a quick guide to performance modifications

In the automotive world, there is no such thing as too much power. Even if you are a regular car owner without any racing aspirations, you would like to have just a few extra horsepower from you engine, quicker acceleration and more mid-range torque to spice up everyday driving a little bit. It is totally understandable and that is why we will tell you about common performance modifications which could transform your car. Also, we will concentrate on modifications that are legal, relatively easy to do and available at a reasonable cost, since there are numbers of extreme procedures that will make your car very fast but could jeopardize durably and usability of your vehicle. So, let‘s start and make your ride the fastest today.

Performance chips

As soon as manufacturers started installing engine computers, aftermarket specialists started offering performance chips which alter stock maps and make the engine perform better. The trick is to replace the existing chip with a modified one which will give the engine‘s computer different settings and allow the engine to produce more power and torque. In recent years, this performance upgrade has become very popular but not all applications are successful. If you have a naturally aspirated engine, the performance chip will not give you significant advantage. However, if you have a turbocharged engine, the aftermarket chip will give you up to 25 % more power and torque raising the pressure in turbocharger and feeding the engine with more fuel, resulting in improved performance and output.

Of course, be advised that performance chips will not magically transform your economy car into a racing beast but in certain cases will noticeably improve the performance and even fuel economy. If you decide to tune your car this way, look for specialized and authorized shops with good recommendations since cheap performance chips could damage your electronic systems and cause more problems in the future.

Cold Air Intake

Cold air intake is one of performance modifications that you can do yourself and it will slightly improve the performance of your engine. As you know, an engine uses air which is mixed with fuel to form a flammable mixture. The mixture will burn better if the air is colder and the engine will thus produce more power. Exactly that is the idea behind the cold air intake kit. Mounting a different air tube, free flowing air filter and allowing more fresh air into engine will help produce more horsepower and achieve higher RPM than standard. There are numerous cold air induction kits on the market and you shouldn’t expect it will do miracles but it will give you a few extra hp.

Suspension and braking kits

Despite the fact that suspension and braking kits don‘t raise the horsepower level of your car, they still help you achieve better driving dynamics and acceleration times by helping transfer the power to the pavement better. Also, helping you stop more efficiently which is equally important. The first rule of car tuning is to equally tune all components and if you up the power of your engine, be sure to modify the brakes as well as suspension so it could cope with extra power.

In most cases, suspension kits lower the ride height of your car and stiffen the springs, making the vehicle more planted to the ground, more responsive and stable at high speeds. Also, lower stance looks much better than stock ride height. Stiffer suspension will help transfer the power better which will result in rapid acceleration, sure cornering and added stability at high speeds. So, if you are looking to seriously modify your car for performance, don’t forget the suspension and brakes.

Weight reduction

In the world of performance cars, lightness is the key as it allows you to achieve better performance with less power. Modern cars are getting heavier each day and all comfort options and safety features add a lot of weight. If you are looking to extract every bit of performance from your ride, you should consider weight reduction. If you remove unnecessary stuff from your trunk, spare tire and tool set or rear seats, you will lose around 100 kilograms or even more which will noticeably improve your performance. Extreme weight reduction includes removing sound deadening and isolation, door trim, installing lightweight body panels and even replacing windows with Plexiglas. Then your car will be stripped and will look like race car, and possibly sound and perform like one.

Exhaust systems

If the intake system lets your engine breath in, the exhaust lets it breathe out. This makes the exhaust system a very important component and one of the things you can improve and modify. Exhaust systems can be modified to deliver more performance as well as better, louder sound. In modern cars, exhausts are pretty much strangled by environmental standards, catalytic convertors and mufflers which quiet the engine noise. Exhaust fumes coming from the engine are passing through numerous obstacles designed to purify it before releasing it to atmosphere. This also limits the performance of the engine itself since it limits its ability to breathe out.

There are numerous performance exhaust systems available on the market for basically any type of car. These components are designed to allow free flowing of the exhaust fumes out of the engine which helps the performance of the car. If you install such modification, your engine will rev much faster, deliver the power better and produce 3 to 5% more power which is not insignificant.

Conclusion:

If you are looking for reasonable modifications that will not break the bank or turn your car into an unusable racing machine, those four items are mandatory. If you combine all five of them you will not only get a much more powerful car but also a vehicle that performs, brakes and handles much better than before while still retaining everyday usability and durability. We suggest you always buy brand name products recommended by car manufacturers and have it installed by professionals. In that case you will have the best possible results, service support and in most cases, factory warranty which is very important.