Pagani set to release Zonda replacement this year

In a recent announcement by Pagani company founder, Horacio Pagani, the company are set to release a replacement for there insanely quick Zonda supercar by the end of 2010.

The Argentine boss and self confessed 'petrol head' announced to the media that the new car called the C9, will be powered by a 690bhp version of Mercedes' 6.0-litre V12 AMG engine.

And by no means is this car going to be a carbon copy of the origional Zonda R. Pagani stated that the completely re-designed Zonda replacement will be underpinned by a carbon-titanium chassis and will feature 3770 new parts. Expect this car to be both fast, and expensive, with only 40 planned for production each year were guessing the price tag will likely be around the £785,000 mark.

The current Zonda R screams in at just 0-62mph in 2.7 seconds and keeps going all the way up to 217mph, therefore we can assume the new C9 will be even faster, fast enough that just the thought of it could easily make your eyes bleed.

We're looking forward to seeing the new supercar thunder around the Top Gear test track some time later in the year. Further information can be found at the company's website, http://www.paganiautomobili.it/.

The Capri is back!!

Ford's secret plans for a Focus Coupé aka, Capri!

We kid you not, the Capri is back, as a hot hatch! Due for its debut sometime in 2010 and rumoured to be in production by 2012, the new Capri is a three-door version of the highly popular Ford Focus.

As you can see from the pictures it's a mix of Fords latest design themes with the trademark twin grilles at the front, large lower air intakes and bold LED, Mondeo-style headlamps complete the new Capri's striking appearance. However, you can still see some subtle styling clearly taken from the original Capri, notably the heavy back end, trademark C-shaped rear windows and thick pillars.

The new Capri will boast a wide range of options when it comes to choosing the powerplant to attract a wide range of customers including a fuel efficient 140bhp 4-cylinder, a sporty 250bhp 5-cylinder, or a smaller, more efficient 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine. This would make the Capri a worthy opponent for VW's revived Scirocco and will also be priced at a competitive £17000.

We were all very excited to learn of this new release here at V e r o o o m and we certainly look forward to taking one for a spin as soon as it gets released on the UK market.

A cleaner, cheaper, environmentally friendly, more efficient car engine. Are Biofuels the future for the automotive industry? Part two, Bioethanol.

20th January 2010

There are many ways we can cut down on the amount of fuel our cars use these days. As simple a thing as changing your heavy steel wheels for alloy wheels, upgrading you tyres to energy efficient tyres and keeping your vehicle well maintained with regular servicing can dramatically decrease your annual fuel costs however, can we cut down even further and in doing so even help cut down on our carbon footprint? Well, the answer is yes! And it's not nearly as difficult as you would think.

With rapidly increasing fuel costs across the UK and throughout the world most of us really are starting to feel the pinch when it comes to filling our cars up these days. This coupled with increasing pressure from the government and environmental agencies to combat Co2 emissions, could biofuels be the future for the automotive industry?

Let's take a quick peek at the advantages, disadvantages and cost of some of the alternative fuels available to us today. And hopefully answer a few burning questions about the viability of alternative fuels on a practical level as we head into the most green focussed decade in nearly 3 century's of the modern auto mobile.

NB: If you car runs on diesel then skip to part 1, Biodiesel.

What is bioethanol?

Bioethanol is liquid ethanol produced from various common crops including but not limited to sugar cane in Brazil, corn in the US and wheat and barley in Europe and the UK. It is produced by a process of conversion of feedstock crop into fermentable sugars through enzyme amylases. Yeast is then added to ferment the resulting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Compatability

Although bioethanol is very similar in properties to petrol, if is often mixed with petrol as a low percentage blend; E10 contains 10% ethanol and 90% petrol, E15 contains 15% ethanol and 85% petrol etc. However, it is possible to run cars effectively with a far higher ratio blend of ethanol such as E85 (85% ethanol and 15% petrol) with a few small modifications to the vehicle, the fitting of a larger fuel tank and adjustment of the ignition timing.

It is also possible to run a vehicle of 100% ethanol however, most Bioethanol mixes retain at least a small amount of petrol. This is because ethanol is more difficult to vaporise than petrol, particularly in cold weather thus making it difficult to start a car with 100% ethanol in cold weather conditions.

Bioethanol is on the increase as a fuelling alternative in the form of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs). FFVs are designed to run on straight petrol or an ethanol/petrol blend of up to 85%ethanol (E85). Except for a few engine and fuel system modifications they are identical to petrol-only counterparts.

FFVs have been produced since the 1980s, and dozens of models are currently available from a variety of manufacturers including Ford, Volvo and Saab.

FFVs experience no loss in performance when operating on E85 however, since a litre of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of petrol, FFVs typically get about 20-30% fewer miles per gallon when fuelled with E85 and up to 50% fewer on 100% (E100) ethanol.

What are the advantages of bioethanol?

The biggest advantage of running your car on bioethanol is environmental with some studies suggesting that lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 90% with bioethanol in comparison to petrol. This is of however best case scenario based on using sugar cane as the crop and the actual figures vary between crops used ranging from 7.5% to 70% for corn ethanol predominantly produced in the US.

