24 Aug 05 15:42
Volkswagen is working on a combined supercharger-turbocharger system, reports Automotive News, which will be fitted to smaller petrol engines to boost power and fuel efficiency by a claimed 15-20percent over conventional turbo systems currently in production. The technology - sourced from supplier Eaton - is said to cut all turbo lag, and involves a mechanical supercharger operating at low engine speeds to increase low-end torque, and the turbocharger kicking in at higher revs to increase boost mid-range and at the upper reaches of the rev range.
The system - known internally as SuperTurbo Compounding, or simply SuperTurbo - is expected to make its debut in combination with a 1.4-litre FSI direct-injection petrol engine, fitted in a Golf next year. It will develop 140bhp and 184lb ft of torque in one version, and 170bhp/199lb ft in a more performance-focused model. The SuperTurbo Golf may be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. SuperTurbo 1.6 and 2.0-litre FSI models (giving 190bhp and 240bhp respectively) are rumoured to be on the way at a later date.
Combined supercharger/turbocharger systems are not a new idea; although they have only been used in specialist models such as the 1985 Lancia Delta S4 rally car, they featured in a number of World War II-era aircraft, where they counteracted power losses at higher altitudes. The technology is also used on high-speed motoryachts. (Automotive News).
