While superchargers use up some of the power that they create, turbocharger systems add pure power to your Chevrolet Corvette without any parasitic loss. Like the supercharger builds, turbo builds require upgraded fuel systems and a good engine tune, but unless you are going big, turbo builds don’t require engine upgrades. If you want to go big, beefing-up the rotating assembly will allow you to run more boost and big power more reliably, but it isn’t necessary for lower boost applications.
There are varying downsides to a turbo build. Since turbochargers are spun by exhaust gases and not by a belt, there is no parasitic loss, but turbochargers can suffer from “boost lag”. Since you need lots of exhaust gas flow to spin the turbocharger(s), you need higher engine speeds. Until you get to those engine speeds, boost levels are low. Once the exhaust gas is flowing hard enough to spool up the turbines, you reach peak power, but it generally takes a little longer than with a supercharger.
The other issue is mounting the turbochargers, as you have to locate them in line with a portion of the exhaust system. Some people mount them under the hood, near the exhaust manifolds. This makes for quicker spool times and quicker boost delivery, but mounting the turbochargers under the hood increases heat levels in the engine bay. Other Corvette owners who go the turbo route mount them under the car, which alleviates the excess heat in the engine bay, but when the turbochargers are further from the engine, it takes them longer to spool up. Also, when the boost from the turbochargers has to travel through more tubing to reach the engine, there is some loss of boost in addition to added boost lag.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
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