What Cars are Considered High-Performance
You know them when you see them: Barreling down the straight-away, turning heads with their engine growls, curvy builds, and flashy spoilers. But what exactly makes a car high-performance?
To help you better understand which rides belong to the hi-performance category, Automotive Training Center (ATC) created the following post!
They Have a Need for Speed
High-performance cars are vehicles that offer great speed and power. Typically the more power potential a car’s engine can offer in comparison to its overall weight, the more acceleration (and high-performance quality) it can deliver.
Now, you may be wondering, are hi-performance cars just those that are raced on professional speedways? While these rides undeniably fit the definition, more powerfully optimized engines can also be found under the hoods of exotic sport coupes and convertibles. Turbocharged and supercharged engines can even be found in sport versions of mainstream vehicles like the Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk.
But That’s Not All
While speed, power, and other under-the-hood happenings may be the fundamentals of a high-performance vehicle, it’s important to remember that every part and system has the power to work with or against the vehicle’s ability to perform. These facets also play a main role in what makes a capable racer:
Aerodynamic builds: the sleek look of a hi-performance car isn’t just for show. A vehicle that minimizes its friction points is able to slip through the air faster than a bulky car with lots of friction points and drag.
Smart suspensions: as the system of struts and springs that connects the car’s body to its wheels, a properly tuned suspension enables the ability to hug tight corners and keep the ride smooth.
Sticky tires: if you think about the way that high-performance cars are driven, you can imagine just how high a priority traction from the right tires is on the track!
Fortified brakes: it’s easy to only think about the engine in a high-performance vehicle, but any racecar driver will tell you that the brakes are just as important. Hi-performance brakes are needed to handle the incredible high heat produced by the friction applied to slow the wheels and stop the car at top speeds.
Are You Ready for a Hi-Performance Education?
High-performance vehicles encompass a truly unique category of cars, and a big part of the excitement is the ability to increase performance in any vehicle, whether you’d like to put an extra boost in your car for running errands or running laps on an enclosed track.
Here at ATC, students enrolled in our Automotive and Hi-Performance Technology Program learn the skills they need to become entry-level engine experts who machine cars to help them reach their maximum potential.
If you’re interested in learning more about optimizing the performance in your vehicle, check out our free eBook, all about taking the performance of your mainstream sedan or truck to the next level!
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