The world of Turbo Vs. Supercharger is sometimes tough to realize....the truth is...when making power there are many ways to apply it. Some engines are low reving torque monsters and some rev to infinity....some cars are driven in varying situations...others live in a narrow powerband....and the same goes for turbos and superchargers...some compressors make very little boost....but move enough air to fill a football stadium in 10 seconds....lol...others can push air into 7x atmospheres....Diesel engines are a prime example of this use. Some pulling trucks make 100+psi of boost and turn 3500rpm max...LOL...insane!....and they use compound compressors to achieve these elevated pressures. On the other hand a Top Fuel motor's blower runs into the 45psi range but the motor is getting to 8500rpm...both extreme examples of each type of compressor...but the Turbo is applied to achieve ultra high boost compared to the supercharger....and the parasitics at these levels can be astonishing....with the Top Fuel motor taking a 900hp hit to spin its "Iron Lung" ....
.....on the lesser more realistic and practical end of the spectrum, there are some interesting qualities for each as well. With a smaller compressor on board...the turbo can achieve efficiency quickly with little or no lag noticed...but will quickly expose its limits as the motor swallows the air on its way down the track...which can be tolerable in less power demanding scenarios...the Supercharger will continue to build power in a linear fashion directly proportional to engine speed. This can be great for on/off throttle events....but believe it or not...the smaller Turbo will develop more low-end power with Load present. There is a fine line in finding the sweet spot for your individual needs...but careful analysis of your vehicles purpose/needs could prevent you from choosing the wrong avenue to follow.... either way...positive pressure is positively fun!
-Jack
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