RICCI'S GARAGE

Reportes Mark's pondering the biggest question of all: single or twin turbos for his GT-R rebuild

- Mark Riccioni

Whoever first said there’s no replacement for displacement is likely having quite a tough time these days. Because there’s no escaping the efficiency of turbochargers in 2024. These miracle snails allow smaller, downsized engines to deliver a punch equal to (or greater) than their larger predecessors. And, when utilised cleverly with PHEV powertrains like Ferrari’s 296 GTB, the results are pretty mind-blowing.

But turbocharging smaller engines for more power is far from a new phase. Just about every performance Japanese car from the Eighties and Nineties went down this route and, in the case of the Nissan Skyline, its RB26 engine utilised two smaller turbos for better response and less lag. Some cars – like Mazda’s FD3S RX-7 – even used sequential turbos (one small, one big) to quite literally give the best of both worlds.