Another advantage would be taxation, in the UK road tax payable on FFVs that can use high percentage blends is lower than for conventional petrol cars by around £10.

Due to economies of scale, commercially produced bioethanol tends to have higher production costs than petrol. These are partly offset by tax benefits as the UK government has reduced fuel duty on bioethanol for the next three years by 20p/litre (to stimulate production).

Despite this, the retail fuel price of bioethanol can be higher than conventional petrol - the exact price depending on whether the bioethanol is a pure or blended formulation.

What are the disadvantages of bioethanol?

There are some concerns over the use of bioethanol as a long-term alternative to petrol. These include:

• Biodiversity – The sheer amount of arable land required to grow bioethanol crops could see some natural habitats destroyed, including rainforests.
• The food versus fuel debate – Due to the lucrative prices of bioethanol there is concern that some farmers may sacrifice food crops in favour of biofuel production, which could potentially increase food prices around the world.
• Carbon emissions – There is also debate over the carbon neutrality of bioethanol when all elements in the production process are taken into account including the cost of changing the land use of an area, transportation and the burning of the crop, a process which usually requires large quantities of fossil fuels.
• Compatibility – Most older vehicles are limited to a maximum of around 5% bioethanol and 95% petrol.
• Fuel Economy - Huge decrease in fuel economy with bioethanol (typically around 20% but can be as much as 50% with 100% ethanol) compared to petrol.

Can I run my car on bioethanol?

Well, that depends on the rate of bioethanol you're after. A normal engine can handle up to 5% bioethanol and 95% petrol easily but for higher ratio ethanol mixes a specific flexi-fuel engine will be needed to cope with larger intakes of bioethanol.

This twinned with the fact that finding bioethanol is still difficult in the UK as there are very few filling stations that sell high percentage bioethanol makes it an even less viable option.

Final Thought

Our advice would be if you want a cheaper, greener, better smelling car buy a diesel and convert it to run on Waste Vegetable Oil, for now at least!

Further reading

Part 1, Biodiesel

Further information from HM Revenue & Customs can be found here

A cleaner, cheaper, environmentally friendly, more efficient car engine. Are Biofuels the future for the automotive industry? Part one, Biodiesel.

19th January 2010

There are many ways we can cut down on the amount of fuel our cars use these days. As simple a thing as changing your heavy steel wheels for alloy wheels, upgrading you tyres to energy efficient tyres and keeping your vehicle well maintained with regular servicing can dramatically decrease your annual fuel costs however, can we cut down even further and in doing so even help cut down on our carbon footprint? Well, the answer is yes! And it's not nearly as difficult as you would think.

With rapidly increasing fuel costs across the UK and throughout the world most of us really are starting to feel the pinch when it comes to filling our cars up these days. This coupled with increasing pressure from the government and environmental agencies to combat Co2 emissions, could biofuels be the future for the automotive industry?

Let's take a quick peek at the advantages, disadvantages and cost of some of the alternative fuels available to us today. And hopefully answer a few burning questions about the viability of alternative fuels on a practical level as we head into the most green focussed decade in nearly 3 century's of the modern auto mobile.

NB: If you car runs on petrol then skip to part 2, Bioethanol.

Biodiesel and Vegetable Oil, what's the difference?

The main difference between true biodiesel and vegetable oil is that nearly all Diesel Engines can be run on biodiesel without any conversion whatsoever, however, if you plan on using straight vegetable oil some minor modification is usually necessary (with the exception of most, if not all Mercedes and Volvo vehicles).

In addition to this, waste vegetable oil requires refining prior to use to remove emulsified water, sediment and any large fragments of waste products that could potentially clog your engine.

Compatibility

As most of us are probably aware, not all engines are compatible with bio fuel therefore prior to filling your tank haphazardly with any form of bio fuel, whether it be biodiesel or vegetable oil its first essential to check it is compatible. Putting the wrong type of fuel in an engine can cause serious problems and mistakes such as this are often incredibly difficult to rectify. At best, your car won't run and will require draining and flushing, at worst, the damage could be severe and permanent requiring you to fork out for a new one, so be sure to do your homework.

Biodiesel

Apart from the obvious cost and environmental advantages biodiesel has over mineral diesel a surprising plus would be that as biodiesel is naturally a significantly stronger solvent than mineral diesel it is capable of keeping your engine running cleaner and smoother by dissolving accumulated fuel deposits in the tank and pipes into new, clean fuel. Less accumulation of fuel deposits in your fuel system means a cleaner running and more efficient engine.

Initially, as the mineral diesel deposits are broken down those particles may accumulate in the fuel filter thus requiring an interim replacement however, this usually only lasts one service cycle and after that the pipes and tank are clean and fuel filters will only need replacing at standard service intervals and what you will have is a much cleaner car.

It is also worth noting that due to the solvent attributes of biodiesel, if you have an older vehicle with rubber piping and parts in the fuel system it will be necessary to replace that piping with modern, hard-wearing long life nylon pipes to prevent corrosion problems.

