Souped up cars are vehicles that have modified engines to make them more powerful. The term dates back to 1911 and it means the air and fuel mixtures in the engine have been tinkered with to increase performance. It’s closely associated with hot rodding, which refers to old cars being stripped down and upgraded to increase their speed.
The most significant way to soup up your car is to add a turbocharger or supercharger. There are different types of superchargers on the market, including roots-type superchargers, centrifugal superchargers, and the Lysholm Twin-Screw Supercharger.
The best cars to soup up include the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, the Toyota Supra, and the Mazda Miata.
If you’re new to the automotive world, you might have come across a couple of jargon that can be confusing, like “souped up.”
What Does Souped Up Mean?
Souped up cars are vehicles that have modified engines to make them more powerful. To soup up a car means to tinker with the air and fuel mixture to get the most out of its engine’s performance.
The term “souped up” dates back to 1911, referring to horses that have been injected with narcotics to make them run faster. “Souped up” came from the slang word “soup,” the narcotic injected into horses.
“Souped up” was recognized in the dictionary in 1921, a few years before superchargers became popular in auto racing.
“Souped up” is occassionally mistaken for “suped up,” mainly because the latter is considered a shortened version of “supercharger.” So when someone says they have a “suped up” car, it means they have a supercharger integrated into the engine.
Is It the Same as Hot Rodding?
“Hot rod” refers to old cars that have been stripped down and upgraded to go faster than normal.
“Hot rod” is another term that’s closely associated with souping up. It refers to old cars that have been stripped down and upgraded to go faster than normal. The hot rodding movement began in the 1920s, following the shortage of new vehicles.
Consumers, specifically WWII veterans, built and modified their vehicles using their combat pay savings. They used their military training to sharpen their engine-building and fabrication skills enough to become backyard mechanics.
The biggest reason drivers and mechanics soup up vehicles is to drastically increase the power output of their engines. Modifying the engine by adding components and altering the air-fuel mixtures doesn’t just power up a vehicle’s torque—it also boosts its horsepower.
A more powerful engine also means superior acceleration, making vehicles significantly more satisfying to drive. There are few things more thrilling and empowering than a dangerously fast car. It’s easy to see the appeal of a souped-up vehicle.
Souped-up vehicles are also technological marvels that are sure to turn heads. Because they’ve been tinkered with extensively, many collectors and motorheads will be drawn to a ride that’s modified to the point that it becomes truly one of a kind. This doesn’t just give the vehicle a higher resale value, it also gives the owner a sense of pride to be recognized by other gearheads.
How Can You Soup Up Your Car?
There are a number of modifications you can make to an engine to increase its power output. For the most significant horsepower gains however, adding a turbo charger or supercharger is generally the most effective method. By adding a turbo or supercharger to an engine that previously didn’t have either, you’re converting it from naturally aspirated, to forced induction. As the name implies, forced induction literally means air is being forced into your engine by the turbo or supercharger, delivering pressure that’s greater than the atmospheric pressure in the intake manifold.
Supercharger
A supercharger is an engine modification that preceded the turbocharger. It is a mechanically driven air pump that supplies the intake manifold with extra air to boost engine torque and power.
A supercharger can deliver instantaneous power increase without any delay. Using the gears, shafts, chains, or belts from the crankshaft to turn the pump, the supercharger can pump air in direct relation to engine speed. It does, however, take as much as 20% of the engine power to work.
There are generally two types of superchargers: roots type and centrifugal.
Roots-Type Supercharger
The roots-type supercharger features a positive displacement design and was originally used as a water pump in mines. It is common in Detroit diesel engines.
Centrifugal Supercharger
A centrifugal supercharger works the same way as a turbocharger, except it’s mechanically driven. It is based on the principle of centrifugal force, which means the air that enters the supercharger housing exits at a much higher speed.
While the roots type and centrifugal superchargers stand as the two major classifications of superchargers, there is another one that was developed in the 1930s that aimed to provide better performance than the other two.
