In this case, it comes down to pedal response. With a supercharger, giving the throttle 50 percent will return 50 percent. A turbocharged car may be more variable as power builds up. Sign up to get the latest performance and luxury automotive news, delivered to your inbox daily! I agree to receive emails from Motor Authority. I understand that I can unsubscribe at any time.
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Share This Article:. Follow Us Today:. Meanwhile, as this list of every supercharged vehicle available in the U. Of course, all Volvos equipped with 2. This design capitalizes on the strengths of each—supercharger boost at low rpm supplies pressure until the larger turbo spools up, at which point the supercharger is declutched from the crankshaft so as not to rob power. Twin-turbo just means that there are two turbochargers.
These can either work independently as is often the case on vee-configuration engines, where there are separate turbos functioning on each side of the engine , or in series. When they're used in series, a small and a large turbo are paired, in which case the small one spools up quickly to reduce turbo lag, then as exhaust flow increases, the larger turbo begins supplying the boost.
Note that some refer to the former as a biturbo Mercedes badges many of its AMG cars Biturbos and the latter as a twin-turbo, but we don't make this distinction. Naturally, quad-turbo means there are four of them, as in the Bugatti Chiron. Its big W engine employs two pairs of sequential turbochargers.
For years most turbocharged vee engines hung the turbos off the exhaust manifolds on the outboard side of the engine, with intake air entering in the valley of the vee.
Lately there's been a push toward reversing that and feeding intake air into the outboard sides of the vee with the exhaust plumbing and turbos nestled inside the vee. This has the advantage of greatly shrinking the overall size of the engine and, with proper hood ventilation, can result in lower underhood temperatures.
Because of the need to package a turbocharger near the exhaust, its form factor leaned toward a centrifugal turbine-type compressor from the beginning.
Belt-driven centrifugal superchargers are also available and are likewise fairly easy to package in aftermarket retrofit installations. Paxton popularized this setup, and its design is now sold under the Vortech name as seen above. One interesting riff on this concept is a variable-ratio centrifugal supercharger , which involves a continuously variable pulley drive fitted to a conventional compressor. There are two main types of superchargers.
Besides how the two devices work explained above another key difference is that whilst a supercharger requires engine power to run, a turbocharger runs off waste exhaust energy created by the engine. This means that overall turbochargers operate with higher efficiency, utilising exhaust energy which is typically lost in naturally-aspirated and supercharged engines. Turbochargers provide significantly increased horsepower for engines, especially allowing smaller engines to produce much more power in relation to their size, whilst simultaneously offering better fuel economy.
On the other hand, turbochargers tend to provide less boost at lower engine RPMs whilst the turbo spools up; the so called turbo lag. The trade-off is reduced efficiency, given superchargers use engine power to produce engine power.
The reason why turbochargers are used most commonly in Europe is because the engines are small and four cylinders are standard. Superchargers can deliver their boost at lower RPMs then a turbocharger, whereas the turbocharger works best at high engine speeds. Turbochargers are quieter and superchargers are more reliable. Superchargers are easier to maintain than the complex turbocharger. In conclusion when you compare superchargers to turbochargers, there is no clear winner. Which option is better depends on the vehicle itself and how it is typically used.
As vehicle technology evolves there will always be demand for both as manufacturers and customers search for power and fuel economy efficiencies. Please note; Unfortunately, we are experiencing processing delays for all orders which may result in delays in shipping. In a typical turbocharger like this one, the compressor in the silvery intake housing pulls in and compresses air which then feeds the engine. Chris Doane Automotive.
Turbocharge Your Turbo IQ. Volvo was the first manufacturer to sell cars in the U. The system is fitted to its top 2. Chris Amos.
Mercedes-AMG is the first manufacturer to incorporate an electric supercharger, which it uses to buttress the low-rpm power of its new CLS53 performance sedan. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.
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