6 Toyota Tacoma Performance Mods for More Horsepower

By Mike Cote - December 2, 2018

Sick of being the last to the finish line? Whether you’re on a drag strip or need that competitive edge hunting for a car space – this list of Tacoma performance mods will unleash the beast hiding under your hood.

Top Products For Adding Horsepower and Torque

The Toyota Tacoma engine upgrades featured in this list are suited to all Tacoma generations including the 2.4, 2.7 and 4.0 liter engine models. Any single item can make a huge difference to your Taco’s performance, so see our list of mods and see how easy it is to boost the horsepower of your pride and joy.

Get your truck breathing clearly with improved airflow with an Air Intake or high-flow air filter

Don’t be known as the driver full of hot air – improve the airflow of your truck and enjoy improved efficiency. One of the best 3rd gen Tacoma performance upgrades is replacing your stock air intake or filter with a more efficient upgrade. You’ll instantly feel the extra pick-me-up in your pickup. Freeing your airflow, an aftermarket intake is a quick and easy way to get boosted throttle response, torque, and horsepower – not to mention fuel economy.

Choose a cold air intake for even bigger gains. Made with a precision-fit to easily install in your Tacoma, most air intakes feature reusable performance filters:

• K&N 77 Series Metal Intake Kit
• K&N 57 Series FIPK Air Intake (50-State Legal)
• aFe Magnum Force Cold Air Intakes
• aFe Momentum Cold Air Intakes
• Airaid Intake System
• Volant Cold Air Intakes
• K&N 63 Series AirCharger High-Flow Intake Kit
• Spectre Cold Air Intake

Pump up the power with a new Throttle Body Spacer

This small, yet mighty modification bumps up your Toyota Tacoma 2.7’s performance. Upgrade your truck with the added punch of power it needs to crest that next dune. A throttle body spacer allows more air than usual to enter your intake system and directs the flow more accurately. Leave those Toyota Tacoma stock restrictions in the dust with a fresh throttle body spacer that delivers the optimal air/fuel ratio for increased torque, faster acceleration, and quicker throttle response.

Durably constructed from high-quality materials, it can help improve your truck’s gas mileage. It's also one of the easiest DIY upgrades to install. Consider options like:

• Taylor Cable Helix Power Tower Throttle Body Spacer
• Jet Power-Flow TBI Spacer
• Volant Vortice Throttle Body Spacers
• EconoAid Throttle Body Booster
• aFe Silver Bullet Throttle Body Spacers
• Airaid PowerAid Throttle Body Spacer

Hear the Roar with a Cat Back Exhaust

Providing the two-for-one benefit of removed restrictions and an aggressive growl, this exhaust upgrade is a no-brainer. The secret to speed is all about the airflow in and out of your engine – enjoy a simple Tacoma 4.0 performance mod, a custom cat back exhaust that gives you smooth and fast exhaust flow to deliver ultimate power.

Whether you’re racing or rock-crawling, a cat back exhaust promises to give you the ride of your life with Tacoma engine upgrades you’ll hear and feel. Large mandrel-bent tubes reduce EGT and reduce back pressure. Choose from a variety of systems tuned for your driving style, such as:

• MBRP Exhaust Systems
• Magnaflow Exhaust Systems
• Flowmaster Exhaust Systems
• Gibson Exhaust Systems
• Borla Exhaust Systems
• Banks Monster Exhaust System
• aFe Exhaust Systems
• JBA Performance Exhaust

Get custom performance with a Performance Chip Tuner

Stout and sturdy, your Tacoma 2.4 (and larger engine sizes) is one seriously power-packed pickup. Whether you’ve put in one or one hundred aftermarket upgrades, a performance-peaking tuner is the only way to ensure you get the most out of your Toyota Tacoma 2.4 performance upgrades, tapping into the highest potential of your mods. Set custom tunes for speed or comfort – a tuner lets you adjust the ride to suit your driving style. You can literally have a tune for every day of the week!

Comes with custom tunes for your multiple driving conditions and to optimize your mechanical upgrades. Advance, high-res touchscreens clearly display your engine vitals, and plug-n-play installation delivers instant performance from your palm. Consider options like:

• Unichip Performance Chip
• Edge Insight CTS2 Monitor
• Jet V-Force Plus Power Control Module
• Edge Insight CS/CTS Monitors
• Edge Insight CS2 Monitor
• Hypertech Speedometer Calibrator
• Bully Dog Triple Dog GT Tuner (49-State Legal)

Smooth Out Your Exhaust Flow With Headers

Next time you’re powering your way up a sand dune, be thankful for the increase of torque your Toyota Tacoma has thanks to your new aftermarket headers. A set of Tacoma headers will improve the exhaust flow in your engine and have the power pumping through your truck. Relieve the unnecessary exhaust pressures caused by your stock set-up and experience unlimited performance gains.

Customize your truck with multiple header styles available, and bolt-on installation makes this upgrade a great DIY project. Engineered with mandrel-bent tubing for unrestricted flow. Look for options like:

• aFe Twisted Steel Headers
• PaceSetter Headers
• Doug Thorley Headers
• TruXP Performance Hugger Headers
• FlowTech Headers
• Hooker Block Hugger Headers
• JBA Cat4ward Headers
• FlowTech Lakester Headers

The Penultimate Performance Mod: Add a Supercharger

Your hard-working TRD deserves all the performance upgrades offered by forced induction – and more. Add that beautiful whine to your engine as the compressed air increases the power flowing through your truck’s veins. The ultimate answer to the question of how to increase horsepower Toyota Tacoma, this expertly engineered assembly will have your competition literally eating your dust.

Delivers massive power gains across the entire RPM range, and DIY bolt-on installation with no mods required. Paired with headers and exhaust, it can deliver up to 300 hp.