How to Increase Horsepower and Torque?

May 29, 2025

Do you feel that the power is not enough when accelerating? Or do you feel it is difficult to go uphill? Yes, it is time to consider how to increase horsepower and torque.

For driving enthusiasts, there is never too much horsepower and torque. This article will explain the practical methods of how to increase horsepower and how to gain torque. The most suitable upgrade choice for your driving experience.

How-to-Increase-Horsepower-and-Torque

The concept of horsepower and torque

What is horsepower?

Horsepower means "speed of work", that is, it reflects how much work your engine can do per unit time. The greater the horsepower, the greater the ability of the vehicle to drive at high speeds or continuously accelerate.

What is torque?

Torque is "rotational force" and reflects the ability of the engine to drive the crankshaft to rotate. With high torque, the vehicle starts quickly, climbs hills powerfully, and has strong towing ability.

Although the two are different, they are related to each other - at a certain speed, horsepower is calculated from torque. Therefore, when it comes to truly improving power, the two should be carried out in tandem.

horsepower-and-torque

How to increase horsepower

If you are searching for how to get extra horsepower, the following methods are suitable for you to start with small upgrades and gradually move towards high performance.

1. Upgrade the air intake system

Upgrading the intake system is one of the simplest and most effective ways to increase torque. A high-flow air filter or cold air intake kit (CAI) can increase the intake volume, helping the engine to inhale more cold air, thereby increasing combustion efficiency and increasing horsepower.

2. Replace the high-performance exhaust system

Modifying the exhaust system is a quick way to increase horsepower. The original exhaust system has many limitations. Installing a high-flow exhaust pipe, mid-tail section or direct exhaust system can reduce exhaust resistance, allowing the engine to breathe more smoothly and release more horsepower.

3. Install a turbocharger

This is one of the most common and most direct methods. So the question is: how much hp does a turbo add?

Usually, installing a suitable turbo can increase horsepower by 30%~50%, or even more. For example, a car with 150hp from the factory may reach 200~250hp after installing a medium-strength supercharger kit.

4. ECU re-tuning (flash program)

By adjusting the parameters of the engine control unit (ECU), such as ignition timing, throttle response, injection curve, etc., the power can be significantly improved without changing the hardware.

Installing-the-turbocharger

How to increase torque

When you are climbing or off-road and the power is insufficient, are you thinking about how to gain torque to increase the surging power? Here are several effective methods.

1. Replace the camshaft

The high-performance camshaft can change the opening time and angle of the intake and exhaust valves, so that more torque can be obtained at low speeds, which is especially suitable for scenes that require low torque output.

2. Install a supercharger

Unlike a turbine, a supercharger does not rely on exhaust gas drive, but is directly connected to the engine crankshaft, which can provide power at low speeds and greatly enhance torque output.

3. Upgrade the intake manifold

The optimized intake manifold can improve the airflow path and provide higher air density at low speeds, thereby improving torque response.

Replace-the-camshaft

Conclusion

After reading this article, you have mastered various methods of how to increase horsepower and how to gain torque. When you encounter poor acceleration and difficulty climbing a hill again, you may want to recall some of the methods mentioned in this article to increase horsepower and torque, which will bring a qualitative leap to your driving experience.

FAQ

1. How much horsepower can cold air intake increase?

In general, the cold air intake system can increase about 5~15 horsepower (HP)

2. Will increasing power necessarily lead to increased fuel consumption?

Generally speaking, the power increase after factory optimization is small and has little effect on fuel consumption; but after a significant increase in horsepower and torque (especially turbocharging), fuel consumption usually increases.