BRUTE FORCED
FORCED INDUCTION: the process of ramming more air than is natural into an engine to get more out the other side.
It’s a simple science in theory, but not always an easy one to execute, because the only way to amplify the air pressure going into the engine’s intake is to use some form of compressor. Today, most internal combustion engines feature a type of this, with turbocharging common on both petrol and diesel engines.
Before the turbocharger there was the supercharger – an automotive innovation that celebrates its centenary this year. Unlike a turbocharger, which harvests its power from exhaust gases to turn a separate turbine, a supercharger is driven by a belt attached to the engine itself, a mechanical connection that produces its distinctive shriek.
The first supercharged road car was introduced by Jaguar’s arch-rival to be, Mercedes-Benz, in the days before William Lyons had turned a spanner on a car; the 1921 6/20/45hp Benz was identifiable by the mass of pipework on the outside of the bodywork that sucked extra air into the engine.
Some may love the subtlety of the XF; others will adore the brawny beauty of the XJ
Over time, superchargers shrunk, of course. They were used with great success by Bentley in the famous Le Mans-winning ‘Blower’ sports cars, but became less and less popular as compact, cheaper