For more information on producing your own biodiesel click here.

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is thicker in consistency than both mineral and bio diesel particularly in cold temperatures therefore it is necessary to make some modification to the way fuel is handled in a diesel engine using this type of fuel to compensate for this and prevent difficulties starting your car. Here are the available options as of writing this article.

Dual Fuel System

Probably the most commonly implemented conversion type since the popularity of vegetable oil fuelled cars, this system simply uses 2 tanks of fuel, one for Vegetable Oil, and the other for diesel/biodiesel.

The premise being that you start the car on the tank of fuel containing diesel/biodiesel and manually switch to the tank containing vegetable oil when everything's warmed up, thus preventing the more viscous vegetable oil from clogging jets, lines and filters.

At the end of your journey prior to turning off the engine you will need to switch back to diesel/ biodiesel tank so that the injectors and fuel lines contain diesel. This means the engine will start next time you use the car, and it will prevent fuel freezing in the fuel lines during cold weather conditions.

Mixed Fuel

By far the simplest way is to mix vegetable oil with diesel or biodiesel in the main tank at different ratios depending on the weather conditions. On warm days a higher percentage of vegetable oil can be used and on cold days, vice versa.

Full Conversion

A full conversion to vegetable oil fuel negates the need for diesel all together by using heat to take the viscosity out of the fuel, thus allowing it to flow freely regardless of weather conditions.

A typical full vegetable oil conversion uses a fuel pre-heater in the tank, a heat exchanger to warm the fuel, and/or a heated fuel filter.

Waste Vegetable Oil

If its maximum economy you're looking for, then there's no denying waste vegetable oil is the way forward being by far the cheapest solution in the long run. The only downside being that it needs to be processed before you can use it in your car, therefore requires the most work on the part of the car owner.

Other things to consider

Although an engine will generally run more smoothly on vegetable oil, and be better lubricated than with mineral diesel, it is essential that you continue to maintain your engine properly, as you would have done prior to any conversion with regular servicing and check-ups.

You should always keep a spare fuel filter handy in case you suffer from a blockage. In very cold weather it will be necessary to add some mineral diesel to your fuel as a preventative measure, to prevent problems with freezing.

Biodiesel and UK Law

Unfortunately, here in the UK you can't even look at a new thing with ought the government slapping a tax on it (remember Poll Tax, the Tax on breathing?). So yes, you've guessed it! Although it would be great for the environment and the consumer, as of 2002 Tax must be paid on any oil of any origin which is used to power a road vehicle.

At the time of publishing, biodiesel and yes, you've guessed it, vegetable oil have an excise duty rate of 20 pence per litre less than the mineral diesel rates.

But you shouldn't let this put you off, running your car on biodiesel or vegetable oil is still considerably cheaper than mineral diesel, and far better for the environment.

Further Reading

Part 2, Bioethanol

Further information from HM Revenue & Customs can be found here

Verooom's simple steps to avoid getting ripped off by cowboy mechanics

It's fairly common to hear stories of people being fleeced by the local garage or mechanic, but what steps can you take to empower yourself and avoid be caught out by a cowboy?

Here's our 18 top tips to minimise the risk, and hopefully keep you from becoming just another victim.

Look around

Major franchises tend to charge a lot more than small, independent retailers (they have to pay for the snazzy overalls somehow) so it's well worth shopping around for the best price, you could be saving yourself a small fortune!

That AUDI garage could be twice the price of a perfectly reputable local mechanic with more combined years of experience than all of the AUDI mechanics put together!

Beware a growing repair list

Remember what your car went to the garage for, although it's perfectly normal for a mechanic to highlight additional work that may need to be done to your car to keep it running, particularly if it impacts safety, if the list of repairs starts to grow rapidly, you should be very suspicious.

If you're not sure, get a second opinion! If you went to the garage for an interim service and you're now forking out for brand new alloy wheels, tyres and an Eric Cartman shaped air freshener that glows in the dark, it's definitely time to get a second opinion!

Plan Ahead

Don't leave it to the last minute to find a trustworthy mechanic or garage, you should have someone in mind well before your car needs a service, this will save you having to choose one in a hurry.

Make a note of the work that needs doing

Its well worth making a note of any work you need doing and giving a copy to the mechanic before they start. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself as well.

Make sure the work is guaranteed

Before any work starts, make sure all parts and labour are guaranteed. If you don't and something goes wrong it will be entirely at the garages discretion as to whether they put it right.

Use MOT Test Centres

If you need an MOT it's much better to take your car to a dedicated MOT test centre, that way you can be sure your getting a completely unbiased opinion as appose to risking being told your car needs work doing to pass, when it actually doesn't at all.

Empower yourself

Obviously nobody expects you to have a masters degree in mechanical engineering, but a little knowledge goes a long way, so try learning a little about your car.

Even something subtle such as leaving a Haynes car manual on display in your car will suggest you know at least a little about it, and won't be an easy target.

