You may remember back to us reporting on risky endeavor of Porsche to create a stationwagonesque grocery getter, the Panamera.  Now, we have some pictures of the 2010 Panamera Turbo and my feelings haven't changed much.  It still looks like something the majority of people won't buy, unless all they want is a functional status symbol.

I would imagine those looking for real performance won't be interested in something as bulky as the Porsche Panamera.  Generally speaking my view is that there are two types of buyers, those that want performance, and those who buy what their wifes want.  These two types never mesh and it looks like Porsche's target audience.  I'm ready to be proved wrong.

Those looking for big power gains usually turn to some sort of power adder, either a Turbo Charger or a Super Charger. There are some big differences between operation, benefits, and setbacks depending on which setup you choose. Both utilize what's called forced induction to help increase the amount of air mass entering the engine, thus creating more horsepower. How each power adder increases the amount of air mass is where the differences begin and I hope to simplify the differences in this article.

Difference Between Looks

First, a turbo charger looks different than a typical roots style super charger. Furthermore, they are located in different places on the engine.

Difference Between Source of Power

To create forced induction, an accessory like a turbo charger or supercharger requires a power source.  The turbo charger relies on exhaust to power the turbine, which forces air into the engine.  A roots style supercharger will rely on an accessory belt, which spins the turbine and forces air into the engine.  This is why typically going with a turbo over a supercharger is more expensive, because the setup to pull exhaust and pipe back into the turbo is a more expensive installation and requires more parts.

Difference Between Turbo Horsepower

The additional horsepower that is created by a power added engine will also fluctuate depending on which accessory you choose.  A Turbo charger has the capability of providing higher power gains, but only at higher RPMs.  That's because it relies on exhaust to spool up it's turbine, which requires more time, thus power on the lower RPMs are not as high as a supercharger can provide.  Also, even at higher RPMs a Turbo Charger will provide spikes in power, where a supercharger will provide a more even distribution of power over the entire RPM band.

The drop in power at lower RPM's is frequently called Turbo Lag.  This is the name given to the time it takes to bring a turbo up to speed and actually start producing horsepower gains above a normally aspirated engine.  This is most noticable changing from idle to throttle response time.

Warning About Power Adders

Even though a turbo charger or supercharger can be more expensive, they provide the greatest horsepower per dollar spent.  But, just because you can buy a Turbo or Supercharger does not mean you should, because most engines require a lot of prep work before being able to utilize any power adder.  A Turbo or Supercharger adds a lot of strain to an engine, so replacing internal parts of an engine is highly recommended to support the large increase and boost of horsepower.  Furthermore, even after a turbo or SC is installed it's important to make sure your car is properly tuned before going WOT(wide open throttle).  If you don't take the proper steps, installing a power adder may just blow your OEM engine apart.

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This has been the first in a series of articles on explaining entry level questions to automotive enthusiasts.  There are plenty of other differences in turbos and other power adder sources, but this article just attempts to scratch the surface and explain the basic questions someone may have.

Next What's The Difference Article: HID vs Halogen Lights

If you are in the market for a Subaru Forester, then I'd strongly recommend holding out for the 09 model year and go with the turbo option.  Unfortunately it looks like the 09 Forester standard motor actually comes with less horsepower than 08 and can make for some sluggish acceleration, even more so when loaded down with your fat friends.

The Turbo Charged 09 Forester engine is the tried and true 2.5 liter four banger, which will produce 224 horsepower and 226 lb/ft of torque.  Expect this setup to deliver 19 miles per gallon, no 30 mpg gas savers need apply.  What possibly sets this apart from the competitors like the Honda CRV and Rav 4 is the fact that the 09 Subaru Forester comes all wheel drive standard and nicely equipped at only $20,660.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse has been around for quite some time, actually first manufactured in 1990 and was built under 3 different names.  The Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, and Plymouth Laser were all the same with different brandings.  In addition to different labels we've also seen some great performance versions, even the first generation Eclipse had a turbo version, the Eclipse GS-T.

Here we are 18 years later and more than just the cosmetics have changed on this 4 cylinder, cult inducing, small size car.  Below is a stroll through memory lane with the Mitsubishi Eclipse and where it came from to where it's going.

Check out more information about the changes the Mitsubishi Eclipse has gone through over the years at Wikipedia.

Mitsubishi Eclipse on eBay

If you've got a turbo charged or super charged car or truck then you know the benefits of keeping that air cool. The cooler the air the more power that can be made at the wheels and the more efficient your power adder will be. Water Injection is a growing trend amongst those with power adders and eBay is becoming a source for engine modification parts at a discount.

Benefits of Water Injection

Another test vehicle - a 97 Pontiac Trans Am with an ATI P1SC supercharger. Originally this came to us with the standard 8 psi pulley and 2 core intercooler. After installing this water injection system we were able to upgrade to a 12 psi pulley on the stock engine! During a hard run, autotap showed ZERO knock count using the stock, agressive timing curve! An amazing 105 rear wheel horsepower increase! Non intercooled super/turbo charged vehicles will show far more impressive gains due to a larger drop in intake air temp.

Water Injection on eBay