The Lysholm Twin-Screw Supercharger is a boosted engine that’s compact and lightweight, increasing vehicle performance in terms of speed and operating conditions. The Lysholm Supercharger aimed to replace dynamic type compressors like the centrifugal and axial turbine modifications.
Turbocharger
A turbocharger relies on exhaust gases to power a turbine wheel, so it doesn’t need to take any engine power, unlike a supercharger. It converts the heat from exhaust gases to mechanical energy. Turbocharger response time depends on the turbine and compressor wheel size.
Unlike a supercharger, a turbocharger is less effective at boosting the engine at low RPMs. Using it also results in turbo lag, which is a delay in acceleration and turbo boost. Matching the engine’s intake and exhaust breathing capacities to the exhaust and intake airflow capabilities of the turbocharger can reduce turbo lag.
What Are the Best Cars to Soup Up or Modify?
Check out some of the most mod-friendly cars consumers usually go for. Some even come turbo charged from the factory, making it easy to squeeze more power out of them via tuning and bolt-on modifications.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a popular pick for rally, circuit, and street racing. Image source: Mitsubishi Newsroom.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution is a popular pick for rally, circuit, and street racing. It offers a big room for creative mods, which are easy to find in the aftermarket industry.
Toyota Supra
The Toyota Supra is a regular find in the tuning community. Image source: Toyota USA Newsroom.
Aside from producing some of the sturdiest vehicles out there, Toyota is also known for creating several mod-friendly cars. One of them is the Toyota Supra is a regular find in the tuning community. The Supra’s 2JZ engine and 1,000 horsepower capacity make it an extremely customizable car.
Mazda Miata
The Mazda Miata boasts immense aftermarket support, making it one of the easiest cars to modify. Image source: Mazda USA News.
The Mazda Miata boasts immense aftermarket support, making it one of the easiest cars to modify. Even without switching things up, it makes a decent competitor for autocross and circuit racing events.
Honda S2000
Japanese vehicles have always been easy to modify, and the Honda S2000 is no exception. Image source: Honda Newsroom.
Japanese vehicles have always been easy to modify, and the Honda S2000 is no exception. The S2000 is one of the cars that won the most in circuit racing history, boasting a powerful four-cylinder engine. Countless aftermarket upgrades can take it further in terms of performance.
Honda Civic
Whether it’s an old or new model, there’s no denying that the Honda Civic is one of the most popular vehicles out there. Image source: Honda Newsroom.
Whether it’s an old or new model, there’s no denying that the Honda Civic is one of the most popular vehicles out there. It’s also one of the easiest cars to modify. Its popularity gave way to an endless supply of aftermarket upgrades to take it to the next level.
The Ford Mustang is customizable enough to match the level of supercars, whether you’re dealing with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost or the GT. Image source: Ford Media Center.
The Ford Mustang is customizable enough to match the level of supercars, whether you’re dealing with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost or the GT. There’s also a tremendous amount of aftermarket support for this model, making it easy for owners to find the perfect mod.
Toyota 86
The Toyota 86 is built to accommodate future modifications, featuring an extra space in the engine bay and enlarged exhaust pipe cutouts. Image source: Toyota USA Newsroom.
The Toyota 86 is built to accommodate future modifications, featuring an extra space in the engine bay and enlarged exhaust pipe cutouts. The 86 along with its twin, the Subaru BRZ, also has a great following in the tuning community.
The Subaru Impreza WRX is no stranger to rally racing. The model is considered a top pick for many gearheads when it comes to modifications because of its all-wheel drive capability, impressive safety features, and affordable performance.
Lisa Conant grew up in Canada around a solid contingency of gear heads and DIY motor enthusiasts. She is an eclectic writer with a varied repertoire in the automotive industry, including research pieces with a focus on daily drivers and recreational vehicles. Lisa has written for Car Bibles and The Drive.
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