Some of us are after a car that performs faster, stronger, better. And though it might seem like a lot of work to the uninitiated, it actually is a work of love. There are so many ways to improve the performance of a car and the only problem is you have to choose. I for one would like to try all of them.
Knowing your cars systems inside out does help, but it’s not mandatory. At the end of the day all we want is to hear the rev of the engine when we depress the pedal. And this can be achieved by tweaking a few of the vital parts in a car.
Forced Induction
Internal combustion engines typically run in four phases: air intake, pressurizing, ignition, and exhaust. All those vital parts along the lines of cylinders, piston rods, crankshafts, spark plugs and valves make fuel burn in the chamber. And the way these parts support the burning of fuel in the engine greatly affects the performance of your car.
The air which get sucked into the chamber is practically taken straight from the environment. So, your engine depends on the quality of ambient air to burn fuel. Since this air can fluctuate a lot in terms of density and pressure you are practically not feeding your air intake valve with the most optimal air for combustion.
Forced induction devices were developed to solve this issue. They change the density, temperature and pressure of ambient air to facilitate better conditions for combustion. The capacity of the air intake valve remains the same – you can’t change the volume of air pushed into the chamber. However, by pressurizing it you are creating a system that performs way better than any other naturally aspirated engine.
There are two ways to introduce forced induction system to your engine and they are known as turbochargers and superchargers. The former is usually powered by a turbine that is connected to the exhaust gas, while the latter is driven through mechanical means because it runs a belt attached to the crankshaft. Over the years a number of iterations have been employed (the earliest example is back in 1885), however high performance turbocharger for better engine performance has remained one of the go to options. And rightfully so, for installing a turbocharger contributes to bigger explosion in the cylinders and results show an increase of 40% in power and torque. Who doesn’t want that?
Obviously, there are not a lot of arguments against mounting a turbocharger to give your car an extra push. They are inclined to work better with diesel engines operating at 3000rpm or more, but you will experience a change in the rev of your petrol engine as well.
Throttle Module
You don’t have to install high performance turbocharger to get a boost. Electronic throttle modules were devised to eliminate the throttle lag your car is fitted with to comply with gas emission regulations. This is arguably a more direct way to approach the issue, though no one will address throttle modules as if they are an actual auto part.
In essence, when you floor the pedal the engine takes time to respond. This is because throttle response is managed. Fortunately you can get rid of this performance impedance by plugging throttle module in your steering column. You are just putting the module in between so your command gets transferred directly to the motor.
Having more sensitive throttle response is great for starting from a standstill. Particularly so, if you are driving an off road vehicle and you need to start moving at fast rate. And you will feel the change as soon as you put this aftermarket part in place. So please test it out in low traffic hours because your might need a moment or two to adjust to the sensitivity. I mean, you work the pedal and your car just accelerates like never before.
Most throttle modules will allow you to switch between several modes. No one wants to drive at full speed all the time. Usually there is one ultimate mode that is employed when you are overtaking or when you need the full throttle to push through. Economy mode makes city driving possible with all those frequent stops along the way. If you want to have your regular throttle lag back for a while there is a ‘normal’ mode allowing this. And in this day an age, as you can imagine, there is an automatic mode that will adjust the throttle to your driving style.
Tires
If you are looking to get better performance you might want to take a closer look at your tires as well. Unfortunately the sheer choice can seem overwhelming, but you will have to stick to some guidelines to make your task easy.
For starters, note that racing cars have tires with soft compound. This is the type of material that will warm quickly and allow you good grip. As you may have witnessed at the race tracks, these tires are not made to last, and need to be replaced at short intervals.
Also keep in mind that some of the performance oriented tires are not approved for use on a roadway. So double check our road safety regulations before going for no thread tires, regardless how stunning they are performance wise.
If you are satisfied with the street tires on your car, but want to do proper maintenance in order to get better performance go for higher pressure. Study your owners manual and keep the tire pressure up to 5 psi higher than recommended.
