Modifications
If you're anything like most folks who catch the track bug, you'll quickly start dreaming up ways to make your car perform better on the track. What's fascinating about this topic is that many of the changes you might see people make to their street cars to give them a more race-inspired look don't actually help on the track – some can even make things worse. It's a never-ending world of possibilities that, if taken to the extreme, could turn your car into a full-blown race machine. That said, we're here to focus on a few key upgrades that can genuinely improve your track experience.
Tires
After a couple of days at the track, you will notice a couple of things: 1) Your street tires are getting the @#$% kicked out of them! 2) You want more grip then your OEM tires can provide. Solution, a set of track day tires. There are MANY considerations that go into making the right decision for you, but we will say that this is an investment that you will see benefit from immediately! We highly recommend making this upgrade as soon as you can.
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Here is a great resource to help with your decision: Ultimate Track Tire Guide
Suspension
OEM suspension set-ups are rarely tuned for the track, with ride height, stiffness and lateral stability grossly lacking from what you will need. Although going with a complete coil-over kit may not be in your budget, there are less expensive fixed options that are both livable for day-to-day use and track use. We highly recommend this modification, even if it is limited to lower ride height, as a lower center of gravity will provide immediate benefits at a low cost.
Brakes
Upgrading your brakes is more complex then it sounds as it is a complete system vs. a single component. This said, improving stopping power will dramatically improve your lap times, so is worth the investment. A lower cost upgrade involves changing your pads to a more race focused compound, along with your fluid to one with a higher boiling point. OEM pads burn out QUICKLY, so we highly recommend this upgrade. Beyond this, you move into "big brake kits" with increases in rotor and caliper size, brake fluid lines, as well as fluid. These kits offer massive improvements, but are not cheap.
ECU Improvements
Also referred to as "chipping" your car, ECU improvements focus on reprogramming your car's ECU to perform in a more aggressive way. Most modern cars are programmed in such a way as to limit their potential performance, an ECU mod changes these parameters. A special note it warranted here though, as modifications to your ECU will likely void any warranty you may have remaining on the vehicle. As a general statement, approach ECU tunes with caution, as they can do damage if not done correctly. Do your research!
Conclusion
As mentioned, this section could be 10 times as long. The items noted above are, in our opinion, the ones that should be focused on as a starting point, with significant research into each modification completed before making a decision. As you research you will see a broad range of options available, where it is important to choose options that are right for you. We repeat, the modifications you do should be right for you. There is a significant amount of well intentioned yet highly opinionated advice out there for your consumption. As you research, remember a few things:
1. Brand name is not everything - search for products that are fit for your purpose
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2. What works well on another car will not necessarily work well on your car
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3. Everybody drives differently, is at a different level of experience, and is looking for something different out of their HPD experience - know what you are looking for and match your selections to your goals, not what somebody else does