Turbo vs Supercharger
 

I wanted to get some feedback from some of the great technical minds on this forum regarding the pros and cons of adding twin turbos ( exhaust driven ) or a supercharger ( belt driven ) to a Boxster :confused:

From what I can tell, adding twin turbos will give you approx. 60 hp for around $7k :

http://www.turbowerx.com/page1/page3/page3.html

TriGem2k, why are you considering this over a supercharger ?

Alternatively, a supercharger will give you approx. 80 hp for around $6k :

http://www.imagineauto.com/boxster%20sc.htm

ohioboxster, what made you go with the supercharger over twin turbos ?

Overall, I guess what I am wondering is this :

What makes one better than the other ?

Which would put more wear and tear on the engine ?

What are the advantages / disadvantages between the two in terms of performance ?

Thanks in advance for your input :)

Nick

with the SC you get NO leg and plenty of TQ. Plus you have companies that have been S/C Porsche for a while (IA (2.5 and 3.2) and TPC (2.5 only))

I have no clue who is doing the TT

Nick,

I went with the Supercharger kit for one reason only, price. I found a gently used like new kit on E-bay. I there would have been a twin turbo kit I would have bought that one. Turbo or supercharger is just personal taste. Its cool to say "I have a twin turbo Boxster" or "My boxster is supercharged" but as far as performance they are so close it will come down to opinion. I would never have paid 6 or 7 thousand and 2 thousand for install, would have just bought a different car. Thats just me because I dont keep cars for more than a couple of years and want to keep my losses to a minimum.
As far as wear and tear goes they are both air pumps and do the same thing, force more air into the motor which allows more fuel to be burned. I would think the only wear and tear factor is going to be the drivers right foot. Once again, my car only goes into boost when I put it there.
Im not sure at what point the turbo makes power, is there lag waiting for them to spool up? I dont know. The belt driven supercharger makes power right away when you stab the gas. As you know the Boxster is dead off the line. The supercharger makes up for the low end lack of power. I would have to ride in a turbo powered Boxster to form an opinion about the differences.

Thanks Nick, this is probably the longest reply to any thread in my life. My opinon would be keep searching or a used kit on the net if your considering forced induction. I honestly looked for months and cant believe I wasnt bidding against other forum members for the kit. I bid against one guy who didnt even own a Boxster but knew it was such a deal and I would have paid more by the way.

Do you have a "on/off" switch for your supercharger?

A used kit just sold for $2.6k
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/pts/238617296.html

Yes, its called my right foot. I can drive my car the rest of its time on this earth without ever going into boost.

Oh ok I thought you installed a switch like in the old Corvettes w/ superchargers.

Superchargers are better for the Boxster because of a lack of room in the engine bay for turbos and a good intercooler kit.

JP,

They claim the boost kicks in at 2500 rpm, so I don't think lag would be a problem.

Ohio,

Sounds like you got quite a deal, plus the fact you did your own install :p

Todd,

Looks like this kit includes the intercooler...

They bring up a good point, Porsche has chosen to add turbochargers to some of their models, but not superchargers :

No forced-air performance application is truly complete without an intercooler. The TurboWerx upgrade kit includes an air-to-air intercooler for not only the safest possible operation, but additional hp. Not only just more horsepower - but just plain smart.

Thanks to the custom ECU programming, the intercooler and an extremely efficient turbocharger, the upgrade boasts a full 6 psi of boost pressure. The system is so efficient, that full boost is achieved at less than 2500 RPM. These performance levels are simply not achievable without taking a systemic approach to the design. The end result is a upgrade package unmatched in performance, reliability, and cost.

Performance and versatility. These are two reasons no others can match the power and boost level of TurboWerx Twin Turbo Upgrades. Using efficient turbochargers and intercooling safely allows 20-50% more boost than supercharging systems can provide - 6 psi vs 4-5psi. For certain applications, such as racing, TurboWerx systems can very easily increase the boost level for even higher performance. On the track or the street, turbochargers are the best choice. And no wonder turbochargers are what Porsche® engineers always chose.

http://www.turbowerx.com/page1/page3/page3.html

Thoughts ?

