Quote:
Originally posted by mbtjc
Whew, 2 cents? That was more like a couple of dollars! haha Well the only thing I am wondering about is the original post which said that many more cars come with turbos than SCs.
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Hmm... oh, yeah, the original question! The ratio of OEM turbos to blowers has varied considerably over time. Blowers were poplular a few years ago becuase:
- they are simple
- they are cheaper
- they require less redesign
- they are more emissions friendly
- easier to retro fit to a car not designed for forced induction
Turbos are popular with OEMs because;
- they are more efficient
- they give better gas milage results
- more total hp
One of the big issues facing OEMs regarding the use of turbos in the U.S. market is the relatively new star-tup emissions requirements. A turbo acts like a pretty efficient heat sink, so the cats take much longer to light off. Some current turbo cars (WRX) solve this by putting a cat ahead of the turbo. They actually use THREE cats on the WRX to make it pass the start-up emissions standard.