Common Car Upgrades for Improved Performance and Looks

For car enthusiasts, there’s nothing more satisfying than upgrading their wheels with performance car parts. These help everyday cars stand out from the crowd with simple yet effective exterior modifications, but more importantly, create vehicles with vastly improved handling, faster acceleration and something fun to drive. Various components fitted to production cars not only increase horsepower and achieve higher top speeds, but boost safety with more efficient braking, and cut fuel use with improved aerodynamics and lower vehicle weight.   

Common Parts Upgrades 

Complete Exhaust Systems 

Axle-back systems replace parts from the rear axle to the exhaust tips, featuring single- or dual-exit layouts, new tailpipes, muffler and resonator combinations, and more durable, better-looking tips. They’re affordable, easy to install, bump street cred with exceptionally good looks, and get an exhaust note to die for. 

You can boost power output by including wider mid-pipes in cat-back systems, either in X-pipe or H-pipe designs. X-pipes help with higher RPMs and improved exhaust scavenging, and H-pipes promote higher low-end torque with a deeper, rumbling exhaust note as a bonus. Or step up to full header and turbo-back exhausts with completely new car performance parts. These deliver major power gains, with improved flow and scavenging in wider downpipes, faster turbo spooling (and reduced lag) and significantly lower exhaust temperatures for consistent turbo performance and prolonged engine durability. A common denominator in all systems is improved airflow out of the car and a noticeable improvement in exhaust sound. 

Cold Air Intakes 

Stock intakes are hampered by space limitations in the engine bay, inferior materials, emissions and noise restrictions and placement. All factors limit how much cleansed, oxygen-rich air gets into the engine. Cold air intakes are aftermarket car parts that relocate air filters and air boxes to the front of the engine, thereby reducing heat soak from nearby parts such as exhaust and turbo manifolds. The main aim is to push higher volumes of cool, dense air at specified angles and speeds into the combustion chamber for optimal power. 

Parts include larger, reusable oiled cone filters that provide improved filtration and higher air volumes, more durable metal plumbing (instead of plastics or rubber) with integrated heat shields to keep incoming air cool, and in some cars, revised Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensors or bigger throttle bodies to control and distribute intake volumes. The benefits over factory intakes include more efficient combustion (read bigger horsepower and torque numbers), a more responsive engine for smoother and faster acceleration, lower fuel use in everyday driving (with moderate use of the acceleration pedal), and reduced maintenance costs with better filtration and reusable filters. 

Intercoolers in Turbocharged Engines 

Turbocharged engines reuse exhaust gases to produce more power from engines with a smaller displacement. They replace bigger naturally aspirated engines with improved throttle response and more torque at lower engine RPMs. Lower weight and reduced fuel use are other bonuses. 

To protect turbines and engine parts, consider installing more efficient aftermarket intercoolers. These cool compressed air before it reaches combustion, allowing more oxygen into the engine and generating more power. Intercoolers ensure consistent intake temperatures, preventing common issues like overheating and engine knock. The parts are commonly paired with blow-off valves that sustain optimal turbo boost (preventing impeller damage), and eliminate instances of turbo lag while producing a satisfying “blow-off” engine sound. 

Revised Exterior Bodywork 

Now that you’ve tuned engines for more power and torque, consider exterior body parts to neutralise drag from oncoming air and get more power to the wheels. Spoilers, splitters, diffusers, side skirts, and wings are just a handful of exterior additions that enhance aerodynamics. They’re added to the front, sides and rear of the car to increase downforce and keep the tyres glued to the road. The aim is to get more steering control, improved handling and enhanced stability. 

Kitted cars with packaged parts disperse air over, under and around the bodywork to eliminate drag, prevent lift and increase downforce. This helps at high speeds and in cornering, with significantly reduced body roll, more acute braking, and a car that’s more responsive to driver input. Parts can also be combined into kits with specific looks. For instance, choose wide-body kits with bigger bumpers and wheel flares for a more aggressive look (often combined with lowered suspension) or an aero kit to improve traction and agility. Both will turn more heads than non-modded production cars. 

Lastly, when choosing bodywork and car performance parts, also factor in the role of part materials. Fibreglass, polyurethane and reinforced plastics are affordable, relatively durable, and easy-to-install options for exterior bodywork. They’re also suitable for everyday street use and light track work. 

If you’re tuning a performance car, choose custom-built carbon fibre bodywork. This is substantially lighter, is twice as strong as steel, more flexible, and easily adjusts to changing road and driving conditions. Featuring interwoven fibres, it has a distinct look that no material can match. 

Summing Up 

Exhausts, air intakes, intercoolers and exterior bodywork are some of the most common performance additions in tuned cars. They add power, protect stock engine components, improve engine and vehicle durability and deliver a ton of thrills, with faster acceleration, higher top speeds, crisper handling, and engine and exhaust sound to match. Pair these with interior additions like gauges and matching electrical components to reap the full benefits. Browse for compatible aftermarket car parts online or visit your nearest tuning and performance car specialist stocked with reputed automotive brands.