Spark plugs are one of those maintenance items that, along with things like brake fluid and thermostats, are easily overlooked but extremely important to your car's safety, longevity, and performance.

At 7,000 rpm, a spark plug ignites the air/fuel mixture nearly 60 times per second. Any one of those 60 sparks going amiss can at best be mildly annoying, and at worst cost you a race or an engine.

A gas engine needs fuel, air, and spark to get its internals chugging along. Take any of these out of the equation and the engine will have a fit. While the automotive industry shifts toward fully ...