Most people won’t admit it, but the average car owner has a deep love for their vehicle. It could be a Porsche, or it could be a Volkswagen, but regardless of the make, they’ll clean it and service it and treat it with care and consideration – often with as much love as an extra family member. But then there are times when they just want to go a little bit faster. But how does one go about putting more horses under the bonnet? Here’s how:
Cold Air Intake
Cold air is denser than warm air, so there’s an increase in the volume of air getting into the cars’ cylinders to combine with the fuel. By the addition of something called a cold air intake you can lower the air temperature, which leads to more air in the fuel which leads to more combustion and an increase in the burn of fuel. This can, by simple physics, lead to more power. Hot air takes up more room than cold air. Companies such as Pure Performance Motorsport produce all manner of stuff to assist car-owners to get the beast (and that’s not a typo) out of their cars.
Tires and alignment
OK – it’s technically two things, but they go hand in hand. To start with, maintaining the correct tire pressure will definitely assist (as well as meeting required safety standards). Under-inflated tyres will create a drain on fuel and drag down the performance of the vehicle; this can be felt in the quality of the ride, how the car handles and road stability of the vehicle. By ensuring the correct tyre pressure there are also significant fuel savings to be had, so there’ll be more fuel in the tank to be souped up by the cold air intake device (see next tip). If you want to go quicker around corners (not that such behaviour is being endorsed here) then top-flight tyres are a sound suggestion – though be aware; you’ll never get high performance from a set of tyres that weren’t built for that purpose. Ask your tyre supplier the right questions!
A correctly aligned set of wheels is vital to the cars’ steering response; something that’s vitally important when you’re enjoying that extra horse-power.Combining a sweet set of tyres with appropriately aligned wheels is one of the best things that can be done to improve performance; the additional grip and responsiveness of the steering will definitely be noticed by the driver – though even if the car isn’t going any faster, it will certainly seem to be the case.
Exhaust Pipes
Changing the alignment of your exhaust so it flows back from the catalytic converter to the rear of your car is another relatively simple trick to improve performance; this pushes the gases out of the cylinders faster leaving more room for (cooler) air and more fuel – though it should be noted that upgrading your exhaust system can prove rather costly in relation to the extra horse-power that you’ll get for the trouble (and cold, hard cash outlaid).
Did you find these tips helpful? Do you have any other ways to increase your horsepower? Leave your ideas in the comments below.
