Turbos Vs Superchargers

[XDesperado67]

The Miata (at least the Premium NA models) gets more PP from the supercharger than it does from any of the turbocharger options do. Possibly even the High RPM turbo, but I'm not positive on that.

Haven't checked but your probably right.
If I remember right the Stage 3 Turbo produces a little more HP but the Supercharger creates a lot more torque.
Just remember that extra torque is going to come on fairly early in the power curve and create a fairly peaky curve so you'll need to set your transmission up accordingly and shift much earlier and at lower RPMs with the Supercharger installed to take advantage of that extra torque.

 

[WrxScooby]

Oops didnt realize this was a total Gt5 based thread, they should intergrate a Anit lag tuning system

 

[ghsnu]

TL;DR - Superchargers are better for drag racing, etc. where immediate power is needed. Turbos are better for circuit racing and daily driving due to lag (though will provide more power (according to some games)).

When it comes to what turbo you want, pick what fits your car. Something slow like the Kubelwagon is probably better with a Low-Mid RPM turbo. Something like a Miata is better with a Mid-RPM turbo. Something faster like a racecar or supercar is best with a High RPM turbo.

My opinion - I prefer superchargers. Usually provide instant, smooth power when coming out of a turn vs. the turbo's point of intense acceleration.


Still waiting for the option to install both a turbo and a supercharger. No lag and insane power FTW.

 

[Shoe67]

I personally use superchargers over turbos (if availiable) because I have more power across wider RPM range

 

[Bye Ya]

How about this: supercharger or turbo for Nürburgring?

 

[XDesperado67]

How about this: supercharger or turbo for Nürburgring?

Really depends on the car, the tune, PP restrictions if any and the drivers skill. If the car doesn't have a lot of torque then it can benefit from the added torque you'll get from a supercharger with better acceleration out of corners and up the hills. That being said to much torque or torque being generated at a point in the powerband that you don't use much if at all is worthless. The car has to be able to use the available power. To much torque and you waste time and energy spinning the wheels, high torque at 4 or 5 thousand rpm when you spend most of your time even exiting corners at 6,000+ rpm is also pointless.
PD seems to favor running cars at much higher rpms than most street cars in real life run at. This tends to favor the turbos. Look at the tachometers in a few cars in real life and most will have the redline under 7,000rpm while a lot of the cars in game run that high or higher. Also if you drive an automatic transmission in game the high rpm turbo will almost always be a better option since it makes peak power much closer to redline and the transmission won't shift until you hit redline which is again contrary to real life.

 

[Ridox2JZGTE]

Really depends on the car, the tune, PP restrictions if any and the drivers skill. If the car doesn't have a lot of torque then it can benefit from the added torque you'll get from a supercharger with better acceleration out of corners and up the hills. That being said to much torque or torque being generated at a point in the powerband that you don't use much if at all is worthless. The car has to be able to use the available power. To much torque and you waste time and energy spinning the wheels, high torque at 4 or 5 thousand rpm when you spend most of your time even exiting corners at 6,000+ rpm is also pointless.
PD seems to favor running cars at much higher rpms than most street cars in real life run at. This tends to favor the turbos. Look at the tachometers in a few cars in real life and most will have the redline under 7,000rpm while a lot of the cars in game run that high or higher. Also if you drive an automatic transmission in game the high rpm turbo will almost always be a better option since it makes peak power much closer to redline and the transmission won't shift until you hit redline which is again contrary to real life.

Have you tried to compare similar cars in game and in real life ? Most of the sports cars I have driven in real life and in game have similar stock engine characteristics, at least in peak torque/hp rpm.
If say an R32 GTR have stage 2 turbo with engine tuning stage 1 or 2, you can bet in real life there are car with similar engine characteristics as turbo tuning in real life can be done according to owner's preferences. Want more top end, put a high lift Tomei cams, HKS step Zero 2.8 stroker kit, some nice forged bottom end, run higher compression + boost, and enjoy over 9000rpm RB26 monster.

