A shadowy presence compared to Turbo!　Five hit cars with almost extinct superchargers

A cousin system that combines power and good response

In the 1990s, superchargers were used in many cars as a secret strategy for increasing power.

In the 1990s, superchargers, known as "sutures," were booming in Japan. Using the crank output to turn the blower or compressor to send intake air to the engine results in a loss of engine output, but many manufacturers have adopted it because it offers better response than a turbocharger. [Photo] Running the first generation Estima! With the increase in response due to improved performance of turbochargers and the spread of hybrids with motor assist in the low speed range, it seems that cars equipped with superchargers have disappeared from domestic cars. Let's take a look back at the models that shined by Sucher. 1) Nissan Note (E12) The "Nissan Note", which was recently selected as the Japan Car of the Year 2021-2022, has become a current model and is a series hybrid e-POWER exclusive model, so it is expensive as a compact car. It is said that one of the evaluation points is that it has both high-level driving performance and fuel efficiency. As you know, e-POWER was first installed in the notebook in the middle of the predecessor model. In fact, in the early model of the predecessor Note, the DIG-S, which combines a supercharger and a 3-cylinder engine, was a symbolic grade. The aim of achieving both low-speed torque and fuel efficiency by actively controlling the drive of the supercharger with an electromagnetic clutch is similar to e-POWER, and was highly evaluated by experts as Nissan's antithesis to the downsizing turbo. That's why the emergence of a hybrid system called e-POWER may have forced the supercharger to leave the market. 2) Toyota Estima In the domestic supercharger boom of the 1990s, the Toyota Estima (1st generation) was a supercharger for all cars. However, this is only for the final version. I remember that in the case of the Estima, it was difficult to increase the size of the engine due to the unique package of tilting the 4-cylinder engine in the midship, and it was decided that a supercharger would be optimal due to the layout of the intake and exhaust. Unlike the addition of a turbocharger, it was Estima's supercharged car, which can be said to be a manufacturer's tune, that made us feel the merit of being able to install a supercharger without changing the layout of the catalyst.