High on the highway: Add-ons not only enhance a car’s looks but also go a long way to improve its performance

You’ve had the same car for over five years and even though it’s offering you the same reliability, economy and maintenance costs, you feel it could do with a bit more power and maybe better economy. The interiors are just not as special as they used to be. The seats are sagging and the leather on the steering wheel and gear knob could come off any day now. Putting it simply, you’re now really bored by what once was your pride and joy.

INSIDE STORY

Tired of your car’s staid dull grey interiors? Don’t be. All you need to do is change your car’s interior plastic trim colour to beige. The entire cabin can be done for around Rs 15,000 for smaller cars and a bit more for larger saloons. It shouldn’t take more than a week’s time for a reputed specialist company to do this.

You can also choose to get leather interiors in the car. It costs around Rs 40,000 for a small hatchback and a bit more for saloons. Unlike the factory car, where the model comes with only a choice of black or beige interiors, you have the freedom to choose whichever colour you fancy. Pepping up your car’s interiors also adds value to the overall price of your car, which will show at the time of resale.

KIT CALL

The easiest way to personalise your car from the outside is to simply kit it up. Body kits are available even at car dealers nowadays. The kits at the dealers start at around Rs 8,000 for a rear spoiler on a small hatchback and can go up to Rs 40,000 for the entire car. Currently, Maruti dealers offer kits for the Swift and SX4. Kits for the Wagon R, Zen Estilo, Hyundai Santro, i10 and Chevy Spark are readily available at the dealer itself.

However, if you want to stand out from the crowd then you need to go to a specialist. Apart from just adding skirts, you can also modify the car’s bumpers and fenders. You can choose from a variety of paint schemes to go along with the modifications. A simple paint job costs around Rs 15,000 for a small hatchback and can go up to Rs 30,000 for a larger saloon.

Be careful though. Choose an odd colour combination and your car’s resale value will fall considerably. Safe colours like single shades of blue, white and other metallic tones can actually enhance its value.

UNDER THE HOOD

If you have the urge to improve engine performance, you have quite a few options. The easiest way to get a marginal improvement in performance is to replace the company-fitted air filter with a performance air filter. Company filters are best to get economy out of the engine, while performance filters enhance the air intake which translates into better air/fuel mixture combustion, resulting in a marginal improvement in power output. K&N is the most popular brand in the market for filters but there are other brands as well. Performance filters start at around Rs 4,000.

To get the best out of a replaced air filter, you will also have to replace the company-fitted exhaust as well so all the extra air that the engine takes in also has a big outlet. Prices start from around Rs 8,000 and can go beyond Rs 40,000 depending on the specifications.

THE TECH EFFECT

ECUs (Engine Control Units) are electronic chip sets that all cars are heavily reliant on. They carry software that governs fuel consumption, traction control and, yes, even horsepower. However, by having a new chip installed, those of us who are looking for performance gains can now unleash the untapped power hidden within the car.

Two methods are currently available to improve your car’s performance. The first is the installation of a performance chip, an aftermarket chip which replaces the factory-fitted chip housed within the ECU. These chips are programmed by outside companies and are designed to maximise your engine’s output and responsiveness. The second method is ‘remapping’. This procedure involves the existing manufacturer’s software being rewritten to give better performance.

AN ADDED PUNCH

Inspired by The Fast and the Furious, many young enthusiasts have found a simple way to improve performance — using nitrous kits. Nitrous Oxide is usually stored in a 10-pound canister, which is likely to be housed securely either in the boot (if there’s room), or behind the driver in the cabin.

Key to all this is the burning of extra fuel, for which oxygen is required. The system works by spraying a specific amount of nitrous oxide into the car’s combustion chambers, along with a measured amount of additional fuel. The nitrous oxide comprises two-thirds oxygen, and this extra O2 allows the car to burn the excess fuel rapidly and efficiently. The resulting explosive reaction leads to a ‘super-charger’ effect, which sends the engine into massive overdrive and boosts your car’s power output for a short period of time.

Clearly, your car’s engine wasn’t designed with this kind of enhanced performance in mind, so it’s important not to get trigger happy with the nitrous button — if you engage the system for more than 10 seconds at a time, there’s a good chance the engine will explode.

You’ll also want to keep focused on the fact that your suspension and tyres were not designed for this either, so when you apply the nitrous oxide, also make sure that you update the tyres and suspension as well.

THE TURBO LEAD

A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine. The purpose of a turbocharger is to increase the mass of air entering the engine to create more power. A turbocharger is driven by the engine’s own exhaust gases. Power goes up by a substantial bit with these turbo kits. These kits are easily available for the Maruti Swift petrol and power goes up from 87bhp to around 120bhp. They cost a little over a lakh. The kits are bolt-on types and won’t take more than a couple of days to fix.

Customising is fun provided you are clear about what you want your car to be and can finance the makeover. After all, wouldn’t you want your car to mirror your personality and not just be another face in the crowd? And, you won’t need to scan the number plates in the parking lot to find your car either.