Improving car performance must be the priority for the majority of car lovers. When people considering how to improve their car performance, installing a turbocharger or a supercharger is one of the choices that people couldn’t deny.
However, many people can’t tell the difference when it comes to choosing the best method to boost horsepower. In fact, the two technologies do have distinct differences in various aspects.
What is a turbocharger?
One of the important elements in turbochargers is turbines. When exhaust gases passing through and spinning a turbine, the turbine compresses air and forces it into an engine’s intake manifold. That is, the engine and turbine spin faster than before, thereby more air could be sent into the motor and boosting horsepower by 25% to 40%.
The system wouldn’t increase power immediately. The main reason is that it takes time for the exhaust-driven turbine to spool up and the turbine must spin at a specific rate of speed, so the system will often experience a lag during the process.
What is a supercharger?
A supercharger is also a component that connects the engine. It is very similar to the turbocharger, the supercharger spins along with the engine’s crankshaft spins, which would compress air and force it into the engine. However, superchargers could generate more power than turbochargers since they are directly connected to the engine, but this also makes superchargers less efficient. Also, a supercharger emits more smog than a turbocharger since it does not utilize a wastegate.
Comparing Turbocharger and Supercharger
The key difference between a turbocharger and a supercharger is that a supercharger requires engine power, but a turbocharger utilizes exhaust created by the engine. Overall, a turbocharger is more efficient. Besides, turbochargers also produce more power for smaller engines and offer better fuel economy simultaneously.
On the other hand, as we mentioned above, superchargers increase engine horsepower without any lag because they are driven by the engine’s crankshaft. Moreover, a supercharger is also a quick solution to boosting power in large engines with more cylinders. Furthermore, many people claim that a supercharger could experience a longer life and less heat wear than a turbocharger.
To summarize, there is no clear winner when it comes to comparing superchargers to turbochargers. For people looking to balance performance with fuel economy and efficiency, a turbocharger is the better choice. For people who are more interested in a straightforward solution to raw horsepower, a supercharger is more like the way to go.
It is also depending on the vehicle itself and how it is typically used. There will always be demand for both manufacturers and customers to search for power and fuel efficiency as vehicle technology evolves.
MaXpeedingRods Turbocharger
MaXpeedingRods has always committed to producing high-quality turbochargers for customers during the last 15 years. Also, increasing performance and extending durability are also our priorities in providing turbochargers to car lovers. Whether street performance turbochargers or sport performance turbochargers, we believe that customers will always find the right turbo for them at MaXpeedingRods.com.
