Cars can be modified in dozens of ways, but for more power and improved performance on a budget, consider an upgraded exhaust system, bigger and grippier tyres, and better brakes. It’s these three value-packed additions that deliver more for your dollar, including higher engine power, distinct looks and improved safety.
Why Go With Performance Exhausts?
The factory exhaust in your car doesn’t do much in terms of overall horsepower or aesthetics. It consists of multiple and narrow bends and mild steel in lower grades. This causes quite a few issues. Increased backpressure of spent gases that linger in the exhaust tubing hurts combustion cycles and efficiency, effectively choking the engine by depriving it of air.
The same applies to the corroding and punctured tubing due to lower tensile strength and a missing anti-corrosion layer. Disrupted airflow in and out of the engine can be felt when on the acceleration pedal, with slower pickup and increased stress on engine parts, notably the exhaust valves and cam lobes.
Most, if not all of these shortcomings are easily sorted by installing a performance exhaust system. This comes in wider diameters and straighter piping to increase exhaust velocity, or the speed with which spent gases leave the car, and to relieve the engine of built-up pressure. The simple formula allows for improved efficiency, meaning the next combustion cycle is unhindered by exhaust gases returning to the cylinders.
Moreover, with revised designs in parts like the headers, there’s improved exhaust scavenging, or the pulsating effect of vacuum that draws out exhaust faster. And with more attention to detail and specifics, such as the implementation of efficient DPF filters when tuning diesel engines, there’s a substantial reduction in harmful pollutants without impacting engine performance.
Real-World Benefits
The revised designs, superior materials and production processes (such as mandrel bending and heat treatment) and more attention to detail bring a host of real-world benefits:
- More power and torque – improved airflow from the manifold to the tips means more power and torque. Cars fitted with a performance exhaust system are faster, faster to accelerate and have more in-gear speed with better torque spread over a larger power band.
- Durability – stainless steel and high-end materials like titanium and carbon fibre add tensile strength and resistance to heat, impact and corrosion, so your new exhaust system lasts for years to come.
- Improved looks – materials and treatment deliver exceptionally good looks, most evident in the tips.
- Sound tuning capabilities – mufflers, baffles, straight tubes and resonators are just some of the parts mixed and matched to tune the sound leaving the tips. Most car enthusiasts go for a louder, deeper exhaust note (aided also with wider mid-pipes and valving tech), but there’s also the choice to quieten things down.
- Lower weight – better materials mean weight savings. Systems with stainless steel and/or titanium can shed 20 kilos off your car, meaning hundredths off lap times with no extra effort.
- Customisation – car owners can choose carefully selected configurations (axle-, cat/DPF- or header/turbo-back systems) or change individual parts, such as restrictive factory catalytic converters, and add components that aid airflow or turbo-spooling, including downpipes and wider mid-pipes.
Improved Grip and Handling with Performance Tyres
New tyres and matching alloys bring a lot to your car. The bigger diameters, lower profiles and improved tread patterns deliver more grip, better traction and higher top speeds. The softer compounds and wider contact patches maximise the surface area tyres have with road surfaces to substantially lift grip and traction levels. Cars are more stable in turns, get to speed faster and offer better overall handling. This is an easy way to turn an unassuming hatch or sedan into a sleeper car.
Moreover, performance tyres have shorter sidewalls to reduce flex when cornering. This increases agility, and with more grip through optimised tread patterns delivers more precise steering and improved control. And if you like higher speeds, the unique designs also help with durability, meaning they’ll last longer than what came with the car. All these features help with higher top speeds and get you a car that’s more fun to drive and more responsive when on the pedal. Combined with eye-catching alloys in larger diameters they also give vehicles a more aggressive stance.
Come to a Safer Stop With Performance Brake Parts
Stock components in production vehicles are built to a price point, meaning mediocre performance at most. If you’re tuning your car for more power and improved handling, don’t forget performance brake parts and the increased safety they provide. These can tame the extra horses from the engine or a new exhaust for shorter stopping distances and more control in hard braking.
They’re beneficial at high speeds, in inclement weather or when towing. Overlooked advantages are reduced noise levels (a quieter cabin and more relaxed ride); lower amounts of brake dust (for cleaner alloys and no corrosion), and parts that last longer so reducing maintenance and replacement costs in the long run.
Most drivers step up from organic to sintered or ceramic braked pads for more stopping force and a better brake feel when on the pedal. Pair these with larger diameter drilled or slotted ventilated discs to increase the friction and holding power with pads while dissipating more heat.
Other parts are racing callipers, that include multiple pistons to engage pads faster; braided steel brake lines to ensure proper brake fluid pressure (and prevent warping or corrosion) and high-capacity master and slave cylinders that start or aid the whole stopping process. Look for established brake parts brands, consider professional installation and allow proper run-in times before brakes settle.