Nick

Yea and if you ever go for a ride with me you know my car is NEVER under 2500RPMs :D

In the IA video you can hear the SC wine. In mine since it is a 3.2 you cant since they have to add headers. I also have a Cargraphic muffler. It is schduled for cat bypass pipes this week ;)

As for Turbowerks I would feel better about them if they did not use photos from other websites (Techart & Porsche NA) JMHO

I have more plans not this motor but since I like this car so much and it is all but paid off. I hope to find a 3.2 or 3.4 sleeve it out to a 4.1 (alla Todd) do some head work and tune via IA, Tit connecting rods, pistons, Cams and and some N20... I figure I like this car that much and am already knee deep. So anyone who has a line on an engine please keep me in the know...

I will eventually do a wide body kit like an RSR so I can fit bigger meats under it. I already have issues hooking up. 1st is useless and 2nd is almost the same.

I really have no preference. Turbo vs. Supercharger makes no difference for me. I just want more POWER.

I made my decision to go with the Turbo on two reasons. I spoke with the guys at Turbowerx and the sounded pretty good about their product (what else would you expect from a guy trying to sell a 7k kit). I also spoke with my service advisor from Beverly Hills Porsche. Although he discouraged me with doing either, he said if it was to be done that I should stick along the line of the Turbo kit. He claims these engines would benefit more from a Turbo than they would with a Supercharger. So I set myself up for a Turbo.

The guys at Turbowerx claim their kit for the 2.7L will add 80HP and 90ft lbs torque to the Wheels. This would put my car at 270+hp at the wheels.

All that really matter is the end result and that won't be known until my pocket is 8k lighter. I will keep you guys updated as the project nears. Right now I’m hoping to have it all done by Mid March to Early April. Hence I will dub it "March Madness" :D

~James

Turbos would have a greater potential than superchargers. You can modify boost so much easier and in theory less strain on the engine (not belt driven, hence no parasitic loss). Now all you will need is some ceramic headers.

I sure would like a set of links for all the supercharger and turbo manufacturers for boxsters. If you've discovered them, please post them to this thread. Thanks!

Both links are located at the lower section of this thread.

Let just say in advance Im not getting defensive but you guys say some funny stuff. The service guy tells you the motor would benefit from a turbo over a supercharger, ok good enough for me. I would never settle for an answer like that.

You can modify boost so much easier and in theory less strain on the engine
Please explain this theory.

I can up my boost with a pulley change and how is one form of FORCED INDUCTION easier on the motor than another? I just wish people would speak from experience rather than what they read on the net. We are talking a couple ponies either way in favor of SC vs. turbo.

Forcing compressed hot air into a motor is just that, period. The delivery is the difference.

www.Imagineauto.com


http://www.turbowerx.com/page1/page3/page3.html

All I have to say is that a reputation is earned. The SC that IA uses is very similar to a turbo but does NOT need a I/C. Many of Stephens (IA) Kaspers’ cars have been in mags and he sits on the board for turbos of the PCA. As for boost adjustment, get it done once and be done do not try to play with it yourselves let those who have Mucho bucks in Cpu testing/programming and dyno time do that. I know I am making a strong point and may seem very biased but if you saw their shop and met the IA crew you would understand. They have cars shipped to their shop from all over North America every week. I just do not want anyone to us a system that has not been tested or has a solid backing behind it.

Preaching to the Choir man.... Ho is a Porsche/audi/VW know what will workbest on the car. They change parts out by the book. Nuances of tuning and upgrading s not their forte.

I agree with you Ohio. I for some reason just like the idea of the Turbo better. It really doesn't make a difference like you said, forced induction is forced induction. I'll let you know how it turns out once its all said and done. I wish I had something to compare it with. I don't know of anyone in my area with a Supercharged 2.7L. Oh well, I shall be the Ginny pig with the Turbo. If all fails ill make the 997 TT my daily driver :)

It is less strain because it doesnt have to drive a pully, not anything to do with forced induction. And with a turbo, you can change the wastegate so it holds more boost.