Top 5 ways to increase engine performance

For many cars buyers improving engine performance is at most something to watch on TV. To the devout petrol head however, increasing horsepower and taking milliseconds off the 0-60 is an absolute necessity. The desired results can be achieved in various ways. Specialist tuning companies can take your pride and joy and turn it into a snarling beast; this however normally demands a large bank balance. For the more experienced and brave car owner many online stores sell DIY kits that require minimal tools and knowledge and rather just a large amount of patience.

For the latter option an air filter is a very simple yet effective way to tune your car. A simple filter swap can improve acceleration by as much as 11%, who could turn that down? The swap doesn’t just benefit performance, everything from increased fuel efficiency to reducing emissions are possible with this quick change.

A cold air intake system is once again an inexpensive way to improve engine performance and efficiency. Cold air is more dense than warm air and therefore contains more oxygen, therefore producing a greater combustion in the engine. This mod is best left to the professionals however as it involves replacing many elements of the intake system. 

Another great way to improve overall performance is with an engine chip. This replaces the factory settings for aspects such as fuel to air ratio and throttle response. This can not only increase your overall horsepower but also improve fuel efficiency too. This modification is simple to implement at home with just a plug in for the diagnostics port.

A more expensive option to increase power is to install a cat back exhaust system. This system incorporates a wider pipe to allow increased air flow from the engine, in turn this releases pressure on the engine allowing it to produce more horsepower overall. Whilst relatively simple to install with a car lift, accessing the components may prove difficult with just a jack, meaning the professional route is the best once more.

The ultimate way to add power to any car is with a supercharger. This piece of automotive brilliance is

 usually left to the supercars. With some engine modifications though it’s very possible to fit this item to virtually any engine. The main benefit of a supercharger over a turbo is a supercharger doesn’t suffer from turbo lag as it runs directly from the crankshaft.