I received an email from Z1 Motorsports with a variety of ignition coils. The performance set caught my attention. Supposed to help with gas milage, pep & a couple other things. Can anyone help me with this. Is it an "avoid 👎🏼" or "👍🏼 this really will help".
This is also my first car with ignition coils so any elaboration is helpful.

 

No. Stick with OEM

 

An ignition coil is essentially just a step-up transformer that turns 12v dc into about 15000v dc. They are supplied full time power and the ECM individually closes the ground wire for each one causing it to arc at the spark plug for a few milliseconds. To keep a stable voltage on the 12v side during this rapid discharge of the circuit there is a capacitor on the line called an "ignition condenser", (condenser is just the European term for a capacitor). The ECM can advance or retard ignition timing as needed based on it's programming and it uses the camshaft sensor, crankshaft sensor, throttle position sensor, tachometer, and knock sensor to trim the ignition timing advance up/down. It's not as complicated as you would imagine.

Hitachi is the OEM manufacturer of the coil packs, HR engines use part number IGC00003.

The only application where you would want a better aftermarket coil is very very very high boost applications. There are limitations to the stock coil packs which operate at around 15000 volts, higher performance coil packs will have more secondary windings and usually operate at higher voltage (18k to 30k v), under very very high boost applications it will "blow out the spark" on OEM coil packs and you normally compensate by lowering the spark plug gap which creates less "surface area" to ignite the fuel mix, it's easier for electricity to jump a smaller gap but the smaller gap is worse for performance compared to a larger spark plug gap. High performance coil packs will allow you to run marginally larger spark plug gap compared to OEM. Higher voltage means the electricity can arc across a bigger gap.

Additionally quality aftermarket high performance coil packs will have better manufacturing standards than OEM and have better heat dissipation, for track use when money is on the line it might be a worthwhile investment to dump $500 into some high end racing ignition coils, for a street car this would NEVER be the case.

The OEM plugs already run a gap of .042, this is PLENTY for all your N/A needs and even shrinking down to .030 for moderate boost applications is PLENTY of gap. There are very few cars on the road that would benefit from high performance coil packs, but for those few it is a performance upgrade.

Only use OEM Nissan or Hitachi (the OEM manufacturer) ignition coils on these cars, Hitachi has a stellar reputation for it's automotive electronics and your car will run like new with their components.

Hope this helps you understand the system better.