What would be your first performance upgrade?

[dsgrillot]

I have a 2008 M Roadster - completely stock with 20K miles. I'm looking at all the performance upgrades available and am overwhelmed. I want to get the most bang for my buck, but don't know where to start...intake, exhaust, tuning 4.10 rear end? I'd like to add on incrementally so I don't throw down a bunch of cash all at once. Any suggestions? Oh and here is the kicker. I want to have all mods done professionally, but I live in a rural state (WV). Any ideas on who does good work within a 3-4 hour drive would be nice too. I may be asking a bit much...

[ZStig]

headers, then tune, then rear end

[dsgrillot]

sort of what I'm thinking...looking at the Diablo exhaust redo. Thoughts?

[BTM]

First thing I did is suspension. It really depends on what you want from the car...there is no de facto "first mod"

Power: headers/tune
Handling: coilovers/camber plates/tires
Sound: exhaust/intake (though intakes tend to lose power unless running a tune)
Looks: personal preference, but some popular things are black kidney grills, stubby radio antenna, wheels

[beta]

I went with what my shop recommended: First Tires, then suspension (coilovers), then everything else. The car has plenty of power, getting the most out of the power was my first priority. Next my shop recommended gearing, although I think I'll do headers + tune instead.

[Barryb97]

High performance driving school! Best mod for the price!

[KevinM]

The first is also the least expensive: Clutch Delay Valve (CDV) delete...

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by KevinM

The first is also the least expensive: Clutch Delay Valve (CDV) delete...

^This, followed by transmission mounts, possibly a ZHP shifter knob. All told, parts and labor, a few hundred bucks. The CDV and mounts, parts and labor, s/b under 150 bucks.

After that it's a matter of goals and priorities. If we knew what the goals were (and priority for them) we could take a better shot at the mods that would acheive them.

[blender]

one owner's opinion:

best overall investment: HPDE course[s] to "tighten the nut behind the wheel"

Best upgrade for ~$1K: good sticky conventional tires & new alignment. Factory alignment is not conducive to neutral, balanced handling. 2nd best mod for ~$1K: ECU tune.

Best mechanical upgrade under $5K: rear diff swap. Less top speed, better acceleration. More torque = more scoot. yields 8% or 11% increase depending on ratios. Takes ~5-6 hours. Search other threads here.

Headers/intake/tune can make a little more power (maybe 8-12%). Cats and US headers restrict the car...dump them if state regs permit. Cat-back Exhausts add good noise,reduce weight, add maybe 1% power. Do the whole exhaust chain and you can find some decent power, but that gets into $$$.

Short shift kit is a good, cheap mod.

[dsgrillot]

Originally Posted by Barryb97

High performance driving school! Best mod for the price!

Did that....fun! Gonna go again -- this time VIR.

[3002 tii]

cdv + zhp knob

[onelove]

On the Cheap : CDV and ZHP Knob

Next would be Suspension (TC Kline Coilovers or KW Clubsports), followed by exhaust for the tone, and headers for power.

[Kgolf31]

Anyone suggest doing pulleys?

[inTgr8r]

Originally Posted by Barryb97

High performance driving school! Best mod for the price!

^WHS I was just going to post the same thing

[SmartBastard]

You need to upgrade other stuff first before putting more power into the car.
If it's really performance you are looking for I would suggest starting with light wheels like APEX ARC-8 for track or Morr VS8.2 for looks on street and lightness and new tires, going from track to more street use ... Pilot Sport Cut, NT-05, Yokohama Advan AD08, Pilot Super Sport.

After that you want to upgrade your brakes with a BBK if you are using the car on a track. Stoptech, AP racing, Brembo ... can't go wrong there.

Next would be coilvers, KW 3 with TC camber plates or KW Clubsport .. if you want a serious track monster KW Competition.

If you gonna still feel like you need more power at this point, put a supercharger into the car. Upgrading the intake and/or exhaust makes the car sound better but you wont feel the difference, unless you go the CSL carbonfiber airbox + tune way which costs a LOT!

[pokeybritches]

As others have said, it depends on what you want to do with the car. I would do Apex ARC-8s (wheels) and stickier tires first. The performance gain from losing almost 40 lbs of unsprung weight is pretty awesome. Lightweight wheels will improve grip over rough roads, increase acceleration slightly, and decrease stopping distances. There is also a cosmetic benefit to aftermarket wheels.

Next I would look at RE Diablos. I find myself driving the car a little easier now that it sounds mean at low RPM. Diablos look very nice, so there's an added cosmetic benefit there as well. Rogue Engineering is strict on vendor pricing, so if you go this route you probably won't need to shop around.

[esqu1re]

Originally Posted by pokeybritches

As others have said, it depends on what you want to do with the car. I would do Apex ARC-8s (wheels) and stickier tires first. The performance gain from losing almost 40 lbs of unsprung weight is pretty awesome. Lightweight wheels will improve grip over rough roads, increase acceleration slightly, and decrease stopping distances. There is also a cosmetic benefit to aftermarket wheels.

Next I would look at RE Diablos. I find myself driving the car a little easier now that it sounds mean at low RPM. Diablos look very nice, so there's an added cosmetic benefit there as well. Rogue Engineering is strict on vendor pricing, so if you go this route you probably won't need to shop around.

Agree with the lightweight wheels. Not much you can do to increase the performance unless you go FI. Headers + tune is probably the best horsepower addition thing you can do this side of FI. You'll have the aural payout as well as some sort of performance addition. To be honest, I don't think our cars need more horsepower (others may disagree!). I'd recommend the CDV delete to sharpen up the clutch feel, a set of better tires (when your stock tires wear out), and perhaps a nice coilover suspension to make the ride and handling better. If you find the stock exhaust weak, you might want to consider exhausts. In the roadster, you don't have to worry about droning. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[dekaliber]

Tires, for sure. And definitely get rid of the goofy CDV. The $15 Turner shim kit to add front camber can be installed at home (granted, you'll need an alignment afterward) and will help undo the car's natural inclination to understeer.