Superchargers or Turbochargers: The Debate

Ultimately turbos will always be better than turbochargers in most measurable ways. They are inherently more efficient and scalable. HOWEVER they are very rarely a good option on cars that weren’t turbocharged from the factory because whilst you can quantify the gains on paper the reality is that it’s way too much extra work and inevitably corners are cut in some places due to financial or practical constraints. In this case there isn’t really enough room for a perfect turbo setup.

Superchargers are just so much easier. With properly sized turbos you could, theoretically, tune an RS4 to be more powerful yet equally drivable than the supercharger alternative. It’s just that it’s not a job I would remotely want to take on. Turbocharged cars making torque mountains and slamming you in the back when they spool is just poor tuning. It’s both because of a lack of skill and the fact that it makes the car “feel” faster so you sell more tunes. When actual manufacturers build a turbo car the behavior is a LOT better. I very briefly tested a Merc-AMG GT S and you could pretty well fool most customers that it’s not actually turbocharged. It feels even bigger than the old 6.2 displacement wise. It is possible. But some bloke in a shed probably won’t manage it.

SC’d cars do sound better because the exhaust doesn’t pass through a turbine on the way out.