Use a recommended garage

Word of mouth is a priceless resource, so it's well worth asking your friends and family members to recommend a garage where they have received good service and value for money.

Don't pay with cash

Cash is great but what happens when something goes wrong? You've already parted with your money and then if a dispute arises, it's going to be a lengthy and difficult process getting a refund. Luckily, cash is not the only option. If you pay by cheque for example you can always cancel it should a problem arise. You can also pay by credit card as most credit card payments these days are covered against fraud.

Mark your parts

It's well known that some unscrupulous garages will try charging you for parts that were never replaced so, if you already know which parts are due for replacement its worth marking them just to make sure they actually have been. You can also insist on disposing of the old parts yourself.

Record any damage

It's worth making a note or taking photos of any scratches or dents on your car prior to taking it to a garage then, should it have any unfortunate mishaps while it's in their care you will know about it, and have the evidence to prove it!

Do your homework

Don't just take a mechanics word for it, do your homework, you should know exactly when your next service is due, and the schedule for the replacement of worn parts. This information can usually be found in your car manual, log book or the manufacturer's website. Still looking? There are a ton of websites out there offering free and paid car manual downloads, just Google it!

Take a test drive

A good way of making absolutely sure your car has actually been fixed is taking it for a test drive, so don't be afraid to ask BEFORE you shell out any money. A legitimate garage will have nothing to hide and therefore, won't have a problem with your request.

Check the quote for hidden extras

When you get a quote, be sure to check the price is inclusive of VAT, parts and labour, as some dealers may add these later on top of what you think is an inclusive quote. Some really unscrupulous dealers may even do this on purpose in order to catch you out so be very wary.

Don't be afraid to ask questions

When the work is complete, make sure you are given a full receipt, broken down into parts, labour and VAT. If you are not sure about anything on the receipt, don't be afraid to ask questions and if you don't understand the jargon, insist they explain in plain English.

New or reconditioned parts?

Occasionally garages use reconditioned parts, to fix your car as appose to new ones, so it's worth double checking. If they are using reconditioned parts, although perfectly acceptable practice, you should not be paying for new parts.

A stitch in time...

Try not to let car problems accumulate, keeping your car safe by taking it to a qualified technician is essential, so do so in a timely manner. If you know your tyres are due to be replaced, get it done! A blowout could easily cause a fatal accident.

Find an MICP accredited garage

The Motor Industry Code of Practice for Service and Repair was developed by the industry to help motorists find garages that will provide them with a good service.

Any garage undertaking car (or light commercial vehicle) servicing or repair can sign up to the code and agree to comply with its standards, which covers all aspects of garage work from advertising, booking in work, undertaking repairs, staff, invoicing and resolving complaints.

Each garage signed up to the Code agrees to provide their customers:

• Honest and fair services
• Open and transparent pricing
• Work completed as agreed
• Invoices that match quoted prices
• Competent and conscientious staff

For more information on The Motor Industry Code of Practice, visit their website at http://www.motorindustrycodes.co.uk/

For more information on verooom, please visit our website at www.verooom.com

About Verooom

Verooom are experts in automotive supplying and fitting of Tyres, Exhausts, Alloy Wheels, Brakes, Suspension and Motorcycle Tyres. Here at Verooom you can expect the highest quality products at unbeatable prices and with a level of service that is second to none.

Top 10 Most Effective Performance Car Modifications

08 December 2009

With so many car performance modifications around today, it's difficult to know which ones will give you the best results, and most bang for your buck. Luckily the Verooom team have compiled this run down of the top 10 most effective performance modifications on the market today, in comparison to the relative cost of making each modification.

Due to today's strict emissions and fuel economy standards to which manufacturers have to conform, most new cars bought these days are actually capable of performing far better than they are advertised, and sold to us. So, how can we remove these built in limitations and unleash a cars full potential? Here's a rundown of the top 10 performance enhancing modifications available to us with today's technology. Some are cheap, some are expensive. But which one gives you the most BHP per pound of your hard earned money? Read on to find out in the Verooom Top 10 Most Effective Performance Car Modifications.

Turbocharger

Performance gain: Very High (30% to 100% / average 40%)
Installation: Difficult
Cost: Very High (between £2500 and £5000 with fitting)

A turbocharger takes pressure directly from the engine's exhaust system to power a supercharger, which forces more air into the engine resulting in greater air density in the cylinder and in turn, more power.

One disadvantage of the turbocharger is that it causes the engine to run hotter. So If you add a turbocharger to your car, you'll need to find a way to keep the engine cool as well. Many people get around this problem by installing an intercooler, however, this is at significant extra cost.

So, if you have a relatively high budget turbochargers are an incredibly efficient and effective way to get more performance out of your engine, but be prepared to shell out some extra cash up-rating your coolant system.

Advantages: Very high power gain, efficient.
Disadvantages: Expensive and difficult to install, expect to have to up-rate cooling components.
Verooom value for money rating: 6/10

Supercharger

Performance gain: Very High (average 46%)
Installation: Difficult
Cost: Very High (between £2500 to £5000 with fitting)

A supercharger, sometimes called a blower, is similar to turbocharger insofar as it acts as an air pump, the crucial difference being a supercharger is a mechanically driven pump whereas the turbocharger uses the power of hot exhaust gases to power the pump.

