Why You Should Modify Your Daily Driver
Cars have infinite personalities. They are a reflection of us and our character. When we upgrade, modify, build, or even just decorate them, our cars take on our traits. It’s incredibly rewarding to have something that is personally yours and no one else’s, especially when you put the work in to make it that way, but many of us only do that to cars specifically designated for that purpose. When you have one car, the decision to modify it is more quickly made. When you just want a nice and comfortable daily, you usually shy away from the idea of tinkering with it. What we want to do is encourage you not to partition off a piece of your car enthusiasm and reserve it for cars you only drive occasionally. So what should you do if you were to modify your daily without sacrificing anything?
Wheels/Tires
The easiest way to make your car distinctly yours is with a set of wheels and tires. Since this is the car that will take you to most of your destinations and will see a lot of road time, you should pick something that looks good, but has a reputation for durability. You also want to get a set that is affordable enough to buy replacements if you end up damaging one somehow. Alzor wheels, our house brand, are a good choice. So are ESM, Rotiform, Enkei, and Apex. A good set of cast wheels, or flow-formed, will provide the look you want with more aggressive offsets and attractive designs without significant effort.
Suspension
Half of the reason most people don’t want to modify their daily driver is that they don’t want it to be uncomfortable to drive. Lowering a car is generally seen as less comfortable. It doesn’t have to be, though. We suggest a moderately priced set of coilovers. BC Racing, ECS, H&R, and other brands that offer camber/caster adjustment and damping adjustment. This way you can set your ride stiffness as soft or firm as you want while also achieving better looks and handling. Lowering your car is always the answer.
Air suspension is another ‘best of both worlds’ solution. While more expensive, air suspension technology has improved to the degree that it is comfortable enough to be compared with the factory ride quality and still offer the adjustable height settings. The only real sacrifice is the cost.
Intake
This list is straightforward, but it works. Of course, the ‘pod filter on a stick’ is on the list. For marginal improvements to your engine’s performance, intake systems designed to reduce restriction and decrease intake air temperatures are a great way to make a change without making a risk. Our Luft-Technik intake systems were in-house designed and tested to produce real-world results, which makes them a solid pick. If you can measure horsepower increases and provide dyno sheets while also improving the car’s sound and appearance under the hood, then you should highly consider that intake over an extreme budget version.
Exhaust
Driving a loud car is fun, but if it’s too loud, you won’t want to spend a lot of time inside the car. A cat-back system that offers higher-flowing mufflers is a perfect choice. It will improve the looks and sound of your car, provides a mild bump in performance, and makes your car more engaging to drive. ECS Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems, Milltek Sport, and VRSF are excellent brands that produce great options without pricing them out of reach.
Visual Upgrades
Carbon fiber or plastic exterior additions like front lips, side splitters, spoilers, diffusers, and other aero components give your car a sense of completion. With the sportier exhaust, intake, wheels, and lower ride height, your car needs to look whole. To make it stand out visually to those who pay attention, subtle changes are worthwhile. We suggest a front lip spoiler, side skirts/side blades, and a diffuser to start. If you want to go crazier than that, do it, but too much is just as bad or worse than not enough. Plus, you don’t want to have more expensive pieces to replace should something happen while commuting. ECS carbon fiber and Maxton Design are both excellent choices.
Interior Upgrades
LED interior light upgrades. Not the silly colored strips people used to put in their footwells, the actual light bulbs for the interior lights. Replacing the old bulbs with LED equivalents offers a modern feel and brighter, smoother light in the cabin. It immediately will feel more contemporary and welcoming. Since you’ll spend a lot of time in your daily, why not make it more convenient?
With some simple upgrades, you can enjoy your daily as something unique without sacrificing its usability, comfort, or reliability. After all, the point is to have something fun and still actually want to drive it every day. While you’re stuck at home, now would be a great time to start working since your car doesn’t need to go anywhere!
