As enthusiasts, we want our cars or trucks to represent us and our passion for performance. Upgrading them with performance parts provides the satisfaction of creating more power, better handling, and an overall enhanced driving experience, whether it’s on the track, on the street, or for off-road adventures.
But what are the right parts to improve your car or truck’s performance? In this guide, we’ll list the best performance parts that every enthusiast should consider for their vehicle.
Engine Upgrades: Unlocking More Power
Even relatively small improvements to your engine’s performance can revolutionize the way an old car or truck feels. Bolt-on performance parts are great additions for any enthusiast’s ride.
Cold Air Intakes
A cold air intake allows your engine to pull in cooler, denser air, which means it’s rich with oxygen. More oxygen improves the engine’s performance and efficiency, making more power with less effort—5 to 20 horsepower, in many cases. These upgrades also sound amazing, improving the overall driving experience.
Performance Exhaust Systems
Most gearheads and enthusiasts know that a performance exhaust system offers a ton of value for the price. A performance exhaust flows better, which is important for high-performance engines that need to breathe. These kits also wildly improve the vehicle’s sound, making the driver’s, passengers’, and bystanders’ hearts race.
Turbo and Supercharger Kits
Whether your car is naturally aspirated (no turbo or blower) or you want to upgrade the existing forced induction system, a turbocharger or supercharger kit offers a big boost in performance—pun intended. These performance parts force more air into the engine, which means more oxygen and increased power.
Flashes and Tunes
Remapping your vehicle ECU with a flash or tune can yield big power without turning a single bolt. These programs plug into your car or truck’s OBDII port and adjust boost levels, fuel maps, ignition timing, and other parameters to improve power. Flashes can also optimize fuel economy and make modifications like aftermarket forced induction systems work properly. These flashes are the most economical way to add power, especially for vehicles that already have turbochargers or superchargers from the factory.
Suspension & Handling: Control in the Corners
Whether you’re upgrading a street car, a track monster, or an off-road rig, suspension upgrades can yield serious improvements to the vehicle’s capabilities. The right suspension and chassis gear also give a car that oh-so-perfect stance.
Coilovers & Lowering Springs
Adjustable coilovers and lowering springs (coupled with performance shocks and struts) will generally improve the performance of your car by lowering its center of gravity. This reduces body roll and allows the tires to stay planted, whether during acceleration or cornering. These suspension systems also give the car a lower, racier look and help rid the car of the unsightly “wheel gap.”
Lift Kits
If you’re taking your truck, SUV, or Jeep off-road, a lift kit is one performance part kit that you can’t ignore. These kits raise the vehicle’s height from the ground, providing more clearance for ruts and boulders. They can also increase wheel travel, which allows the tires to stay in contact with the ground in awkward, off-balance positions. Plus, that monster truck look will always turn heads.
Sway Bars & Strut Braces
Stiffening the chassis of a uni-body car can provide big improvements on the road. A sway bar attaches underneath the car and provides rigidity between the right and left sides of the vehicle’s suspension. A strut bar or brace attaches to the top of the strut towers, further increasing rigidity and reducing body roll. In turn, the rubber stays in contact with the pavement longer and improves performance.
Performance Bushings
Your factory bushings are made for comfort, which is great if that’s your focus. But if your thing is performance, consider upgrading your body bushings to a performance kit. These kits offer improvements in steering, handling, and road feel. They also improve power transfer and reduce wheel hop, keeping tires planted during acceleration. Which bushings should you consider? Engine and transmission mounts and control arm bushings make a big difference, as do sway bars bushings and subframe kits.
Wheels & Tires: Where the Rubber Hits the Road
If you want to keep your ride mostly stock but improve its performance, your best bet is new wheels and tires. These upgrades can translate to better capability without changing the car’s output at all. Keep the following mods in mind.
Lightweight Wheels
One key area for improvement is rotational mass, which is the weight of the components of a vehicle that actually spin (driveshafts, cams, cranks, flywheels, and other components). Wheels fall into that category, and stock wheels are heavy. This means the engine has to work hard to get them up to speed and the brakes work hard to stop them. Lightweight wheels drastically reduce rotational mass, allowing cars to accelerate faster and stop sooner.
High-Performance Tires
Depending on the vehicle, upgrading to a more aggressive performance tire can offer a few improvements. The car can accelerate faster, corner harder, and brake sooner. Or, a truck will be able to find grip in mud or over rocky, uneven terrain without puncturing.
Braking Systems: Stopping Power
If you’re looking for complete control so your car can perform at its best, you’ll need some brake upgrades. The following performance parts will allow cars to stop sooner, transfer weight better, and prevent brake fade on long, hot laps or even downhill descents.
Big Brake Kits
Big brake kits are just as they sound: massive sets of rotors, calipers, and pads designed to increase surface area for better stopping power. They replace the existing braking system, providing a race-like feel and an even racier look.
Performance Brake Pads and Rotors
If you’re not in the market for a complete replacement, swapping your existing brake pads and rotors for performance alternatives offers a lot of value. Modified rotors, such as those that are drilled and slotted, offer plenty of surface area while reducing heat, while stickier brake pads bite down onto rotors better without getting too hot. This keeps the brake pedal feeling consistent throughout the drive and allows the driver to operate with more confidence.
Where to Shop for Performance Upgrades
At Vivid Racing, you’ll find a vast selection of high-quality performance parts backed by expert reviews and videos. Check out our latest offerings and enjoy free shipping on select items. Whether you’re upgrading for the track or the street, we have the tools you need to build the ultimate ride.
