Depends on what your after too... ask yourself this? if turbo chargers are the bee's knees why do top fuelers use superchargers?
Although top fuelers still use the antiquated system of the roots blower, it's all to do with crunching the number to get the desired result.
The Roots blower is by far one of the most inefficient chargers in relation to fuel usage you can get; but the design is simple, and has teh capability of pumping massive amounts of air through the system to feed those bahemmoth engines they use. Big volume=Big power, when the cost of fuel is the least of your worries and you want reliable power you still can't go past a root!
Next down the line in the family is underboonet superchargers, a common name that springs to mind is the powerdyne, thought they all follow a similar principal. Running off the crank gives you instant power, but it saps anywhere from 5-20% of what the engine was orinially making. Superchargers are also to install and easier on the pocket with less mods involved. (though with any car mod there is always the option of going nuts to get everything "working in harmony"
. Note too that their is less underbody temps with a supercharger than with a turbo as the hot exhausts are expelled straight away. One downfall to the current generation of these superchargers is that in thier current guise there are a few limiting factors in pumping out the amount of PSI that large turbos due. Many a crank has been snapped due to the strain on it, or charger gone through a wheel well caused my the massive amount of instant torque.
Now turbos, yes they do need to spool up, can cost a bit to get working well with the engine, and can get high temps... note make sure your exhaust manifold is properly matched because temps in the engine bay can really sky rocket under hard driving and melt things. As they are a fairly free spinning system, they are easier on the engine than a supercharger in that respect.
After having driven vehicles under both guises, for street driving there is nothing quite like watching that tacho climmmmbbb.... then bang, sucked into your seat as you launch into that sweet sympohny that is turbo spool. The challenge around the track to keep the engine singing as you go through the gears adds to the excitment; snapping third as you hit the back straight.... OK getting a bit off topic. But if your in it for the street light drags and the 400m straight on the weekends, the supercharger is for you! Right off the line getting your car to squat on it's back wheels, trying to see over your bonnet which is kinda on an angle due to the torque twist... that's another blast all on it's own!
So my personal opnion, as I used to do a lot more street than drag I'd go the turbo. Though I'm out of the game now, suffice to say "I've been pussy whipped", my current ride is a bit of a snail though it does let me explore the great outdoors where most vehicles can't... to it's credit at least, it does run a turbo.
* This post has been modified
: 6 months ago
