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Turbo vs Supercharger: One Thing Decides How It Feels (Redlined 101, Ep 07)

2 min read

The same car drawn twice: once with a turbo glowing through the hood, once with a supercharger sticking out of it, under the words turbo or supercharger.

Turbo or supercharger? Same car, same boost. One thing decides how it feels.

Watch Redlined 101, Ep 07 on Instagram →

What spins it

That one thing is what spins it.

  • A turbo is spun by your exhaust. Hot exhaust gas spins a turbine, which drives a compressor that pushes more air into the engine.
  • A supercharger is spun by a belt off the crankshaft. The engine drives it directly.
X-ray of the supercharged project car: crank, belt and blower, labelled crank, belt, blower.
Supercharger: crank, then belt, then blower.

How it feels

Stab the throttle and:

  • the supercharger makes boost instantly, because it's already spinning with the engine;
  • the turbo waits for exhaust flow to build (that's lag), then pulls harder up top.
A turbo boost gauge climbing to 14 psi after a throttle stab.
Same throttle stab: the turbo has to wait for exhaust.

Why they sound different

  • Turbos whoosh and flutter. The whoosh is the turbo spooling; the flutter is air pushing back through the compressor when you lift off.
  • Superchargers whine. The rotors are geared to the engine, so the whine climbs with the revs.
The turbo project car with a waveform above it, labelled whoosh and flutter.
Turbo: whoosh and flutter. Supercharger: whine.

Or both: twincharging

Some engines run both. The supercharger covers the bottom of the rev range while the turbo spools, then a valve hands over to the turbo up top. Volvo's T6 Drive-E engine does it from the factory, and so did the Lancia Delta S4 rally car.

The catch: twice the plumbing, twice the heat, twice the cost.

Which one for you

Two cards: daily driver chasing top end, turbo; instant punch and that whine, supercharger.
The short version.
  • Daily driver chasing top end: turbo.
  • Instant punch and that whine: supercharger.
  • No compromises: both.

Whichever you pick, boost needs a tune, more fuel and better cooling to stay reliable.

Which camp are you in? Comment turbo, supercharger or both on the reel.

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Frequently asked questions

Which is better, a turbo or a supercharger?

Neither is better in general. A turbo suits a daily driver chasing top-end power and efficiency; a supercharger suits someone who wants instant response and doesn't mind it using some engine power to spin.

What is turbo lag?

The delay between pressing the throttle and the turbo making boost. A turbo is spun by exhaust, so it needs exhaust flow to build before it can push air in. Smaller turbos spool sooner; bigger ones make more power later.

Why does a supercharger whine?

The whine comes from the supercharger's rotors or impeller spinning at high speed, driven directly by the engine's belt, so it rises and falls with RPM.

What is twincharging?

Running a supercharger and a turbo on the same engine. The supercharger provides boost at low RPM while the turbo spools, then the turbo takes over. Volvo's T6 Drive-E engine and the Lancia Delta S4 rally car both use it. The trade-off is more plumbing, heat and cost.