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Free Power: Early Turbos in Mass Produced Cars
Low displacement turbocharged engines are becoming increasingly common on cars on both sides of the Atlantic. Ford
FordUnited States of America, 1903 > present92 models
2522 photos
11 videos
has its Ecoboost engines that are as small as a 1.0-liter three-cylinder than can make as much as 125ps. Volkswagen
VolkswagenGermany, 1938 > present98 models
9654 photos
31 videos
really popularized the layout in the late 90s with its 1.8-liter turbocharged engine that it placed in a wide range of VWs, Audis
AudiGermany, 1909 > present83 models
8213 photos
27 videos
, Seats
SeatSpain, 1950 > present29 models
2350 photos
4 videos
and Skodas
SkodaCzech Rep., 1895 > present57 models
2557 photos
7 videos
.
The turbocharged engine started growing in popularity in performance cars of the 80s. Nearly every major automaker experimented with some type turbocharged performance car in the decade with mixed results. For every great car like the Saab 900 Turbo
Saab 900 TurboSweden, 1979 > present1 photo
there was a Pontiac Firebird Turbo that made turbos seem unreliable. The earliest uses of turbos on cars car back to the 60s but not on performance cars. Instead, the first two production cars to offer a turbo options were fairly normal American sedans.
History
Before we begin looking back on how turbos have been used on petrol cars, let’s clarify a few things. Technically, a turbo is a type of supercharger. In common parlance, a supercharger is a mechanical way of compressing air and forcing it into a space. For cars, this is often done via a belt attached to a compressor at one end and the engine’s crank at another. As the engine turns, it spins the belt, and the supercharger sucks in air to compress it and force it into the combustion chamber. Higher-pressure air allows for more efficient combustion.
The 1952 Cummins Special was the first turbocharged race car, albeit a diesel
The turbocharger differs by using the engine’s exhaust gas to spin an impeller that sucks the air in. Unlike a supercharger, a turbo does not put a load on the engine by stealing power from the crank. However, as the impeller size grows, it takes more exhaust gas to spin it at a high enough rate to properly pressurize the air. Superchargers work immediately but have the downside of technically robbing the engine of some power in order to provide it with more.
The supercharger was invented in 1860 to send air into mines. Rudolf Diesel patented the supercharger for his engine in 1896. The turbo was invented in 1905.
One of the first successful turbo tests came on the back of a truck on Pikes Peak. In 1918, a group of General Electric engineers modified a Liberty 12-cylinder aircraft engine with an experimental turbo and mounted it to the back of a Packard
PackardUnited States of America, 1898 > 195822 models
458 photos
truck. The engine was mounted to a propeller to push the Packard up the hill. This was considered safer because if the engine failed, a pilot’s life would not be put at risk, but the engine could be tested at high altitude.
The Liberty produced 400hp with no turbo at sea level. At the 14,114 feet Pikes Peak summit it produced 230hp with no turbo. With the turbo installed, it could make 377hp.
The 1952 Cummins Special was the first turbocharged race car ever. It competed once in the Indy 500 and was performing well until on-track clag clogged the turbo. The rules were changed to keep it from racing again.
General Motors
The Jetfire might have only lasted two years, but it pointed to the future.
The first two mass produced turbocharged cars were the 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire Turbo and 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder
Chevrolet Corvair MonzaUnited States of America, 1963 > present. The Oldsmobile went on sale in April 1962, and the Monza Spyder came to market few weeks later. Officially making the Jetfire the first turbocharged production car ever.
Interestingly, these two cars did not share an engine but used the same Garrett TO-3 turbo. The F-85 used a turbocharged version of the one-year old 215ci (3.5l) V8 – the same engine Rover
RoverUnited Kingdom, 1904 > 200523 models
24 photos
would license to become the Rover V8. The turbocharger boosted power from 155hp and 210lb-ft of torque in the basic naturally aspirated version to 215hp and 301lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged engine was an expensive option and less reliable than the conventional version. Still, the performance increase was significant. It took over 14 seconds for F-85 with an automatic transmission get to 60mph. With the turbo, that time dropped to 9.2 seconds with the automatic. To prevent knocking, the engine used methanol injection, which had to be replaced intermittently.
