Although the new 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer has many great features, good fuel economy and modern technology, some drivers are looking for ways to bump up the engine’s horsepower and torque. Well, thankfully there are plenty of components and mods out there to increase an engine’s power without getting a new car. Here’s a list of some modifications you can do to increase your Lancer’s horsepower and torque.
Cold Air Intake
One of the easiest ways to increase the horsepower of an engine is to increase the airflow to the engine. There are various types of air intakes, but in the end many drivers lean towards a cold air intake. Cold air intakes are designed with an increased surface area to pull air through and then they make that air cold. Cold air intakes can be up to three times larger than factory air intakes. Cold air is denser than warm air, and denser air has more oxygen, which is key to creating bigger explosions in the combustion chamber. It’s basic science, the more air and oxygen in the combustion chamber, the bigger the explosions of fuel, and bigger explosions create more engine power.
CatBack Exhaust
After the engine burns up the air and fuel, it expels the leftover fumes through the exhaust. Stock mufflers don’t do justice when it comes to horsepower. The CatBack exhaust will remove the restrictions of the muffler and allow fumes to escape quickly in a straight shot.
Turbocharge It
Mitsubishi engines are very fuel efficient, and since the retirement of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, they typically don’t manufacture engines with a supercharger or turbocharger. So if you are looking for a boost in power, a forced induction system can increase horsepower by 50 percent or more. This is a similar concept as the cold air intake, more air to burn equals more horsepower.
When it comes to forced air induction though, there is a small difference between supercharging and turbocharging. Powered by a belt that connects to the engine, superchargers offer an instant power boost and are easier to install. A turbocharger gets power from the exhaust system, and although said to be more “efficient”, has what is known as “turbo lag”, meaning the power boost is a bit delayed.
High-Flow Catalytic Converter
Catalytic converters work with the exhaust to handle and trim as many toxins from the emissions as possible. Some drivers can get a straight pipe or delete the converter altogether, but it’s horrible for the environment and anyone driving behind them. Instead, go with a high-flow catalytic converter. They work the same exact way as a factory-installed converter, but do it faster, increasing the exhaust flow from the engine, resulting in more torque and horsepower.
Know Any Good Hackers?
Okay, maybe you don’t need to know how to hack, but that’s basically what you’re doing for this last mod. Cars today are controlled by computers, and computers run via a program. See where this is going? By utilizing simple performance software, you can reprogram the computer to adjust vehicle settings and performance capabilities. Some of the settings to tinker with are fuel-to-air ratio, turbo boost, and ignition timing advance, all of which will increase the engine’s horsepower and torque. Just don’t try overclocking like people do with computers — you don’t need to blow up your engine to go fast. You can achieve this by tweaking the engine’s software or by replacing the engine’s stock computer with a pre-programmed, high-performance computer chip.
There you have it. Some of these mods we knew of and some we didn’t. What are some other mods you can share with us for upgrading the horsepower of a 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer, or any vehicle lacking power for that matter? Let us know on our Facebook page.