I’ve not heard a modern day implementation of the Superturbo since the 1.0 supercharged and turbocharged MA09ERT engine in the Nissan March Superturbo almost 15 years ago. That little gem made 110ps on a 770kg body, with 0.7 bar total boost.
Now Volkswagen is using that idea for it’s engines in order to remove turbo lag and boost power for it’s smaller engines. Volkswagen’s twincharging system is called SuperTurbo Compounding, a name given by the system’s supercharger supplier Eaton.
This method of forced induction is usually called twincharging in the United States and is normally done with aftermarket components. This combination of forced induction was commonly used in World War 2 era aircraft to prevent power loss at high altitudes.
Volkswagen will implement the SuperTurbo first in it’s 1.4 liter direct injection engine for use in the 2006 Volkswagen Golf. Two different versions of the 1.4-liter engine are planned. In standard guise the four-valve-per-cylinder unit kicks out 140 hp and 250Nm of torque, with a more performance-oriented variant with higher boost levels producing 170 hp and 270Nm of torque. By comparison, VW’s existing 2.0-liter four-cylinder delivers 150 hp and 200Nm.
Supercharging will increase the low to mid-range torque will the turbocharger will kick in at higher revs to provide a higher-end boost. The induction system will run on the supercharger until the turbocharger has achieved it’s maximum spool and can provide necessary boost. When this happens, a clutch in the supercharger disengages and is closed off allowing the turbo to take over completely.
