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The basic reason for forced induction (turbo or supercharger) is not to increase compression or the maximum pressure in an engine cylinder, it is to increase volumetric efficiency (the efficiency of the engine at drawing in air) although forced induction is the most effective method of upping compression.
In computer games we just tick a box, and within seconds our car is fully turbocharged and running much faster. In the real world things are very different.
Sports ignition coils and performance coil packs
Lets look at the job of the coil in the spark system and see what it does.
Just as a power transformer converts mains 240 volts into a usable 9 volts for your charger or appliance a coil will increase the voltage.
A car battery/alternator will produce a paltry 12volts, certainly not enough to jump an air gap and create a spark.
An ignition coil raises the voltage in some installations between 20 and up to 40,000 volts and this allows the creation of a spark which can jump the air gap between the plugs.
Suspension settings, lowering and stiffening
On the track your priority is fast cornering and suspension plays a large part in this. Track conditions are quite forgiving and you can make some compromises like using hard suspension and lowering the car for optimum aerodynamics and a low centre of gravity.
This works well because tracks are fairly flat and you do not have a carrier bag full of eggs in the car from your return trip to the supermarket.
Cryogenic engine treatments
When putting more power through an engine you need to ensure that every part will perform at its optimum.
One of the motorsports favourite techniques to improve the durability of an engine is a process know as cryogenic treatments.
As you can guess from the use of the word Cryo – it involves the cooling and heating of the engine block to temper the metal changing its structure.
