In a car enthusiast’s world, there is nothing like too much horsepower. A true car aficionado is always on the lookout for ways to increase their vehicle’s performance. Mechanics, engineers and car enthusiasts are always on the hunt for more power to attain higher speeds. 

A big car manufacturer has the budget and resources to do proper research and development and tear apart their engine to increase horsepower. However, the average person working on their hobby car cannot be expected to have these resources. 

So, typical car enthusiasts look for less labour intensive and affordable methods to increase their vehicle’s horsepower. To support your hobby, auto parts retailers sell a plethora of aftermarket tuning accessories that you can use to tune your cars. 

Pulsar turbos are considered an industry-leading aftermarket tuning component by automotive enthusiasts in Australia. Moreover, there are plenty of other brands available for all the tuning accessories one might need. 

So, here are some of the easiest ways you can pull in more horsepower from your car. 

  • ECU Chips

ECU Chips are also known as Engine Control Unit Flash. The act of installing ECU in your car is known as chipping or flashing in the automotive industry. 

The chipping is done to the engine control unit of your car, wherein the chips rewire some of the essential functions and configurations of the engine. Chipping is equivalent to teaching your car new tricks or hacking into the brain of your car. 

Chipping proves to be the simplest and easiest way to squeeze out more horses from your car. The original ECU settings are programmed for maximum efficiency in a vehicle and configure the car to perform below its full capacity. 

In contrast, additional ECUs reprogram the existing settings by changing the fuel-air mixture ratio to a more aggressive setting. With a bit of effort and minimal effort, ECU flashing can unlock a decent amount of power. 

  • The cold air intake system

It is a simple modification wherein you replace the stock air filter and intake. Engines need to breathe a lot of air to enable combustion in the chambers. 

A cold air intake system will improve and increase the flow of air going into the engine. An aftermarket intake system would not hamper the temperature of intake systems, unlike the OEM’s (Original equipment manufacturer) systems.

  • Supercharger and Turbochargers

Turbochargers and superchargers are a type of forced induction system. The supercharger’s rotors are connected to the engine’s crankshaft with a belt that spins and compresses the air in the engine. 

However, superchargers are prone to more heating and require additional radiators and cooling systems, making the car heavier.  These modifications are complex, but you can still manage to do these modifications in a home garage.

In comparison, turbochargers are more simple to use and install in a car. Unlike superchargers, turbos use the engine’s gases to spin the turbine and power the compressor. 

Turbochargers are not directly connected to the engine like a supercharger. So, you may notice a lag in the power delivery, which is known as turbo lag, in the industry.  But, many car enthusiasts like the turbo lag and the sudden burst of power that turbocharger provides. Turbochargers like Pulsar turbos are preferred over superchargers as they are effective, reliable, and affordable. 

These performance modifications are cost-effective yet yield good results. You can even do these modifications for under a thousand dollars and tune your project car for some extra horsepower.