Speed and power are two of the most highly desirable qualities in racing cars and high-performance sports cars. More power, more speed, more excitement, more danger seems to be the motto of car owners who install a turbocharger and a turbo kit in the engines of their most prized earthly possession. And why not? Cars are as much a personal statement of who you are and what you stand for as clothes and personal adornments do. If a turbocharger installed in your engine will further stress the point then purchasing a turbo kit is the best decision you will ever make in your automotive career.



But before embarking on the very important and radical decision to purchase a turbo kit, which gives you the right to boast that your car has a very expensive turbocharger, educate yourself about the pros and cons of these high-tech thingamajigs. If you think that a turbocharger can enhance your macho image (well, it does), then you had better brace yourself for the physical and financial demands the purchase and installation of a turbo kit requires from anybody.

Technically speaking, a turbocharger is a turbine-driven forced induction compressor powered by pressure from the engine’s exhaust system, to quote the ever-reliable Wikipedia. If that is still too technical a definition for the common layman, a turbocharger simply converts a waste product, in this case exhaust or air, into more horsepower and therefore more speed. Think of it as recycling with a powerful purpose; if you are an environmentalist who likes hard and fast drives, a turbo kit would satisfy both your likings. A turbo kit, on the other hand, is composed of the turbocharger itself, the exhaust manifold, the wastegate and blow-off valve, the oil supply and the intercooler. But I digress. The pros of having a turbocharger installed include attaining more power (and again, more speed like the Batmobile or the Knight Rider) with the same engine volume. Also, a pre-configured turbo kit is smaller and lighter that other forced induction systems like a supercharger and it is easier to install. Even if you are not using your turbocharged car for its speed, you can still benefit from better gas mileage. Now, the environmentalist in you would love this feature. However, the cons in a turbocharged car include over-steering and under-steering, as well as wheel spin; these are factors in most fatal car accidents. A turbo kit can be very expensive, too. This is not even taking in the cost of maintenance as extensive upgrades are often necessary. Furthermore, the complexity of the technology can cause do-it-yourself headaches. Besides, you need a dyno machine to make sure that everything is working perfectly. Thus, taking on a DIY turbo project is best left to experts.

Fortunately for us automotive idiots, there is Vivid Racing to tell us about turbochargers and turbo kits. It is a company in Chandler, Arizona famous for its aftermarket modifications to cars, with services such as exterior and interior works, painting jobs, electronic car products, engine parts and a whole line of turbochargers and turbo kits for almost every car make and model imaginable, among other products and services. Vivid Racing can take care of finding the right turbo kit for your car, its installation in your car (with dyno testing) and the maintenance necessary to keep the turbocharger in tiptop shape.