Performance Parts - Auto Parts to Soup up Your Ride

For some people, getting the most out of your car is a passion. Achieving better performance by replacing standard parts is a path taken by some. Below are some performance parts that can take your car to a whole new level.

One of the sought after car parts that can increase performance is the turbo kit. Turbo kits feature the turbocharger, which is a form of supercharger. Turbochargers increase power and performance in a car by increasing the air pressure going into the engine. The turbocharger is more efficient than most forced induction compressors because it is powered by a turbine which in turn gets its power from the exhaust of the car instead of a direct mechanical drive. A turbocharger can typically add as much as 50% of horsepower to an engine. To increase power, multiple turbos can be placed.

Another performance part that's effective in increasing power efficiency is a cold air intake. Cold air intakes bring in lower temperature air into a car's engine. Bringing lower temperature into a car's engine effectively increases the pressure of the air being pumped into the engine because colder air has higher density. This colder more dense air given by these performance parts give better air to fuel ratio and increasing power to the engine in much the same way a turbocharger does. Aside from increased horsepower and torque, a cold air intake can also improve throttle response and fuel economy.

Improving other car parts other than the engine include improving the suspension. Auto parts concerned with suspension include replacing leaf springs, tie rods and the shocks of your car. The entire suspension system, when improved, will give your car better handling and better response to turning. Replacing these auto parts can also give a car more power during takeoff due to better grip on the road. Speaking of better grip, other auto parts you can consider replacing are the tires. Replacing stock tires wit high performance tires can provide a lot more grip on the road. There are a lot of choices for tires depending on what kind of road and what road condition you're looking to drive in.

Smaller adjustments and replacements on parts can also contribute a lot to a car's performance. Replacing car parts like sparkplugs, wires and your clutch can increase response and/or reaction times. These small adjustments can add up and provide an overall faster car. For example, replacing the clutch with a high performance parts clutches can increase the response time between gears. This quick response time in between gears equates to less time that the engine is disconnected from the transmission which in turn means less power lost.

Pros and Cons of Electric Cars

Answering questions regarding the pros and cons of electric car versus conventional depends on how you view many of the considerations. In the current economic situation, the electric car may have some advantages but on the other side of the coin have definite disadvantages.

Conventional cars are coming off the assembly line somewhere every day with many choices of makes and models. Currently, only Nissan has a total electric car and not even all Nissan dealerships have these on their showroom floor.

In terms of fuel costs, the estimated cost of of charging is round $2.75 for 100 miles of use. While fuel costs may fluctuate, keeping an eye on the fuel gauge is easier than remembering how many miles have been traveled and mentally calculating how soon another electric battery charge will be needed.

Many experts feel electric cars are more eco-friendly since they have no emissions polluting the air we breathe, to be totally eco-friendly, electric cars must not pose a drain on natural gas resources.

Refueling must definitely be a prime consideration. While larger cities and towns are beginning to have electric charger locations, it could be many years before small towns offer this service and for rural areas it could be never. Even with home-charging systems it can be both costly and time consuming since a 100volt outlet requires 20 hours for maximum electric battery charge. Even using a 220volt outlet requires at least 10 hours charging time versus 5 to 10 minutes to fill a gasoline tank.

Price of Electric Cars

The price of an electric battery over those used in conventional cars is another important consideration to be weighed. Even if the average battery whether electric or gasoline powered vehicle has the same use-life, how many vehicle parts businesses stock an electric charger? Currently little research is available answering the question of how adverse weather conditions will effect the amount of charge available.

Little research is available related to safety of electric cars and their occupants. Safety testing for conventional cars and their various accident-prevention features are a matter of record versus the number available for electric vehicles.