'high-performance' originates from the combination of 'high,' meaning 'great in amount, degree, or intensity,' and 'performance,' which refers to the execution or accomplishment of work, acts, feats, etc.

'High-performance' evolved from the need to describe products or systems that exceed standard capabilities, particularly in the automotive and computing industries.

Initially, it referred to any system or product that performed better than average, and this meaning has remained consistent.