3 ms·
What you're describing is a twin (or more) turbo setup with sequential turbos[1] as opposed to another solution which uses a single turbo that can act as multip
by Evolved 12y ago
What you're describing is a twin (or more) turbo setup with sequential turbos[1] as opposed to another solution which uses a single turbo that can act as multiple turbos depending on the angle of the exhaust wheel vanes (VNT/VGT or Variable Nozzle/Geometry Turbo)[2].
The problem is, none of these solutions solve the drivability issue of knowing exactly how your car will respond such as how a naturally-aspirated car will at a given RPM in a given gear at a given throttle position.
Taking into account the comparable volatility of turbo pulses compared with the constant and precise behavior of an NA response to throttle input you can very well put yourself into the wall a lot easier with the relative unpredictability of the turbo response. Granted, with technology this problem can be solved as many vehicles already have the ability to change chassis dynamics on the fly and so nanosecond fluctuations in turbo response creating imbalance can be rectified in a nanosecond from a vast array of sensors, solenoids, actuators, etc. it still has the net effect of distancing the driver from the feel of the car even if ever to slightly which I'm sure is one of the reasons certain folks buy Ferraris or other exotics.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-turbo#Sequential_turbos http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-turbo#Sequential_turbos
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-geometry_turbocharger http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-geometry_turbocharger
- thrownaway2424 12y agoI guess you were being hyperbolic but the latency of anything changing in your engine's output is going to be in the tens of milliseconds rather than nanos. The motorsport in which I participate involves a lot of dirt and tree stumps and whatnot so I don't feel like knowing exactly how energetic the next cylinder's firing will be comes into play. Perhaps some people do. I just hope that people who hold such intangibles as distance or connectedness important in the act of driving can hold their tongues next time HN engages in a round of ridiculing people who judge their hifi systems by "presence" or some other intangible thing. After all, it's pretty clear that the fastest cars in the world are all turbocharged, so by purely objective measures this discussion is nonsense.
- Evolved 12y agoAs the amount of vehicles I own that are turbocharged (3) exceeds the amount of Ferraris I own (0) I can only assume your conjecture on the part of me describing what some Ferrari owners may feel are very tangible attributes in their cars is due to differences in passion or particular choice of machine. What you describe sounds like rally so to illustrate this I'd ask if you had to race your next race surrounded by cushions of anything and at least partly removed from the feel between you the car and the fire/logging road you race on then would your split second decision to Scandinavian flick or not be influenced differently than if you'd have been fully strapped into your racing seat and securely bolted to the floor of the car with no wiggle room and feeling every rut and rock in the road? I'd even go so far as to say the feel when driving different cars and feeling the effect your inputs have as opposed to having a computer do them for you is vastly different from a hipster attempting to justify why his $100+ Beats headphones are better than a good pair of $29.99 JVC or Panasonic headphones.