Performance Chips vs. Physical Performance Modifications

Many drivers value speed over all else, taking every highway like a racetrack and every back road as a challenge.  Other drivers prefer fuel efficiency, desiring to damage the environment less in their day-to-day driving habits or when taking to the open road.  For both these types of drivers in the past, the only way to improve upon road speed or fuel efficiency was to perform an array of physical modifications to their cars, whether that involved installing a fiberglass hood to cut the weight load or using a nitrous kit or some other speed booster.  Nowadays, drivers have an alternative option:  installing a performance chip.  Performance chips modify existing systems in a vehicle to enhance power, efficiency, and other areas.  Below, we’ll weigh the difference between chips and physical modifications, so anyone can make an informed decision about which to use.

Installation

This may be one of the greatest advantages to using a performance chip.  If you want to gain significant horsepower by installing a turbocharger, the process can take hours and involve several complicated steps.  You have to integrate the part into your car’s systems, and that takes time, plus serious technical know-how.  A performance chip, by comparison, is rather simple to install.  You don’t need any special tools, and many can just be plugged right in, though sometimes some wire adaptations may be needed.  These days, you don’t even need to worry about resetting the ECU in order to get the chip to function on many models, something that inhibited drivers from using them in greater numbers before.

Performance Gains

Both performance chips and major performance parts will provide boosts to your vehicle’s horsepower potential and its fuel efficiency.  A solid performance chip can often offer about 4-7mpg in savings, and you can gain nearly 60HP from using one.  There’s a greater variety among other performance components, as turbochargers can certainly provide even greater boosts in horsepower, and the max speed you can clock in using a nitrous kit can be quite extensive.  Pairing a chip with these parts will only make your car that much more competitive over the long haul.

Price

Performance chips can be purchased relatively cheaply, many for around $50, and you won’t have to buy any special tools to install them.  Physical performance modifications can be more costly, but it depends on what you plan to install.  Turbochargers are quite pricey, but they’re top of the line equipment and the results you get should match the price.  Superchargers and other add-ons may be less expensive, but still pricier than a performance chip.  If you’re on a budget, performance chips are the way to go.  If money is no option, you can use as many chip and physical component add-ons as you like, as performance chips often work fine with superchargers or NOS kits.

 Simon Lewis Transport Books | Motorsport Fanatic

The content of this page is the opinion of the authors, Performance Chips Direct and not necessarily the view of, or endorsed by,  the webmaster of simonlewis.com