Because superchargers run straight off the engine, they can increase engine load by up to 30%, meaning technically, they are less efficient than turbochargers. However, they do still have a number of advantages over the turbocharger. They are easier to fit, marginally cheaper and generally do not possess most of the negative handling characteristics of your average turbocharger, offering smoother power gains right across the rev range.

The only downside is they require a lot of space under your bonnet so if you haven't got bags of room in there, be prepared to fit a scoop to accommodate the extra components.

Advantages: Very high power gain, Smooth power gains.
Disadvantages: Not good for small engine bays, puts extra stress on the engine.
Verooom value for money rating: 6/10

Nitrous

Performance gain: High (average 25-35%)
Installation: Moderate
Cost: Moderate (around £500)

Nitrous is short for nitrous oxide (N2O). In car engines, as Nitrous gas is heated up in the combustion process, it breaks down releasing additional oxygen and increases the burn rate thus allowing more fuel to enter the combustion chamber.

One side benefit of Nitrous is the cooling effect it has as it rapidly changes from a liquid to a gas. This cooling effect reduces the temperature of the air taken in by 60 degrees F (15 degrees c). Colder air carries more oxygen which is required for combustion to take place - more oxygen means you can burn more fuel.
Though nitrous can create incredible boosts to an engine's horsepower, 20bhp to over 200bhp or more depending on the size of the nozzle jets, it can also increase wear and tear on most of a cars components. In addition, Nitrous is not street legal in many areas and as a result, it is seen mainly on cars modified for racing.

The Nitrous gas itself is released into the engine via a button or switch on the cars dashboard. As the gas burns so quickly you can only expect to get a minute or so of boost per bottle of gas. For most drivers this is not a problem as the Nitrous has such a dramatic power gain, it would be almost impossible to use it for any longer than a few seconds without your car being ripped apart, or even taking off!

Advantages: Affordable, high performance gain, controllable.
Disadvantages: Short lived, bad for the environment, increase wear and tear, illegal in some places.
Verooom value for money rating: 8.5/10

Sway Bars and Control Arms

Performance gain: N/A
Installation: Moderate
Cost: £100 to £400

So, we know it's certainly possible to improve a cars performance with out and out raw power. This is great if were driving in a straight line all the time, but that's highly unlikely, so what about handling?

A car that handles well enough to take turns at high speeds will almost always win races over cars that just have bags of raw power, but must slow down for turns.

One way to improve a cars handling is to stiffen the suspension. Sway bars and control arms are components of car suspensions that work to counteract body roll and keep the car firmly planted in turns. Adding stronger sway bars and control arms to a car stiffens the suspension, minimizing body roll and allowing it to take corners at higher speeds.

Advantages: Better handling.
Disadvantages: None.
Verooom value for money rating: 8/10

Ceramic Brakes

Performance gain: N/A
Installation: Moderate
Cost: Very High (around £5000)

As you increase the power of your car, it inevitably becomes harder to stop. Therefore it may become necessary to replace the stock brakes, particularly if you have drum brakes as appose disc brakes. The problem with most brakes is that they get very hot and when brakes get hot, they lose a lot of their stopping power.

One way around this is to switch to ceramic disc brakes. Unlike metal disc brakes, ceramic disc brakes don't conduct heat very well. This keeps the brakes cool and stopping power strong. Otherwise you might find yourself running out of road!

The only real downside to ceramic brakes is the cost. Although you can pick up ceramic brake pads relatively cheaply, expect to spend the best part of 5 grand upgrading the discs and callipers.

Advantages: Better more reliable and consistent braking.
Disadvantages: Incredibly expensive.
Verooom value for money rating: 2/10

Spoiler

Performance gain: N/A
Installation: Easy to Moderate
Cost: Cheap (around £100)

As a car accelerates, it generates lift, much in the same way an aeroplane does to take off. While for the average motorist this isn't a concern, performance drivers know that lift limits the tyres contact with the road and in turn, this means less grip and wasted engine power.

The addition of a spoiler causes the air rushing overhead to push down on the car, stabilizing it and making sure more of the engine's power hits the road. And for even more grip a splitter can be added which has much the same effect but at the front of the vehicle.

Spoilers are a cost effective way of increasing grip giving you more power and control at high speeds, but are absolutely useless on non-performance vehicles.

Advantages: More grip, less wasted engine power.
Disadvantages: Look silly on vehicles that simply don't need them.
Verooom value for money rating: 9/10

Chipping & ECU Remapping

Performance gain: High
Installation: Easy to Moderate
Cost: Moderate to High (£250 to £1000)

Due to today's strict emissions and fuel economy standards to which manufacturers have to conform, most car engines these days are controlled and regulated by computers which in most cases, actually limit a cars performance to well below its actual capability. There are however a couple of ways you can remove this limit and unlock your cars full potential.

