Well, Whipple doesn't need to offer a liquid cooled version just to keep the rotor gears cool. I think it's accepted that KBs make way more heat than Whipples.
Nobody will ever admit this, nor does it really "mean" anything in the long run, but I called Kenne Bell in 2008 about developing a cooling jacket for the housing. A few emails and phone calls later, they said it could not be done and didn't make sense to do it. Also looked into an air cooled option but decided the water one was better. Almost two years later they unveiled the water cooled series. They worked absolutely fine without the extra cooling.
The thermodynamics of the systems differ greatly. Both units generate heat, but dispersion is different. The KB has higher adiabatic efficiency (at least on the 2.1 model that I based the study from- it was my college thesis, no I don't still have it unfortunately). A 100% adiabatic compression cycle adds no heat except for the compression itself (impossible scenario, generally). My thesis basically stated that even though the math worked out, the net difference is minimal and likely confounded by data and measurement methods.
I still cast my vote for the Kenne Bell. Their customer service is actually NOT as bad as everyone claims. However, they do address things with serious arrogance, so as long as you realize they know what they're talking about, all is well. I'm sure they get a lot of calls from people who screwed things up and are blaming them for it
Plus you don't see as many KBs as you do Whipples.
tl;dr: Maths. At the end of the day BOTH work and honestly there is too much data confounding to validate which one is more efficient when installed on the same vehicle. Bench tests don't perfectly emulate real-world scenarios. Just buy one and you'll be happy. Hell I have a stock (h)Eaton on my GT500 and I'm happy as hell with that.
So if I had to vote, I'd go Whipple since they are still innovating for the average guy. A bit more structured/larger, better longevity and better supply chain for parts when you consider their partnership with Ford and other OE's.
However, I hear so many good things about VMP, it's hard not to make that consideration.
Those are both excellent points to consider. Longevity is debatable though, based on use.
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