Did you know that your iPhone or BlackBerry Storm can be used as a portable Dyno? Now, thanks to Bunsentech, all car enthusiats can use their iPhone or BlackBerry Storm with one of the Dyno applications to record how much real Wheel Horsepower (WHP) you are actually putting to the ground.

How It Works

The Dyno application (Dynolicious for iPhone users, DynoStorm for BB Storm users) use the accelerometers in the phone to calculate your speed. The accelerometors are used from your GPS system so the Dyno app just utilizes what your phone already offers. But, as we all know, good things in life aren’t free.

What It Costs

Luckily, both Dynolicious and DynoStorm are just $12.99 from your phone’s application store. Compared to the $0.99 games available this may seem like a lot, but for a car enthusiast it’s a win-win situation. The average 2-3 runs at a shop would easily cost you $200 or more. The Dyno application is a one time purchase and you can use it multiple times and for multiple cars. Check out more info and features at dynolicious.com.

The Results

I wanted to get an iPhone for awhile now, but after hearing about this app it took me over the edge. After getting my tax refund I finally picked one up and shelled out the additional $12.99 for the Dyno app. The money spent was well worth it and I couldn’t stop playing around with the features.

I own a 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit with an ABD Cold-Air Intake and Unitronic Stage 2 ECU upgrade. During the “Dyno-Day” at a local tuner shop, 034 Motorsports, I signed up for a special promo that gave me 2 free Dynos with the purchase of Unitronic’s ECU upgrade. As you can see from the chart, it didn’t give me that much of a horsepower boost, but that’s expected with a naturally aspirated (N/A) engine. Note that the chart is showing Wheel Horsepower (WHP), not the power to the crank, so my Rabbit is putting down 150 HP and 170 lbs of torque.

Armed with solid numbers coming from a professional Dyno, my challenge was to achieve those numbers, or something close to it, with my handheld Dyno. The Dynolicious app is straightforward – you input the weight of the driver and the car (look up your car’s total curb weight online). If you want to find out how much WHP you’re making set the “Drivetrain Loss” to 0% and calibrate the phone from inside your car so it’s relatively level. For tips on how to make your runs effective with your phone and get accurate results visit the online manual located inside the “Setup Tab” in the application.

After a couple of runs I finally reached my mark of 150 WHP with the application. The results also show your 0-60 MPH, 0-100 MPH and more. With a little practice, patience and a nice straight line, it’s possible to get a good idea of how much power your car is putting to the ground without spending the $200 at a shop.

Steven (aka BlueWabbit) is a guest blogger from the GolfMkV forums. He’s an active VW enthusiast and organizes meetups in the San Francisco Bay Area.