Valvoline.com

Performance Trends

Pumping up the power

Just when you think you've spotted the next new trend, something comes along that takes you off in an entirely new direction. Just look at the big Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show in Las Vegas, a mecca for performance prognosticators who wander endlessly among the 1,800 booths packed with auto parts and tools of every description. Of course, many suppliers are trim and truck companies with glowing lights, pounding stereos or bike racks for SUVs, but the serious go-fast companies were in the majority at the November, 2003 show; yet, their dizzying array of products makes trying to figure out where the car hobby is headed a tough challenge.

OEM Presence

As we know, the major car manufacturers are always coming out with something faster than before, and SEMA Featured Manufacturer Ford had plenty of SVT Mustangs, Lightnings and the new Ford GT on hand for the clean-hands crowd. But all the major players are devoting budget and manpower to developing parts for the lucrative performance market.

Mopar Performance group launched its line of hot crate engines for classic Chryslers, as well as serious circle-track mills in V-8 and Midget 4-cylinder form. Midget racing seems to be experiencing a revival of interest, as Ford recently built a spec Zetec for that market.

GM has not been idly observing this activity, keeping its engineers busy turning the Ecotec 4-banger into a serious salt and sport-compact racing engine. Also on display was a record-setting Saturn that ran 212.684 mph last year, as well as the So-Cal Lakester riding on solid spin-cast urethane tires. Like many of the concept cars on hand, this trad/rad rig was a joint development project between a manufacturer (GM) and an independent tuner (So-Cal Speed Shop). The Lakester also highlighted a very hot trend: combining traditional styles of cars and trucks with modern technology under the skin. In line with that, Painless Wiring has expanded their extensive line of conversion harnesses for installing the latest injected and computer-controlled engines into classic musclecars, hot rods and kit cars.

Crate and Switch

Crate engines are still a hot part of the aftermarket industry, with OEM manufacturers and the aftermarket going head-to-head for market share. Mopar is offering old-style Hemis in 426, 472 and 528-inch versions, as well as a 500-inch Wedge and a variety of small-block versions. Roush Performance has expanded from its NASCAR base to sell street engines for rods, musclecars and Cobra replicas. They range in displacement from 306 to 427 cubic inches, boasting as much as 550 horses, even though all are based on Windsor small blocks. Ironically, one displaces 327 inches, and it might sound odd saying you have a 327 Ford under the hood! Shaver Racing Engines is also into big mills. The company's injected 502 Chevy pumps out 525 hp. Can street compact crate engines be far behind?

Fuel injection is slowly replacing carburetors as the intake weapon of choice, although there are still tons of carburetor fans out there. To keep up with that ongoing demand, Demon and Holley are developing new models. Demon showed a particularly nice triple-deuce setup with their new two-barrel carbs, which would look great on any rod or Corvette project. Mooneyes even had a modern EFI system masquerading as multiple Stromberg 97s!

Street & Performance is another innovator with a line of street fuel injection systems that look good enough for shows. Also growing is the use of superchargers and turbos that can be integrated with add-on programmable engine management systems. Crane won a SEMA award for a new electronic distributor that has an externally adjustable curve, which can be re-set for street or racing in seconds.

Ins and Outs

Premium quality internal engine parts are critical to the success of both racing cars and street machines. SCAT, a leader in VW and V-8 crankshaft development, has added forged cranks and rods for Hondas and Acuras. Premium-quality reciprocating parts will become more critical as better engine management systems allow street engines to obtain horsepower levels previously only seen in full-race mills. This be will especially true for compact tuner cars, where former econo-box engines are now spitting out more than 350 street horsepower, with some reaching 600 horses or more!

Harnessing this power should be a hot market segment in the future. Expect clutches, transmissions and differentials to be beefed up by the aftermarket as well. McLeod has been building super sturdy clutches for American iron for some time, and Richmond has added 6-speed transmissions to its lineup of manual boxes. OS Giken came all the way from Japan to show off some super-duty clutches, limited-slip differentials and close-ratio gearsets, all for tuner cars to European exotics. In the handling department, QA1 Motorsports brought its racing shock absorber technology to the street with units that are externally adjustable for both compression and rebound.

You can see there is a lot going on in the aftermarket industry. More people than ever are determined to squeeze the last bit of performance out of their cars, and developments in electronics and metallurgy are letting them do just that. We can hardly wait to see what comes out at the next show!