Top 10 Most Effective Performance Car Modifications
08 December 2009
engine With so many car performance modifications around today, it's difficult to know which ones will give you the best results, and most bang for your buck. Luckily the Verooom team have compiled this run down of the top 10 most effective performance modifications on the market today, in comparison to the relative cost of making each modification.
Due to today's strict emissions and fuel economy standards to which manufacturers have to conform, most new cars bought these days are actually capable of performing far better than they are advertised, and sold to us. So, how can we remove these built in limitations and unleash a cars full potential? Here's a rundown of the top 10 performance enhancing modifications available to us with today's technology. Some are cheap, some are expensive. But which one gives you the most BHP per pound of your hard earned money? Read on to find out in the Verooom Top 10 Most Effective Performance Car Modifications. turbocharger
Turbocharger
Performance gain: Very High (30% to 100% / average 40%)
Installation:
Cost: Very High (between £2500 and £5000 with fitting)
A turbocharger takes pressure directly from the engine's exhaust system to power a supercharger, which forces more air into the engine resulting in greater air density in the cylinder and in turn, more power.
One disadvantage of the turbocharger is that it causes the engine to run hotter. So If you add a turbocharger to your car, you'll need to find a way to keep the engine cool as well. Many people get around this problem by installing an intercooler, however, this is at significant extra cost.
So, if you have a relatively high budget turbochargers are an incredibly efficient and effective way to get more performance out of your engine, but be prepared to shell out some extra cash up-rating your coolant system.
Advantages: Very high power gain, efficient.
Disadvantages:
Verooom value for money rating: 6/10
supercharger
Supercharger
Performance gain: Very High (average 46%)
Installation:
Cost: Very High (between £2500 to £5000 with fitting)
A supercharger, sometimes called a blower, is similar to turbocharger insofar as it acts as an air pump, the crucial difference being a supercharger is a mechanically driven pump whereas the turbocharger uses the power of hot exhaust gases to power the pump.
Because superchargers run straight off the engine, they can increase engine load by up to 30%, meaning technically, they are less efficient than turbochargers. However, they do still have a number of advantages over the turbocharger. They are easier to fit, marginally cheaper and generally do not possess most of the negative handling characteristics of your average turbocharger, offering smoother power gains right across the rev range.
The only downside is they require a lot of space under your bonnet so if you haven't got bags of room in there, be prepared to fit a scoop to accommodate the extra components.
Advantages: Very high power gain, Smooth power gains.
Disadvantages:
Verooom value for money rating: 6/10
nitrous
Nitrous
Performance gain: High (average 25-35%)
Installation:
Cost: Moderate (around £500)
Nitrous is short for nitrous oxide (N2O). In car engines, as Nitrous gas is heated up in the combustion process, it breaks down releasing additional oxygen and increases the burn rate thus allowing more fuel to enter the combustion chamber.
One side benefit of Nitrous is the cooling effect it has as it rapidly changes from a liquid to a gas. This cooling effect reduces the temperature of the air taken in by 60 degrees F (15 degrees c). Colder air carries more oxygen which is required for combustion to take place - more oxygen means you can burn more fuel.
Though nitrous can create incredible boosts to an engine's horsepower, 20bhp to over 200bhp or more depending on the size of the nozzle jets, it can also increase wear and tear on most of a cars components. In addition, Nitrous is not street legal in many areas and as a result, it is seen mainly on cars modified for racing.
The Nitrous gas itself is released into the engine via a button or switch on the cars dashboard. As the gas burns so quickly you can only expect to get a minute or so of boost per bottle of gas. For most drivers this is not a problem as the Nitrous has such a dramatic power gain, it would be almost impossible to use it for any longer than a few seconds without your car being ripped apart, or even taking off!
Advantages: Affordable, high performance gain, controllable.
Disadvantages:
Verooom value for money rating: 8.5/10
Sway Bars and Control Arms
Sway Bars and Control Arms
Performance gain: N/A
Installation:
Cost: £100 to £400
So, we know it's certainly possible to improve a cars performance with out and out raw power. This is great if were driving in a straight line all the time, but that's highly unlikely, so what about handling?
A car that handles well enough to take turns at high speeds will almost always win races over cars that just have bags of raw power, but must slow down for turns.
One way to improve a cars handling is to stiffen the suspension. Sway bars and control arms are components of car suspensions that work to counteract body roll and keep the car firmly planted in turns. Adding stronger sway bars and control arms to a car stiffens the suspension, minimizing body roll and allowing it to take corners at higher speeds.
Advantages: Better handling.
Disadvantages:
Verooom value for money rating: 8/10
