We love to see images from our customers which show our products insitu.

Instagram is a great source of inspiration to see what people can do with our individual components. Here at Viper we are always keeping an eye on our social media to see these great examples of engine upgrades. Just look at how great this engine bay look with Viper Performance silicone hoses.

Or this example of an induction setup for an Alfa Romeo. Our Silicone hoses are the perfect components for people like berlinasportivo to create such systems.

If you would like your creation featured on our social media and website then @viperperform in your Instagram posts or use the hashtag #viperhoses.

We look forward to seeing your creations.

Tuning companies often talk about stage 1,2 and 3 mods. But what are these mods and what do they mean?

These stages are often meaningless terms when applied to power gains as they can’t reliably be used to explain how much power a mod actually adds. Between stage 1,2 and 3 there is no consistent different between their classifications. However, there are some points which differentiate a ‘typical’ mod in each stage.

Stage 1 Modifications

A true stage 1 modification doesn’t require any other engine mod to get it to work, this means it can be added in isolation. Other mods can help to raise the power gains and realise the potential of the mod, they aren’t mandatory. These are at the bottom of the tuning scene in terms of the overall benefits you will receive. Stage 1 modifications are usually a straightforward DIY fit, they should also work on a standard engine that’s in good condition.

Some examples of Stage 1 mods include panel air filters, sports exhausts and fuel pressure regulators.

Stage 2 Modifications

Stage 2 mods tend to offer larger power gains than stage 1 but will require additional work on other parts if you want them to work reliably. Like stage 1, stage 2 mods are usually a DIY fit but will require more specialist knowledge and tools.

Some examples of stage 2 mods include aggressive remap that requires a stronger turbo, sports exhaust requiring new headers and internal mods requiring fuel to be uprated.

Stage 3 Modifications

Stage 3 modifications are known by most as a track day modification. Similarly, to stage 2, they will also require other mods to support them but they are usually less ideal for road use due to there aggressiveness. A stage 3 modified car will need to be regularly overhauled and serviced.

Some examples of stage 3 mods include aggressive cam profiles, heavy competition clutch and ultralight flywheels.

Find your performance parts here

Formula 1 cars and road cars share the same components and operating features but that’s as far as similarities go. Formula 1 engines are very difficult to start. Due to the complexity they can’t cold-start, this means warm oil needs to be plumbed through the engine for a couple hours prior to firing it up. As you are aware of, starting a car doesn’t require this preparation, you can just get going right away.

Formula 1 engines also have a high-revving nature. This isn’t as much of a problem in ultra-light F1 cars, but with the additional weight of a street car, it would cause many issues for the engine. This is the reason for why Mercedes – AMG engineers reduced the engines redline to 11,00 rpm for the One hypercar – still a stratospheric number.

Next, the cost. Formula 1 car engineering demands a lot of money to develop. This means a legal street F1 hypercar would have a very high price tag. For this high price, people would expect a hypercar that will last – this is not a strong feature of F1 cars. One engine usually lasting 2 races means they need rebuilding and replacing quite often. For buyers, this constant need for work is a major put off.

Following a detailed regulatory review the Government confirmed that there are no legal barriers to the testing of automated vehicles on public roads. It has launched the first official UK trials of driverless cars.

So are driverless cars something we will see in the near future?

There are certainly many developments happening from a variety of manufacturers. A self-driving shuttle bus service is to be deployed in New York City this year and a driverless lorry has been let loose on Swedish roads.

US chipmaker Nvidia is teaming up with Volvo to develop artificial intelligence for self-driving trucks. Volvo will be making use of the Drive AI platform for vehicles developed by Nvidia, put together with its vehicles. The partnership is expected to last several years and will aim to develop a system enabling autonomous trucks to drive safely on motorways and roads alongside existing traffic.

Elon Musk, the chief executive of electric car company Tesla, has said he expects the firm to have self-driving “robotaxis” on the road by 2020. Mr Musk said he expected the scheme to operate on a model similar to that of Uber or Airbnb.

Will driverless cars make the roads less congested?

Cambridge University researchers produced a model of automated vehicles which could communicate with each other. They say it shows driverless cars working together could improve traffic flow by at least 35%. Cambridge University researchers programmed 16 miniature cars to drive on a two-lane track to see how they fared when one of them stopped. In the study traffic queues formed, but when the cars’ communication system was turned on, they slowed down to allow each other to pass the stationary car.

What are your thoughts about driverless vehicles?

Radical Sportscars has blurred the lines between road and race performance. The new road-legal sports car, the Rapture was unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Designed to bring unparalleled performance to the street. The Rapture has built on the British marque’s extensive experience of top-level motorsport engineering and design.

The Rapture is built in accordance with the UK’s Individual Vehicle Approval framework to ensure its road-legal nature. It has been driven by demand from both its existing customer base and the potential to expand its market boundaries,

It is also intended for European markets from launch, with homologation for worldwide territories to follow. The Rapture will also be a timely boost for British industry, being solely built, engineered and designed at the company’s Peterborough (Cambridgeshire) production facility.

Radical claims that no other street-legal car available today offers the same percentage of race-bred DNA as the Rapture. This makes it the ideal choice for customers seeking a raw, exhilarating driving experience.