Redline on most sports car engine are usually higher than 7000rpm, modern engine runs higher compression with sophisticated engine management and many other high tech features. Most high performance engines of the 90's have peak torque above 4000rpm and peak hp at well over 7000rpm. Turbocharged engine of course generally have lower peak hp rpm, but the R33 GTS25t that I used to own have 9.0:1 compression ratio stock, with peak torque at 4800rpm and hp at 6400 rpm. That was not for long, I modified the car, it had over 350 rwhp, revs happily to 8000rpm, good fun.

 

[zodicus]

In the real world its hard to beat a properly sized turbo charger, however i dont know if gt5 is taking in to account the boost curve or simply looking at peak and extrapolating a torque curve based on that and the engine? This makes a big differance for exsample my WRX(not sti) has a very good sized turbo for quick response and low end power. At 2500 RPM im already making 10lbs of boost and at 3k im at a peak of 17. compare that to a centrifugal supercharger, It WILL make x boost at X rpm and its boost curve is not a curve its a straite line from 0 rpm and 0 boost to peak rpm and peak boost(assumeing thats how the super charger is geared and they usually are) if you picture these to boost curves in youre mind you can see how the turbo in this case would make more lowend boost and be more effective over a wider range, but. there is lag there is always lag no matter how good the turbo is there will always be a moment after you lift off where the boost needs to build back up. in the WRX's case this is very very quick, and unless its at peak rpm it will quickly over take the supercharger in boost out put. Add to that the large gap in effecency and the turbo wins here big time.
Theres more to consider though, the modern self oiling centrifugal supercharger is far easyer to package than a turbo and at moderate boost levels dont require a intercooler. Making them easyer to put in more engines at a lower cost. The supercharger could also be geared to make more boost witch could be easyer than replacing a turbo with a larger one. Also a supercharger at the same power levels is harder on the engine than a turbo, because the supercharger is eating up to 30% of the power the motor makes so you have to make more power that you cant use to get the same crank out put as the turbo. Not to mention the turbos boost is dynamic the more you load the motor at a given rpm the more boost you make (to a point) the super charger always makes the same boost at the same rpm, so even when youre off the gas, slowing for a corner as a exsample you are still trying to pound boost in to the motor.
Probably didnt help much but for me the turbo is the way to go, but it needs to be sized for the application. Some one will probably say "well if there so good why dont top fules use them"? my guess is because NHRA wont let them, im sure they would run EFI but they cant, im sure they would run larger than a 540ci motor, but they cant.

 

[XDesperado67]

@zodicas I know there have been cars in some NHRA classes that have ran turbos. As far as Top Fuel goes I don't think there is a rule against using turbos but unless I'm mistaken don't they run straight exhaust pipes which for obvious reasons would create a bit of a logistical problem for trying to use a turbo?

On the same subject and no I don't favor one method over another in real life as both can be highly effective when properly used, I get tired of hearing how much power the supercharger takes from the engine. Bottom line you end up with more power going to the wheels when you install a supercharger, so there is a net gain. The argument is about efficiency which is fine except the fans of turbos seem to conveniently forget that nothing is free. Yes a turbo runs on the exhaust gases from the engine which it creates regardless. However they also act to restrict that flow which causes its own set of issues and also cuts down on the efficiency of the engine. Add in that by nature the turbo is going to heat the air more than a supercharger will. (remember your using extremely hot gas to spin those turbos and that heat gets transferred)
Both methods can put more strain on the motor and have their own sets of problems, however as I said before they both can be very effective when properly applied.

 

[gt addict]

Pity that Volk's information was directly quoted, unreferenced, from Wikipedia.

Beat me to that

 

[zodicus]

I didn't mean to say that the turbo makes free hp, they consume about 10-15% on average, yes there is a net gain on both systems. As for the pipes on a top fule i would think they are a result of what they have, if they could run a turbo im sure they would change them. I dont know there rule book but i do know that they are heavily regulated and im almost positive that turbos are not allowed. If you look at the pro 5.0 and outlaw 10.5 classes theres a ton of turbos. Outlaw 10.5 is almost unrestriced save for the requirement for a 10.5 inc rear tire width (and they kinda cheat that to) and id say 3/4 of the field runs turbo/turbos.