Is it possible to turbo charge and supercharge a car

One way of getting around turbo lag is to install two turbochargers: A small one that spins up faster, and a larger one that provides more power at higher speeds. Twin-charging does the same. The supercharger kicks in right away to provide the initial boost of power, and then as its performance levels out, the turbocharger is spinning and doing its thing.

Together, their combined performance creates smooth power over a wide range of engine speeds. Automakers are more likely to use twin-turbos, or to use a twin-scroll turbocharger — which uses a special engine manifold that combines and directs the exhaust from specific cylinders, creating a smoother airflow to the turbine fan.

And why use turbochargers or twin-charging at all? These forced-air systems used to be set aside almost exclusively for sports and performance cars for speed. Today, automakers are putting them on small-displacement engines to help them meet stricter fuel economy standards. That smaller engine is inherently more fuel-sipping than a larger one, but when power is needed, the forced-air system starts operating to provide it — a four-cylinder feels like a six-cylinder, for example.

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Please try again. This website uses cookies to personalize your content including ads , and allows us to analyze our traffic. Federal requirements for ever-improving fuel economy, strict greenhouse-gas emissions standards, and customers' desire for good fuel mileage have driven carmakers to use turbos rather than superchargers.

The turbocharger has enabled automakers to replace a lot of V-6s with more efficient turbocharged inline-fours that provide at least equivalent power and often more tire-spinning torque, while turbo-sixes have replaced many V-8s in higher-performance sport and luxury vehicles.

Global information company IHS Markit counts some models offering at least one turbocharged engine versus just 30 available with a supercharged engine. One manufacturer, Swedish maker Volvo, decided not to choose between the two technologies. It currently employs both types of power boosters—a small, conventional engine-driven supercharger for low-end response and a turbocharger for higher-rpm power—on some of its 2.

Recently, a third power-boosting alternative has come to market: electric supercharging. An electric motor spins a compressor to provide a burst of low-rpm torque that fills in the gap in power normally felt as turbo lag. It will soon be available on engines from at least two other automakers. Meanwhile, we have a clear winner in this decades-long battle between power-boosting technologies—at least according to car manufacturers, who have chosen turbocharging for almost all of their current-production power-boosted engines.

But in reality, this arm-wrestling match rages on. Indications are that the future of internal combustion engines will see both technologies working side by side.

New Cars. Buyer's Guide. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Getty Images. The Zenvo ST1 is a strange supercar from Denmark. The car has some impressive performance figures thanks to a 6. This combination gets the car to 60 mph in 3. The car has a top speed of mph, which is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, Top Gear proved that the Zenvo had trouble putting its power down and even caught fire during a power test. We still think that the ST1 looks cool, and love its unique engine.

New models from Volvo are available with two versions of the company's 2. The T6 models have around hp, while the T8 models add hybrid assist for a total of Volvo just introduced the Polestar-tuned XC60 T8, which has hp. The new Volvo models are the most mainstream cars in the US to use a twin-charged setup. Perhaps we will start to see more companies use this unique engine configuration. We mentioned that the new Volvo models were the most mainstream car in the US to have a twin-charged engine because Europe has had many of them over the years.

The Volkswagen Group built a 1. This little hatchback may not look like much, but is actually extremely unique. This Nissan March is a special homologation special built in as a 10, unit limited run. It was called the March Super Turbo because of its unique cc twin-charged inline-four engine. This tiny powerplant put out hp, which is not bad for such a small engine.