ECU Remapping is a process by which a cars diagnostic port is used to re-program the ECU to get the best possible performance out of your car. When an ECU is remapped, the program that deals with engine performance is basically being fine tuned. This is usually done with 2 objectives in mind. As well as re-mapping the ECU to produce greater power and torque, drivability problems at lower rev ranges such as flat spots and hesitation issues can also be smoothed out, giving the engine more initial torque making a more responsive and enjoyable drive.

Chipping is basically the same as ECU remapping but instead of re-programming the unit you're bypassing it completely. This is often less effective than remapping because every engine runs slightly differently, and mass produced pre-programmed chips don't take into account an engines subtle differences.

The only downside to ECU remapping and chipping is that a cars fuel consumption can dramatically increase. Also, over time, as the car is performing far beyond its originally asserted capability extra stress on the components means you will find they wear out far faster. You can also expect to have your vehicle serviced more often to keep it in tip top condition, sometimes as much as double the normal rate.
One way around this is having several chips or re-maps and switching between them depending on how you intend to drive. For example, you could have an economy setting for running the kids to school, a cruising setting for motorway driving and a sports setting for those weekend track days.

Advantages: Affordable, high performance gain.
Disadvantages: Increases fuel consumption, parts wear out faster, increased frequency of vehicle servicing.
Verooom value for money rating: 9/10

Cylinder Heads

Performance gain: High
Installation: Moderate
Cost: Moderate to High (£500 to £1500)

The majority of modern production engines have only two valves per cylinder, an intake valve to let air in, and an exhaust valve to let exhaust gasses out.

A good way to get more power out of your car is to upgrade your cylinder heads to a set that has four valves per cylinder. The additional intake valve allows more air to enter the cylinder, resulting in stronger combustion, while the extra exhaust valve clears out the engine's waste faster.

Advantages: More power, reverse-able.
Disadvantages: None.
Verooom value for money rating: 7/10

Exhaust

Performance gain: Small
Installation: Easy to Moderate
Cost: Cheap to Moderate (£50 to £500)

As we already know, a good way to get more power out of your car is to let more air into the engine which results in stronger combustion. An often-overlooked way to improve performance is to help the exhaust gasses get out of the engine.

The exhaust is an engine's way of exhaling. If it's difficult to exhale, the engine can't work as hard. As most performance modifications are designed to force more air and fuel into the engines cylinders, it becomes important to ensure the engine has the ability to expel the gasses efficiently.

Upgrading a car's exhaust system with headers, wider exhaust pipes and free-flowing mufflers will make it far easier for the engine to expel its waste and therefore increases performance.

Advantages: Affordable, makes the most of other performance modifications.
Disadvantages: None.
Verooom value for money rating: 7/10

Rebore the Engine

Performance gain: Moderate
Installation: Difficult
Cost: Cheap (from £10 per cylinder)

Reboring a car's engine to increases displacement is another, and our final way to improve its power. When an engine is rebored, each cylinder is bored out (made bigger) to give it greater capacity, and then fitted with larger pistons and connecting rods. This increases the cylinders volume, which increases the amount of air and fuel that can fit in the cylinder. More air and fuel means more powerful combustion, and in turn a higher power output for the engine.

Before you even consider a rebore, it's important to check that you can get a gasket, piston with rings and other components to match your chosen bore capacity. A rebore is irreversible and you'll certainly not want to have to do it again. Another thing to consider is that after reboring your engine, it will be necessary to run the engine in again. This process of bedding in could take up to 9000 miles. That's a whole 9000 miles of sensible driving!

If a rebore sounds too scary for you, another option is to use a stroker kit. A stroker kit changes the length of the crank which, when combined with a lower profile piston, increases the capacity of the cylinder.

Advantages: Cheap, good power gain.
Disadvantages: Requires bedding in, not straight forward, irreversible.
Verooom value for money rating: 9/10

Conclusion

Although there are clearly many ways to get better performance out of your car, all with various pros and cons, what gives you most bang for your buck? Well, we think if you're not too worried about servicing your car more regularly, it could be time to get an ECM remap. Affordable, flexible and completely reversible, we think it's the clear winner.

Top 10 Most Effective Performance Car Modifications

08 December 2009

With so many car performance modifications around today, it's difficult to know which ones will give you the best results, and most bang for your buck. Luckily the Verooom team have compiled this run down of the top 10 most effective performance modifications on the market today, in comparison to the relative cost of making each modification.

Due to today's strict emissions and fuel economy standards to which manufacturers have to conform, most new cars bought these days are actually capable of performing far better than they are advertised, and sold to us. So, how can we remove these built in limitations and unleash a cars full potential? Here's a rundown of the top 10 performance enhancing modifications available to us with today's technology. Some are cheap, some are expensive. But which one gives you the most BHP per pound of your hard earned money? Read on to find out in the Verooom Top 10 Most Effective Performance Car Modifications.

