhausts (complete and cat-back)? A choice in intakes? MAFs? Lift springs/spacers? Skid plates?

Gosh - even cosmetic mods like maybe a Safari Bar (Westin) would be nice. If they don't do one by the time I get my E, having a welding shop fabricate custom adapter brackets for the CR-V version might be worth my while. Hmm...

I only saw two or three Elements at SEMA, and none of them had any engine work from what I could tell...

There was only three Elements in SEMA that I saw, mine was the black one parked out front next to a lifted Ford Excursion. I was in the shadow. My E has a catback exhaust system and the new KNfilter Typoon air intake. The exhaust puts out more horsepower, but I have yet to test the air intake.
It looks cool (polished ss) and sounds good, but hp, don't know yet.
Another E in the Wet Okole booth, DVD/Kicker stereo and another one
painted orange in and out. It had a nice "woody kit" real wood, lowered with
air suspension. Next year I am looking into a completely built motor that may put out close to 300hp. Of course a few other things will need to be upgraded including my pocket book.
I'll get some photos up soon.
SurfCity :D

hey fellows,
I also was asking around about element inquiries, but the only good leads I got were from body kit manufacturers. I think everyone still waiting on the fence as far as element specific performance parts. However, did you see the amount of Scions that were there! I know the scion has had a strong following in Japan, but the Element is just a hands down better looking vehicle from a customizer standpoint.
Surfcity,
That was your Black E outside!, looked pretty clean amonst the 44's on 20's crowd. I like your tire/wheel combo.
Mike,
What kind of Safari Bar are you interested in...like a brush guard type bar or a nudge bar type. I believe there is a brushguard available for E's that is your standard variety type that comes in black. Let me know if I can help.
laters

I'm specifically after the Westin, hondaone. I have one on another vehicle. It's understated, looks sharp and makes a good spot to hang driving lights.

Full brush guards reek of "poseur" on a soft-roader like the E. :?

That was my black E. It was pretty fun driving in on Sunday with all the monster trucks. I though they(SEMA) might put me in the middle of a couple of them. If I do it next year I want to get a few more E's so we can park together. I did talk to a fender company about making some carbon fiber fenders,hood and front end. I'm waiting to hear from them.

SurfCity :D

One of those E's had a nitrous tank. Isn't that engine work? :D