If you own a sporty coupé, you inevitably consider the idea of upgrading it even further to enhance performance. You want to know how far you can push it into super car territory.
The answer is that there is actually quite a lot that you can do. There’s no need for you to stick with the standard equipment from the manufacturer.
So, which high-impact upgrades should you consider? What’s out there that will really make a difference and leave you feeling great about your choice?
Forced Induction Kit
If you’re looking for a big jump in horsepower, the best option is to usually put your money into a forced induction kit. These can add 100 BHP or more to your ride, totally changing the amount of power you extract from the engine.
Forced induction kits like bolt-on turbos or superchargers change the way fuel mixes with oxygen in the engine compartment. These changes can have an exceptionally high impact and are something you can usually feel immediately, the moment you get back out on the road. The extra ability of the engine to burn fuel and extract more energy from it is palpable and allows it to work better from the get-go.
The only caveat is that you can sometimes add so much power that it overwhelms the other features of your vehicle. And that can make it hard to control, especially on track days.
The good news is that you can simply upgrade other components at the same time to help you deal with the extra horsepower, many of which we mention below.
Big Brake Kit
If you are considering adding a lot of power to your vehicle with performance car parts, you might consider a big brake kit (sometimes abbreviated BKK). These give your vehicle more stopping force and allow you to take advantage of bigger, grippier tyres.
Big brake kits from brands like Wilwood and Brembo come with various components, like brake hoses, calipers, and rotors. These are often much better engineered than the standard options from the manufacturer, allowing you to generate more performance each time you depress the accelerator pedal.
What’s nice about these brake kits is that they help you resist fade. Conventional car brakes usually heat up and then fail to add stopping power. But with BKKs, you don’t usually have the same worries. These are better at dissipating heat and maintaining superior performance over the long-term.
If your vehicle is less than 200 BHP, then usually, you won’t need to consider BKKs. However, anyone with a coupé with more than 300 BHP should definitely look into it, especially if using non-standard components elsewhere.
Suspension Upgrades
Adding suspension upgrades to your car is another great way to help its performance. Things like lowered springs and thicker sway bars can improve handling in corners and when under severe braking.
For example, you may notice that your coupé rides quite high and rolls during corners with standard suspension setups. However, ideally, you want your vehicle to feel planted during turns without body movement to give you better control.
One way to do this is to tune your standard suspension. However, this approach isn’t always the most reliable. Meanwhile, suspension upgrades generally work better and deliver superior results. They’re certainly something you’ll want to consider.
ECU Remap
If you’re just looking for a low budget way to enhance your vehicle, you might want to look into an ECU remap. These tunes optimize things like:
- Ignition timing
- Fuel maps
- Boost levels
- Engine parameters
Changing these from the manufacturer’s default is often a lot of fun. Most owners discover that their vehicles can offer them significantly more performance than they expected, giving their cars a whole new lease of life.
Most tunes will deliver between 20 and 50 BHP increases in performance. However, some will actually go above this, especially if you have a low-end vehicle with the same essential components as those at the top of the range.
For example, the modern coupés that benefit the most are models like the Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86. These have engines designed for high performance but that receive deliberate nerfing from manufacturers so that they can create performance differences between models.
Cold Air Intake System
Have you ever wondered what your vehicle does to burn fuel? The answer is to use the cold air intake.
On most stock vehicles, these pipe air from the environment directly to the engine. However, they aren’t always optimal. If you upgrade them, you can sometimes add between 5 and 15 BHP to performance and improve throttle response considerably.
This upgrade is one that you can feel almost straight away if you use your coupé a lot. You feel like the vehicle has a more powerful, instant response that just works so much better than before.
If you decide to pair it with other tunes, like changing how the car’s computer works, then you can get even more synergies and the performance can go through the roof. In these cases, you may find that the upgrade adds over 100 BHP, simply because of how it combines with other components.
Exhaust Upgrades
Exhaust upgrades are a real favorite among people with coupés. These allow your engine to transport more waste gases out of the back of the vehicle for increased horsepower and also torque.
Exhaust upgrades are able to add around 10 BHP, depending on the type of engine you have. If you’re using a turbocharged system, then the benefits may be slightly higher than this compared to the standard naturally aspirated options.
Also, when you upgrade your exhaust, you can adjust the sound it makes. It can enhance how it feels and what it looks like.
Lightweight Tires
Finally, you might look into adding lightweight tires to your vehicle. These reduce rolling weight while enhancing grip, improving acceleration and handling under braking.
If you’re new to modding vehicles, this option is one of the easiest and straightforward. Just go to a tire garage and ask them what they would recommend.
