What Is the Difference Between a Supercharger & a Turbocharger?
Function While naturally aspirated motors settle for whatever the air intake and filter bring in, forced induction compresses more air into the engine, enabling each combustion cycle to produce much more power than the normal version. Benefits For performance seekers, both superchargers and turbochargers offer up to 50% more power compared to stock–with little loss of drivability, as would be the case with “hard” modifications of the engine heads, camshaft and transmission. Types The difference between the two terms comes from the technology powering them. Turbochargers utilize a turbine that spins on gasses from the exhaust system, while superchargers are driven by a belt that hooks up to the pulleys on the front of the engine. Considerations Both modifications attach to existing parts of the car–which means they have an effect on durability. Turbochargers add back pressure to the exhaust, causing some power loss and fatigue, while superchargers increase the engine’s rate of wear. H
