Quote:
Originally Posted by 8cd03gro
If properly setup, a modern turbo system > blower. It's simply a more efficient design and with the right compressor sizing turbo lag is non-existent.
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Better turbo technology has certainly REDUCED turbo lag significantly, but whenever you're using a turbo lag WILL be present. How much, depends on the setup of course, and can be greatly reduced...but the less lag, generally, the less power as well. Typically, people using power adders are doing it for exactly what the topic name implies...adding power. So a tiny turbo that has nearly unnoticeable amounts of lag most likely isn't going to make the power the owner wants.
I do agree that the turbo is a more efficient design, though.
In the end it all comes down to preference. In my experience, turbos can add mind blowing power. The problem lays in the initial lag, and then the sheer suddenness of the onset of the power (sudden large increase in power = more shock to driveline components). Though recent technological improvements have made this less of a factor, turbos also tend to be less reliable than their belt-driven counterparts. Turbos can also be more difficult to tune for, imo. Also, turbo's don't mix that fantastically with manual transmissions, since they pretty much lose all boost with every shift, having to spool again after gear engagement. If you're gonna go turbo, you'll wanna have either an auto-tranny, or a well programmed no-lift-shift feature and a lot of confidence in your shifts.
Superchargers, on the other hand, don't seem to make the same kind of efficient power that turbos can (since by their very design they're parasitic to the engines power, using a good portion of the engine's power output to compress the incoming air.) Personally, I find SC's easier both to maintain and to install. Being the kinda guy that feels awkward with an auto, the SC is a better fit for me and my M6 because it's not going to bleed off boost every time I back off the throttle to shift.
Like I said, it all comes down to preference, and it's probably obvious where my preference is. Something about the whine of a supercharger gets me all giddy
