Boosting a car is one of the greatest ways to achieve power fast and effectively.
In basic terms, adding a boost to an engine means forcing compressed air into it, allowing it to produce more power. The main way that forced induction is achieved is with either a supercharger or a turbocharger.
A supercharger is designed to function off the engine’s crankshaft, meaning that the power that is produced from the supercharges depends on engine RPS.
The General design that superchargers go off is some sort of compression mechanism that sucks in air and compresses it using either screws or fans. This is why supercharges lose how much power they produce based on the RPMs, lower RPMs lower suction, and vice versa.
This is where parasitic loss comes from because the supercharger is based on the crankshaft. It takes extra power to run it, but the overall gain is worth it.
“I think that superchargers look so much cooler and I think that they sound better,” Zach Engelbrecht said.
Turbochargers mostly come with one design, and the main difference between a turbocharger and a supercharger is that a turbocharger runs off the exhaust gasses from the engine. A turbocharger design is set for exhaust gasses from the engine to run through one side, which spins a turbine that sucks in the fresh air and similarly compresses it and forces it into the engine; they are commonly mistaken as centrifugal superchargers.
Unlike a supercharger, the turbocharger does not have parasitic loss but it does have turbo lag. Because turbochargers require exhaust gasses to make boost, less gasses mean less boost. But even when the throttle is pinned open it still takes time for the turbochargers to make a boost, which is why there is a power surge after a little bit of having the throttle pinned. Turbo lag can be taken away using an anti-lag system but it is very harsh for the engine.
“I think that turbos sound so good and they are better for performance,” Dom Hinderman said.
Superchargers are mainly used for drag racing or when instant power is needed. As there is no lag with the supercharger, instant off-the-line power is important to get ahead in the race and keep the power down the line.
Turbos are usually used more in Eurasia as they are a bit more fuel-economical and it is a more popular practice. Turbos do have a much higher potential for boost output based on the size of the turbo, as they are not limited by engine RPMs.
Overall they are both great and both work as intended and will most definitely be a worthwhile upgrade to your vehicle.