Turbocharger

Performance gain: Very High (30% to 100% / average 40%)
Installation: Difficult
Cost: Very High (between £2500 and £5000 with fitting)

A turbocharger takes pressure directly from the engine's exhaust system to power a supercharger, which forces more air into the engine resulting in greater air density in the cylinder and in turn, more power.

One disadvantage of the turbocharger is that it causes the engine to run hotter. So If you add a turbocharger to your car, you'll need to find a way to keep the engine cool as well. Many people get around this problem by installing an intercooler, however, this is at significant extra cost.

So, if you have a relatively high budget turbochargers are an incredibly efficient and effective way to get more performance out of your engine, but be prepared to shell out some extra cash up-rating your coolant system.

Advantages: Very high power gain, efficient.
Disadvantages: Expensive and difficult to install, expect to have to up-rate cooling components.
Verooom value for money rating: 6/10

Supercharger

Performance gain: Very High (average 46%)
Installation: Difficult
Cost: Very High (between £2500 to £5000 with fitting)

A supercharger, sometimes called a blower, is similar to turbocharger insofar as it acts as an air pump, the crucial difference being a supercharger is a mechanically driven pump whereas the turbocharger uses the power of hot exhaust gases to power the pump.

Because superchargers run straight off the engine, they can increase engine load by up to 30%, meaning technically, they are less efficient than turbochargers. However, they do still have a number of advantages over the turbocharger. They are easier to fit, marginally cheaper and generally do not possess most of the negative handling characteristics of your average turbocharger, offering smoother power gains right across the rev range.

The only downside is they require a lot of space under your bonnet so if you haven't got bags of room in there, be prepared to fit a scoop to accommodate the extra components.

Advantages: Very high power gain, Smooth power gains.
Disadvantages: Not good for small engine bays, puts extra stress on the engine.
Verooom value for money rating: 6/10

Nitrous

Performance gain: High (average 25-35%)
Installation: Moderate
Cost: Moderate (around £500)

Nitrous is short for nitrous oxide (N2O). In car engines, as Nitrous gas is heated up in the combustion process, it breaks down releasing additional oxygen and increases the burn rate thus allowing more fuel to enter the combustion chamber.

One side benefit of Nitrous is the cooling effect it has as it rapidly changes from a liquid to a gas. This cooling effect reduces the temperature of the air taken in by 60 degrees F (15 degrees c). Colder air carries more oxygen which is required for combustion to take place - more oxygen means you can burn more fuel.
Though nitrous can create incredible boosts to an engine's horsepower, 20bhp to over 200bhp or more depending on the size of the nozzle jets, it can also increase wear and tear on most of a cars components. In addition, Nitrous is not street legal in many areas and as a result, it is seen mainly on cars modified for racing.

The Nitrous gas itself is released into the engine via a button or switch on the cars dashboard. As the gas burns so quickly you can only expect to get a minute or so of boost per bottle of gas. For most drivers this is not a problem as the Nitrous has such a dramatic power gain, it would be almost impossible to use it for any longer than a few seconds without your car being ripped apart, or even taking off!

Advantages: Affordable, high performance gain, controllable.
Disadvantages: Short lived, bad for the environment, increase wear and tear, illegal in some places.
Verooom value for money rating: 8.5/10

Sway Bars and Control Arms

Performance gain: N/A
Installation: Moderate
Cost: £100 to £400

So, we know it's certainly possible to improve a cars performance with out and out raw power. This is great if were driving in a straight line all the time, but that's highly unlikely, so what about handling?

A car that handles well enough to take turns at high speeds will almost always win races over cars that just have bags of raw power, but must slow down for turns.

One way to improve a cars handling is to stiffen the suspension. Sway bars and control arms are components of car suspensions that work to counteract body roll and keep the car firmly planted in turns. Adding stronger sway bars and control arms to a car stiffens the suspension, minimizing body roll and allowing it to take corners at higher speeds.

Advantages: Better handling.
Disadvantages: None.
Verooom value for money rating: 8/10

Ceramic Brakes

Performance gain: N/A
Installation: Moderate
Cost: Very High (around £5000)

As you increase the power of your car, it inevitably becomes harder to stop. Therefore it may become necessary to replace the stock brakes, particularly if you have drum brakes as appose disc brakes. The problem with most brakes is that they get very hot and when brakes get hot, they lose a lot of their stopping power.

One way around this is to switch to ceramic disc brakes. Unlike metal disc brakes, ceramic disc brakes don't conduct heat very well. This keeps the brakes cool and stopping power strong. Otherwise you might find yourself running out of road!

The only real downside to ceramic brakes is the cost. Although you can pick up ceramic brake pads relatively cheaply, expect to spend the best part of 5 grand upgrading the discs and callipers.

Advantages: Better more reliable and consistent braking.
Disadvantages: Incredibly expensive.
Verooom value for money rating: 2/10

Spoiler

Performance gain: N/A
Installation: Easy to Moderate
Cost: Cheap (around £100)

As a car accelerates, it generates lift, much in the same way an aeroplane does to take off. While for the average motorist this isn't a concern, performance drivers know that lift limits the tyres contact with the road and in turn, this means less grip and wasted engine power.

