. How to Boost the Horsepower of Your Car

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THIS is what you could be driving.

Ever been mad at your car because it won't go as fast as you want it to be? Or ever had a car break down because you pushed it too hard? The problem is: not enough horsepower. It's that simple. Adding 5 horses of power will change the performance drastically.

Steps

1. 1
   Check the model of your car, and how much power it has. Hybrids have 50 to 93 horsepower. Small cars tend to have 100 to 140 horsepower. Lighter models have up to 200 horsepower. V6 models usually have 200 to 330 horsepower. V8's, V12's, W16's don't need tuning.

   
   
2. 2
   Improve your exhaust system. One of the first modifications should be a high flow exhaust system. Bigger bore is not always better here, a good indicator of exhaust size is looking at the size of the exhausts on factory tuned performance cars with engines similar to yours.
   • An induction kit/racing filter should also be fitted to aid airflow into the engine.
3. 3
   Install an ECU (or computer). These tend to boost up your car's power by a lot, depending on the brand and quality. They can be mapped to tune your engine's performance to your needs, for example peak power may not be your sole aim.
4. 4
   Install a turbocharger or supercharger. give large gains but cost several thousands of dollars and require upgraded engine parts to cope with extra loading. In general turbochargers suit smaller engines and superchargers should be left for large engines due to their weight and horsepower drain.
5. 5
   Remove everything unnecessary from your car. The weight of your car greatly influences its performance (who needs seats anyway right?). This is a personal choice, as some people like to remove spare tyres for example, and some people don't. Parts can also be replaced with lighter ones, such as a carbon fibre hood. Removing weight from the drivetrain is more effective as the inertia of the moving parts is also reduced. This can be achieved by using alloy wheels, lightweight driveshafts, a racing flywheel, or a lightweight crankshaft. Keep in mind though, carbon fiber hoods only reduce weight by a small margin, and are mostly for looks.
6. 6
   Install an upgraded clutch if necessary. Short shift gearsticks reduce gearchange times also. For serious racing a new gearbox with specially chosen ratios may be necessary. Considering upgrading from 5 speed manual to a 6 speed.

   
   

Tips

• You'll be spending $10,000 to $30,000 on upgrades, so make sure you aren't on a budget, and that you have the money to spend.
• It's easier to leave it at a tuning place, where they tune your car while you wait. GTPRO, Garage Five are examples.
• Only plan on installing nitrous oxide if you have to money to maintain the health of your engine. Like the warning below, it IS cheating.
• If you think all this is too much, consider selling your old car and buying a performance model instead.
• After the above other engine changes can be made (raising head, port polishing etc.) that require expert technical knowledge. Best left to professionals.
• Before you achieve large power gains you should consider upgrading your suspension. Lowering the car is a good first step, but for serious performance high quality springs and dampers are necessary. Wider tires will increase grip and traction, but larger wheels will affect gearing, so increases should be sensible. For cars under 300BHP 17" is enough. Tire wear and road noise will increase with larger tires.
• Brakes also need to be upgraded after large performance gains to increase stopping power and reduce fade. Keep in mind that 70% of braking power should be at the front, and 30% should be at the back. Unbalenced braking power will lead to oversteer and powerslides (dangerous, not fun).
• Make sure you purchase car parts from REAL companies, like HKS, AEM, Toyo Tires, NOS, Sparco, MOMO, and other brand names.
• With all your new performance you may require sensors to monitor your new equipment and the effects on your engine. Boost pressure and oil pressure gauges are a start. You tachometer and speedometer may also need to be adjusted to cope with higher engine speeds and different gearing respectively.
• Spoilers can be used to increase downforce, but care should be taken to increase downforce equally at the front and rear of the car. Rear spoilers by themselves may increase stability at high speeds, but may cause front wheel drive cars to understeer at speed. Unless you are really driving hard, spoilers are usually a waste of time, and just for show.

Warnings

• DO NOT street race. It is dangerous and illegal.
• Don't overdo it! You might not be able to control the speed!
• Do not speed. Follow the rules of the road, and always wear a seatbelt.
• If you want to race, enter your car into a club.
• Keep your old parts. Tests for roadworthiness may be hard on tuned cars, and you might need to re-install that catalytic converter. You may also find performance reduced with incorrectly chosen "performance" parts.
• Most of the above modifications WILL reduce your car's reliability. Don't rely on your racing machine to take you to work.
• Nitrous Oxide WILL damage your engine. Its cheating.

Things You'll Need

• 1_A couple thousand dollars. Most likely you'll need $10,000 to 30,000 dollars.
• 2_A car.
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• sources and citations;

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