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Best Performance Upgrades For Cars

June 12, 2019

Best Performance Upgrades For Cars

Key Takeaways:

  • Before adding any modifications, it is important to consider your ultimate performance goals.
  • Choose the best upgrades that meet your goals and budget. 
  • The top six performance upgrades include high-performance disc brakes, tires, high-performance wheels, suspension, ECU remap, and cold air intake. 
  • It is important to exercise caution as modifying your car may void your manufacturer's warranty.

 

Thinking about tinkering with your car a bit to boost its performance?

Sooner or later, every driving enthusiast gets to that point. Fortunately, the automotive aftermarket industry in Australia has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade. Now, it is easier than ever to get a variety of hi-tech performance upgrades for different types of cars.

Let’s take a look at the best aftermarket performance upgrades you can add to your car.

Consider Your Goals

Before adding a performance mod to your ride, it’s important to take into account your ultimate performance goals for your car.

Perhaps your intention is just to make your car a bit quicker, for more exhilarating launches from stop signs or for more engaging dashes on the highway. If so, then the performance upgrades that you ought to get do not have to be as extreme as those that ought to be put up by people who want transform their cars into all-out, competition-ready race cars. 

Basically, you want to assess your high-performance intentions, then choose the best upgrades that meet your goals and budget.

The Top 6 Performance Upgrades

Here are some of the best performance upgrades that you can get for your car.

1. High-performance Disc Brakes

When you start cranking up the performance of your car, stopping power is one of the first things that you ought to upgrade. Disc brakes are an upgrade over older drum brakes, if your car has them. If not, a larger, more robust set of disc brakes will still make your ride safer — because you’ll be more assured of your car’s ability to stop when you need it to.

In addition, the enhanced strength of your car’s braking system will inspire you to push the car harder, because you’ll be able to make quicker stops.

2.Tires

When it comes to upgrades, you can’t go wrong with a new set of performance tires. Most cars come equipped with low-cost, all-season tires that serve well in normal driving conditions; but perform dismally when you try to drive the car more spiritedly.

With tires, it’s all about road grip. The softer the tire compound is, the better it grips the road. The rubber compounds in performance tires like R-Comp tires are much softer than those of regular all-season tires. With them, you are assured of sharper handling, quicker acceleration, and improved on-road composure.

The downside of performance tires is that they are more expensive, and may wear out faster.

3. High-Performance Wheels

If you are thinking about upgrading your tires, you should also consider changing your wheel setup.

Getting lighter aftermarket alloy wheels is sure to improve your car’s handling, because of their lower unsprung weight. Your suspension system won’t work as hard to keep them planted on the road or to turn them. This means you’re likely to see quicker, more responsive handling, and better traction, with the right set of high-performance wheels.

Racing-inspired aftermarket wheels also tend to absorb and dissipate braking heat much quicker than stock wheels. This make them better able to handle longer periods of aggressive or high-speed driving.

4. Suspension

A boost in performance is also going to challenge your car’s ability to turn.

The car’s weight will shift with greater force when performing quicker turns, so you’ll need an upgraded suspension system to deliver enhanced control, stability, and handling. More robust control arms are sure to help to tighten the car’s handling, as are a new set of high-performance springs and shocks.   

5. ECU Remap

Getting your car’s ECU remapped with a more aggressive engine management system is another great way to boost its performance.

Your car’s ECU controls the engine’s fueling, ignition timing, torque delivery, and even the turbocharger boost pressure (in turbocharged engines). Most car manufacturers place great importance on achieving optimal powertrain fuel efficiency and reliability. OEM engine management systems are often set with conservative parameters.

Remapping your ECU with a more performance-focused engine management system will enable your engine to utilize its untapped performance potential. This means better throttle response, more horsepower and torque, and even better fuel economy.

6. Cold Air Intake

Getting a cold air intake is another foolproof way of improving your engine’s output, because it enriches the air/fuel mixture in your engine’s cylinders. The more oxygen you pump into the engine, the more fuel you get to burn, and subsequently, the more output you get.

With cold air intakes, the air filter is positioned as far from the engine as possible to avoid heat soak. Most people opt to position the air filter in one of the front fenders. Because of their distance from the engine, cold air intakes often require a considering amount of piping.

It is wise to opt for a cold air intake that has a dry filter element, because an oiled filter element can cause the car’s mass airflow unit to malfunction. You should also consider getting a cold air intake that comes fitted with a water-ingestion-preventing bypass valve, especially if you live in an area that is prone to heavy rainfall. 

Exercise Caution

Before you start with performance upgrades, consider that you may void your car’s manufacturer’s warranty by installing them. Most car owners wait until the warranty expires before they start to do any tinkering.

Be sure to seek the guidance of a professional auto technician as you start to modify your car. Some upgrades may seem straightforward or easy to install on your own, but it won’t hurt to get a second opinion.

Conclusion

The right aftermarket performance upgrades can really boost your car’s performance, and make it even more fun to drive. Choose your upgrades with the end in mind, and consider how you want the finished vehicle to drive.

In addition to getting the above mods, you should also consider getting a high-quality body kit for your car like the ones at AusBody Works. A good quality, performance-focused body kit can reduce drag, enabling the car to accelerate faster. It can also create more downforce and reduce the air pressure beneath the car, making the car feel more planted and more stable, even at high speeds.

You can count on AusBody Works to provide you with top-rated, imported ABS & Polyurethane body kits that are stylish yet affordable. For more information on the best performance upgrades for your car, get in touch with us to learn what works best for your car.


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