While the F-85 Jetfire lasted for just the 62 and 63 model years, the turbocharged Corvair was offered until 1967 over two generations. The Monza Spyder used a turbocharged version of the standard car’s air-cooled 145ci (2.37l) flat six engine producing 150hp and 210lb-ft of torque. Standard cars had 80hp or 95hp in the non-turbo Monza.
The boost in power accelerated the turbo Corvair to 60mph in about 11 seconds compared to 14 seconds from the non-turbo Monza and slightly less than 18 seconds for the standard car. Monza Spyder’s also got a four-speed manual, while standard Corvair’s had to make due with a three-speed. The Spyder used a lower compression ratio to prevent knocking unlike the F-85’s methanol injection. That performance put the Spyder on par with a Porsche 356 Super 90
Porsche 356 Super 90Germany, 1959 > present1 photo
but for half the price.
The Corvair got a second generation in 1964 with all new styling and new, larger engines. The engine was now 164ci (2.7 L) and the turbo was rated at 180hp and 232lb-ft of torque. From 1965, the name of the turbocharged version was changed from the Monza Spyder to the Corsa. The turbo engine was dropped from the Corvair in 1967, and Corvair production stopped completely in 1969.
BMW
The BMW Turbo Concept inspired not only its first turbocharged car but the M1.
It took six years for another manufacturer to give turbocharged production cars a chance. To celebrate the 1972 Olympics that were happening basically on its doorstep, BMW
BMWGermany, 1918 > present87 models
8471 photos
43 videos
created a mid-engine, gullwing concept called the Turbo
BMW Turbo PrototypeGermany, 1972 > 19721 photo
based on the BMW 2002
BMW 2002Germany, 1968 > 19777 versions
12 photos
chassis. It was designed by Paul Bracq and was very well received. The concept is clearly an early inspiration for the M1 that would come at the end of the decade. It began working on a production turbo car.
The 2002 Turbo
BMW 2002 TurboGermany, 1973 > 19741 photo
came the next year and brought total output of the 2002 Tii
BMW 2002 TiiGermany, 1968 > present5 photos
up from 130ps to 170ps. They were also fitted with bolt-on fender flair, wider tires and a limited-slip differential. The 2002 Turbo could accelerate to 100km/h in 7 seconds and had a top speed of 130mph.
Unfortunately, the Turbo came at the wrong time. The oil crisis was beginning just as the car was released and the cost of gas increased sharply. BMW built the 2002 Turbo until 1975 and 1,672 were completed.
Porsche
Porsche
PorscheGermany, 1931 > present43 models
4639 photos
29 videos
began working on the 911 Turbo in 1972 to homologate for racing and showed the first concept for the car at the Paris Motor Show in October 1974. Sales began in 1975. The Turbo
Porsche 911 TurboGermany, 1975 > present1 photo
used a 3.0-liter turbo engine with 260hp compared to 207hp from a standard 1975 911.
Porsche started racing the the 911 Turbo the next year as the 934 and 935
The early 911 Turbos were dangerous to say the least. They had a short wheelbase and rear-biased weight, which made even the standard cars prone to oversteer. The Turbo granted a binary addition of power. If the driver suddenly accelerated in the middle of a corner, the turbo would come on boost and the rear end would lose traction.
The 911 Turbo
Porsche 911 TurboGermany, 1977 > present1 photo
got a major upgrade for 1978 with displacement increased to 3.3 liters and an added intercooler. Power increased to 300hp.
Unfortunately buyers in the US and Japan were not as lucky. Tightening emissions legislation in both countries meant that Porsche stopped exporting the Turbo to them in 1980. The Turbo
Porsche 911 Turbo SEGermany, 1986 > present1 photo
did not return to them until 1986.
