Upgrading a car is the primary way to increase its performance and the overall enjoyment of driving. This can be done a number of ways, but most fall under seven major categories for actual performance. Some are relatively simple while others are more involved.
To keep things simple, gasoline-powered cars will be the primary focus with the goal of increasing speed, horsepower, and control while driving. Additionally all suggested modifications will be assumed to be compatible with the car in question.
Engine Optimization
Optimizing the car’s engine will be the baseline for increasing performance. This can be done two ways: engine tuning and/or an engine swap. The engine swap is the more involved approach and should only be done if the stock engine doesn’t have the desired horsepower for the build.
Engine tuning is easier, especially with modern equipment. Modern engine tuning means using the engine’s Engine Control Unit (ECU) to remap the programming for greater horsepower, better torque, and increased efficiency. This can be done with the car’s base engine if an engine swap is not required or out of the current budget.
Cold Air Intakes
Another upgrade for an engine’s performance is adding an improved cold air intake. This allows for better airflow into the engine to allow for more efficient performance and more power. These types of modifications can be simple bolt-in solutions or more generalized alterations.
Cold air intakes are one of the easiest modifications to do. They’re also popular with Nissan enthusiasts, along with other cooling-oriented Nissan aftermarket parts, including mods like oil coolers, large radiators, and other thermal mitigators.
Suspension and Brakes
While essential car maintenance is the primary safety measure when dealing with your vehicle, improving the suspension and brakes are a necessary upgrade once the car’s engine and power output have been modified. More speed and greater power require a better ability to deal with road turbulence and faster deceleration.
Certain suspensions are also better for drifting. The ability to drift needs to be determined before dedicating a car’s build to a suspension upgrade. This is because the suspension will affect the car’s handling around corners at speed or in regular use. When combined with the brakes, these can be high-wear areas that need quality solutions to handle the strain.
Exhaust System Improvements
While the engine is the heart of the car’s power, the exhaust can affect how efficiently that power is delivered. Upgrading the exhaust will allow for the engine to breathe more easily and expel gasses with better efficiency.
Using a different exhaust system lowers the backpressure in the system which helps increase the engine’s power and changes the tone of the exhaust for a more distinct sound. One is more directly related to performance while the other affects the aesthetics of upgrading the car.
High-Performance Tires
Not all tires are created equal, and selecting the right tire for the task is more important than most realize. Some tires are optimized for speed, traction, and road use. These are the types of tire that will compliment any horsepower or torque upgrades that a car might have.
Too little traction will result in unnecessary wear or worse, a waste of horsepower, preventing the car from reaching its full potential. High-performance tires will also help the car grip the road for better control while helping to avoid unwanted slipping or sliding.
Supercharging or Turbocharging
Using a supercharger or a turbocharger can help significantly increase power for most builds. While it comes down to personal preference and build requirements, selecting which option is right for the car will be the primary obstacle to choosing a performance booster.
Superchargers increase air pressure to allow engines to burn more fuel by getting more oxygen which results in more horsepower. Turbochargers compress air in the engine cylinders allowing for more output in a more compact package. This means superchargers use mechanical methods for efficient fuel usage while turbochargers use the exhaust to achieve a similar outcome.
If space is an issue, turbocharging the motor will provide better fuel economy, lower weight, and an overall more efficient use of space for the engine. If space is not an issue, supercharging the motor will provide similar benefits since the charger will need space for the belt or chain it uses to power the air compression.
Transmission Modifications
Upgrading the transmission will allow the car to actually make use of any improvements to horsepower by efficiently transferring power to the rest of the vehicle. An upgraded transmission can also lower the risk of the car tearing itself apart due to poor energy transference.
Moving towards a gearbox designed for racing can make gear changes smoother and more responsive although using a performance clutch or a short shifter can produce similar results.