The addition of a spoiler causes the air rushing overhead to push down on the car, stabilizing it and making sure more of the engine's power hits the road. And for even more grip a splitter can be added which has much the same effect but at the front of the vehicle.

Spoilers are a cost effective way of increasing grip giving you more power and control at high speeds, but are absolutely useless on non-performance vehicles.

Advantages: More grip, less wasted engine power.
Disadvantages: Look silly on vehicles that simply don't need them.
Verooom value for money rating: 9/10

Chipping & ECU Remapping

Performance gain: High
Installation: Easy to Moderate
Cost: Moderate to High (£250 to £1000)

Due to today's strict emissions and fuel economy standards to which manufacturers have to conform, most car engines these days are controlled and regulated by computers which in most cases, actually limit a cars performance to well below its actual capability. There are however a couple of ways you can remove this limit and unlock your cars full potential.

ECU Remapping is a process by which a cars diagnostic port is used to re-program the ECU to get the best possible performance out of your car. When an ECU is remapped, the program that deals with engine performance is basically being fine tuned. This is usually done with 2 objectives in mind. As well as re-mapping the ECU to produce greater power and torque, drivability problems at lower rev ranges such as flat spots and hesitation issues can also be smoothed out, giving the engine more initial torque making a more responsive and enjoyable drive.

Chipping is basically the same as ECU remapping but instead of re-programming the unit you're bypassing it completely. This is often less effective than remapping because every engine runs slightly differently, and mass produced pre-programmed chips don't take into account an engines subtle differences.

The only downside to ECU remapping and chipping is that a cars fuel consumption can dramatically increase. Also, over time, as the car is performing far beyond its originally asserted capability extra stress on the components means you will find they wear out far faster. You can also expect to have your vehicle serviced more often to keep it in tip top condition, sometimes as much as double the normal rate.
One way around this is having several chips or re-maps and switching between them depending on how you intend to drive. For example, you could have an economy setting for running the kids to school, a cruising setting for motorway driving and a sports setting for those weekend track days.

Advantages: Affordable, high performance gain.
Disadvantages: Increases fuel consumption, parts wear out faster, increased frequency of vehicle servicing.
Verooom value for money rating: 9/10

Cylinder Heads

Performance gain: High
Installation: Moderate
Cost: Moderate to High (£500 to £1500)

The majority of modern production engines have only two valves per cylinder, an intake valve to let air in, and an exhaust valve to let exhaust gasses out.

A good way to get more power out of your car is to upgrade your cylinder heads to a set that has four valves per cylinder. The additional intake valve allows more air to enter the cylinder, resulting in stronger combustion, while the extra exhaust valve clears out the engine's waste faster.

Advantages: More power, reverse-able.
Disadvantages: None.
Verooom value for money rating: 7/10

Exhaust

Performance gain: Small
Installation: Easy to Moderate
Cost: Cheap to Moderate (£50 to £500)

As we already know, a good way to get more power out of your car is to let more air into the engine which results in stronger combustion. An often-overlooked way to improve performance is to help the exhaust gasses get out of the engine.

The exhaust is an engine's way of exhaling. If it's difficult to exhale, the engine can't work as hard. As most performance modifications are designed to force more air and fuel into the engines cylinders, it becomes important to ensure the engine has the ability to expel the gasses efficiently.

Upgrading a car's exhaust system with headers, wider exhaust pipes and free-flowing mufflers will make it far easier for the engine to expel its waste and therefore increases performance.

Advantages: Affordable, makes the most of other performance modifications.
Disadvantages: None.
Verooom value for money rating: 7/10

Rebore the Engine

Performance gain: Moderate
Installation: Difficult
Cost: Cheap (from £10 per cylinder)

Reboring a car's engine to increases displacement is another, and our final way to improve its power. When an engine is rebored, each cylinder is bored out (made bigger) to give it greater capacity, and then fitted with larger pistons and connecting rods. This increases the cylinders volume, which increases the amount of air and fuel that can fit in the cylinder. More air and fuel means more powerful combustion, and in turn a higher power output for the engine.

Before you even consider a rebore, it's important to check that you can get a gasket, piston with rings and other components to match your chosen bore capacity. A rebore is irreversible and you'll certainly not want to have to do it again. Another thing to consider is that after reboring your engine, it will be necessary to run the engine in again. This process of bedding in could take up to 9000 miles. That's a whole 9000 miles of sensible driving!

If a rebore sounds too scary for you, another option is to use a stroker kit. A stroker kit changes the length of the crank which, when combined with a lower profile piston, increases the capacity of the cylinder.

Advantages: Cheap, good power gain.
Disadvantages: Requires bedding in, not straight forward, irreversible.
Verooom value for money rating: 9/10

Conclusion

Although there are clearly many ways to get better performance out of your car, all with various pros and cons, what gives you most bang for your buck? Well, we think if you're not too worried about servicing your car more regularly, it could be time to get an ECM remap. Affordable, flexible and completely reversible, we think it's the clear winner.