The Turbo has become an icon of the top of the Porsche brand. Every new generation of the 911 has gotten a turbo model, and Porsche even developed even more powerful turbo versions with the 993-chassis Porsche 911 GT2
Porsche 911 GT2Germany, 1995 > present2 photos
and two generations of GT2s
Porsche 911 GT2Germany, 2003 > present3 photos
.
The six generations of the 911 Turbo
The original idea in 1974 was to build the first 911 Turbo in a production run of only 1,000 units. Total production of the 911 Turbo until 1989 then amounted to almost 21,000 units. In its basic characteristics, the Turbo has remained unchanged for 30 years: The emphasis has been on power and performance combined with comfort and everyday motoring qualities.911 Turbo (Type 930 3.0 l) model year 1974
At the 1974 Paris Motor Show Porsche presented the 911 Turbo 3.0. Maximum output of this sports car was 260 bhp from three litres engine capacity. Achieving a top speed with this power of 250 km/h or 155 mph, the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 was for a long time Germany's fastest road-going sports car.911 Turbo (Type 930 3.3 l), model year 1977
In 1977 Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo 3.3 powered by a larger engine, developing 300 bhp. Code-named the 930 model series, this sports car remains a legend to this day.911 Turbo (Type 964), model year 1990
Following a break in production of two years, the next Turbo powered by a 320 bhp 3.3-litre engine was launched in 1991, this time based on the 911 (964) model series.911 Turbo (Type 993), model year 1995
The next generation of the 911 Turbo (993 model series) introduced in 1995 had a power unit based on the air-cooled 3.6-litre engine of the 911 Carrera and featured two turbochargers boosting output to 408 bhp at 5750 rpm. Another significant innovation was the introduction of all-wheel drive carried over from the 911 Carrera 4. Total production of this 993-series Turbo was 6,314 units.911 Turbo (Type 996), model year 2000
The 996 version of the 911 Turbo introduced in the year 2000 maintained Porsche's all-wheel drive and bi-turbo technology. And it also introduced composite ceramic brake discs as a feature which has now been available for four years. It had a maximum output of 450 bhp from 3.6 litres capacity, giving the car a top speed of 307 km/h or 190 mph.911 Turbo (Type 997), model year 2006
The 997 Turbo was introduced in 2006 at the Geneva Motor Show. The engine was based on the 964/GT1 unit and made 480 HP and 620 Nm. The engine used for the first time two BorgWarner VTG turbos, a first for Porsche.
Saab
While the BMW 2002 Turbo and Porsche might technically have been mass production cars, they were not really vehicles that normal people could aspire to. Saab
SaabSweden, 1947 > present28 models
718 photos
4 videos
changed that in 1978 with the Saab 99 Turbo
Saab 99 TurboSweden, 1978 > 19821 photo
. It came as a three-door hatchback, four-door or two-door, which all that seated five. It produced 143hp from a 2.0-liter engine with a Garrett turbo. It accelerated to 100km/h in 9.2 seconds with a 196km/h top speed.
Saab was the first company to make turbocharged consumer cars and stand behinf them
The Saab 900Saab 900 TurboSweden, 1979 > present1 photo
was introduced the in 1979 and immediately received a turbo version with the same 143hp. But Saab made a major advancement in turbocharging technology in 1982 with the Automatic Performance Control, which was a knock sensor that could adjust the turbo’s boost when necessary. Drivers who used low-octane fuel would get less power from the engine, but the turbo would remain reliable. It allowed Saab to increase the boost and therefore the power from the turbo and make it more reliable. Power was boosted to 155hp. Saab eventually developed the 900 SPG to produce 175hp.
Afterword
Where Porsche and BMW were using turbos to create high performance cars, Saab was the first company to back turbocharged engines for mainstream consumers and did so for decades. GM
GMUnited States of America, 1998 > present8 models
240 photos
attempted new turbocharged cars from Buick
BuickUnited States of America, 1903 > present68 models
483 photos
1 video
in the late 70s, but like in the 60s, it failed to consistently support the idea. Saab offered turbos on all of its models starting in 78 until it failed last year, and not just on top trim levels.
Source: Air and Space Magazine, Ateupwithmotor (2), How Stuff Works, BMW 2002
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