The present work investigates different additions of nickel and zirconium to the matrix alloy of Al-SiC metal matrix composites to enhance their high-temperature performance. These composites are promising for the demand for lightweight solutions for automotive components like brake discs. In such components, the compression behaviour at elevated temperatures is crucial. The resulting properties were combined with microstructural analysis. Ni additions led to a continuous improvement of the mechanical response, but the same result did not hold for the Zr additions. The interaction of SiC particles, eutectic silicon, and eutectic Ni-based phases led to a 44 % increment of the activation energy.