![]() It quickly became evident that turbodiesels were far better suited to automotive applications than their naturally-aspirated counterpart. Because the diesel combustion cycle depends on high compression, forced induction is a simple way to improve the power and efficiency of a diesel engine. Fitted with a Garrett turbocharger, the 300SD changed the diesel engine forever.Īlthough the N/A-versus-turbocharged debate continues for the petrol engine, the effects of the turbo on the diesel engine are much more profound. That year, Mercedes-Benz released the 300SD for sale in the United States. ![]() ![]() More importantly, however, 1978 would be the year in which the turbodiesel was born. It was the year that Buick began equipping the Regal with a turbocharged V6, which would ultimately lead to the high-output Grand National. It would be another 10 years before a turbocharger would be available on an American engine.ġ978 was a big year for the turbocharger. With the impending 1974 oil crisis on the horizon, it seemed that the economics of turbocharging just didn’t make sense. As it turned out, the bigger N/A motor was able to produce the same amount of power while using less fuel than its turbocharged cousin. More importantly, however, it was able to do all of this with regular-grade petrol and without the use of a water-meth kit.Īfter only two years, however, IH decided that there was no replacement for displacement, and ditched the turbo ‘Comanche’ engine in favour of a non-turbocharged 3.2-litre four-banger. It produced around 110bhp, 20 more than the naturally-aspirated version of the same engine. The International Harvester Scout was available with a turbocharged 2.5-litre four-cylinder from 1965 to 1967. Although you’d think it would be one of the European sports cars I mentioned earlier, this vehicle was actually an American 4x4. In 1965, the second mass-market turbocharged automobile was put on sale. Less than 4,000 JetFires were ever sold, and Oldsmobile pulled the plug on it after just one year of existence.Īlthough the JetFire failed in the market, it didn’t take long for the auto industry to figure out the untapped potential of turbocharging. The JetFire wasn’t too reliable, either and the Turbo-Rocket Fluid injection system proved to be impractical. Part of the reason was the JetFire’s price - the $300 premium for forced induction was astronomical in 1962, seriously hampering its commercial viability. In fact, it was -Turbo-Rocket Fluid was actually just a 1:1 mixture of water and methanol.Īlthough the JetFire made the Cutlass noticeably quicker than its naturally-aspirated twin, it never caught on with the public. ![]() If you’re an avid turbo tuner, this might sound a bit like a water-meth injection kit. Oldsmobile got around this problem by using a system to inject ‘Turbo-Rocket Fluid’ into the cylinders. The JetFire engine had a compression ratio of 10.25:1, which made it vulnerable to engine knock without modern-day engine management. Putting a turbocharger in a mass-market automobile presented huge challenges for engineers in the 1960s. It was available as an option package on the F-85 Cutlass that same year. Working with industrial turbo manufacturer Garrett, Oldsmobile created the now-legendary JetFire V8 in 1962. Instead of looking to GM’s legendary arsenal of small and big-block V8s, however, Oldsmobile decided to do what nobody else had done before. Back in 1962, General Motors decided that the 3.5-litre V8 under the hood of the Oldsmobile Cutlass just didn’t have enough power. However, the first car to ever get boost was as American as apple pie.
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