What is turbo lag?
Turbo lag is when you want to go and the car says no, but why?A turbocharger looks a lot like a hair dryer and works in a similar way, forcing extra air into the engine for a more explosive air-fuel mix in the cylinders.
Turbocharging has been around since the late 1800s and gained popularity from the 1960s as a way to boost engine power in road cars.
But… A turbo only spins up to speed when there is exhaust gas pressure turning the impeller, which means the engine has to be working relatively hard before the turbo can generate the boost that builds the engine’s power.
The delay from the time the driver hits the accelerator and the arrival of the extra boost is called turbo lag. It effects both turbocharged petrol and diesel engines.
Back in the 1980s, when F1 turbo cars made as much as 1000kW from just 1.5 litres and turbos also fuelled the World Rally Championship, turbo lag was awful.
Road cars including the original Audi Quattro, Nissan EXA and many others required anticipation, planning and overly-early use of the accelerator to get them going fast out of corners.
Into the 21st Century, advances in engine management systems and turbo technology – such as twin-scroll and sequential turbos that make boost much earlier -- have almost killed turbo lag.
This is especially so in turbocharged petrol engines and has allowed a new generation of engines (and cars) that combine great on-boost power with frugal off-boost economy.
Tags
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
