Brenspeed Hellion Turbo vs Brenspeed Saleen Supercharger vs Brenspeed Vortech Charger

ClayStang

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Dec 9, 2008
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I have a question about what would be the best buy for force induction. I'm looking at a Brenspeed Hellion Turbo, a Brenspeed Saleen Supercharger, or a Brenspeed Vortech Charger. What would be the best buy that would still be good for a daily and still get around 25 mpg. I'm looking for power only when it is need around 400 rwhp to 450 rwhp. Any info on this would be great.
 
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I see these questions posed all the time. Which is the best?

Its all about personal preference. Any kind of forced induction (given they are set up to give the same performance values) will do just as good as any other depending on car setup.

Its all about what you want your car to do. There was recently a MM&FF article with a Whipple and a Procharger with identical car setups and almost identical power numbers. In the end the performance was almost identical. The power just comes in on a differen't spot in the curve.

So. That being said. Differen't types of forced iduction bring in power in differen't ways. First you have to figure out what you want of your car. Then and only then can you figure out what type of F.I. to buy.

If you have a daily driver that you want to be fun and aren't seeking balls out power. You will most likely be happiest with a twin screw or other posative displacment blower. Power right at the tip of the throttle, but not nearly as peaky or effiecient on the top end.

If you want balls to the wall power. You want a turbo. No perasitic drag. All the power you could ever want/need/have. So whats the drawback? You don't get power the second you stab the throttle. The power builds on itself gradually (how gradually depends on the setup) and what you end up with is peak power. With a HUGE amount of mid-range torque.

If you want a comprimise. A centri blower is right up your ally. Power builds like a turbo only slightly faster with slightly less mid-range torque. Not us much "Under the curve" like a Twin screw or a properly set up turbo.

The best way to figure it out is to get behind the wheel of a few cars with FI to see what you like.

Best of luck. (This all comes from about 3 years of solid research done by myself and reading things others have said. I've driven a S197 with just about every setup other than a turbo) . In the end, if all you want is 450rwhp and to keep your car a daily driver. A saleen blower is probably going to be your best bet. But if you want your car to move the rollers at anything over about 600 to the tire. Then your looking at Whipple, KB twin screw. A procharger, Novi 2200 Centri or finally and probably the best system to grow from street car to track monster. Turbo.

/Rant

Let me know if any of this make sence and I'm sure someone else will chime in as well.

P.S. - Don't forget N2O. Torque in a bottle. Awesome power dollar for dollar. Also remember there is always a exceptions to the rules.
 
I see these questions posed all the time. Which is the best?

Its all about personal preference. Any kind of forced induction (given they are set up to give the same performance values) will do just as good as any other depending on car setup.

Its all about what you want your car to do. There was recently a MM&FF article with a Whipple and a Procharger with identical car setups and almost identical power numbers. In the end the performance was almost identical. The power just comes in on a differen't spot in the curve.

So. That being said. Differen't types of forced iduction bring in power in differen't ways. First you have to figure out what you want of your car. Then and only then can you figure out what type of F.I. to buy.

If you have a daily driver that you want to be fun and aren't seeking balls out power. You will most likely be happiest with a twin screw or other posative displacment blower. Power right at the tip of the throttle, but not nearly as peaky or effiecient on the top end.

If you want balls to the wall power. You want a turbo. No perasitic drag. All the power you could ever want/need/have. So whats the drawback? You don't get power the second you stab the throttle. The power builds on itself gradually (how gradually depends on the setup) and what you end up with is peak power. With a HUGE amount of mid-range torque.

If you want a comprimise. A centri blower is right up your ally. Power builds like a turbo only slightly faster with slightly less mid-range torque. Not us much "Under the curve" like a Twin screw or a properly set up turbo.

The best way to figure it out is to get behind the wheel of a few cars with FI to see what you like.

Best of luck. (This all comes from about 3 years of solid research done by myself and reading things others have said. I've driven a S197 with just about every setup other than a turbo) . In the end, if all you want is 450rwhp and to keep your car a daily driver. A saleen blower is probably going to be your best bet. But if you want your car to move the rollers at anything over about 600 to the tire. Then your looking at Whipple, KB twin screw. A procharger, Novi 2200 Centri or finally and probably the best system to grow from street car to track monster. Turbo.

/Rant

Let me know if any of this make sence and I'm sure someone else will chime in as well.

P.S. - Don't forget N2O. Torque in a bottle. Awesome power dollar for dollar. Also remember there is always a exceptions to the rules.

nice write up man, definitely appreciate the time and effort :nice:
I do remember that MM&FF article, with the Kenne Bell coming out on top by a whisker :rlaugh:
But I also remember the Kenne Bell trapping over 5 mph more than the Procharger :eek:
Gotta make you wonder how that would translate to the streets :shrug:

-James
 
Its all relative man. Kenne Belle makes such a awesome piece. If I were me, and I am most of the time, I'd have a kenne belle blower if it wasn't for this Ranger I bought for a daily driver.... :)
 
sorry not meant to be a hi-jack............but what supercharger (Saleen or Vortech) would work better for the hypothetical roll race on the highway? Assuming all things are equal e.g. gearing, driver skill etc

-James

I would say that for a roll race on the highway, the Vortech (or Centrifugals, in general), would be the hot ticket. From a standing start, though, the Saleen. I have the Vortech V2 in my GT and it really shines from a roll, especially as revs and speed climbs.
 
The only thing that I would add about the Vortech option, as I recently installed a Vortech V3 S-Trim (air-air aftercooler) on my Marauder, is that they tend to be less expensive than some other options and in my opinion a little easier to install. Drawbacks? I think the biggest is that to change the serpentine belt you need to pull the supercharger off the front of the engine. That's not a huge deal, I know, but in my opinion it's something to consider if this is a daily driver. It'd be tons easier with a roots style blower that sits on top of the engine.

And they do make good power. My Marauder puts out 417 RWHP on just 6psi of boost.
 
Its all relative man. Kenne Belle makes such a awesome piece. If I were me, and I am most of the time, I'd have a kenne belle blower if it wasn't for this Ranger I bought for a daily driver.... :)


I hear ya :D I've been literally losing sleep over which set up to go with for my DD :rlaugh:

I've got a line on on upgraded Saleen kit that makes 450rwhp..........then there is also the Paxton and cant for the life of me make up my mind :shrug:

I mean, I love low end torque, but don't wanna get my ass whipped on the freeway either :rlaugh:

-James
 
I hear ya :D I've been literally losing sleep over which set up to go with for my DD :rlaugh:

I've got a line on on upgraded Saleen kit that makes 450rwhp..........then there is also the Paxton and cant for the life of me make up my mind :shrug:

I mean, I love low end torque, but don't wanna get my ass whipped on the freeway either :rlaugh:

-James

Get a twin screw blower for great low end torque and awesome high speed pull. If I could have afforded to go that route, I would have. The centrifugal was very inexpensive, and makes good power considering what I paid.
 
While you're saving up, remember that you'll soon need a new (upgraded) clutch. You should also do suspension and brakes. You'll need a tune (I recommend a dyno tune). Premium fuel will be mandatory - forget about 25 MPG. At 10psi I'm getting 20 tops cruising steady on the highway with my 3.31 gears - much less around the city and on the boost. Traction will be a problem - factor in increased tire wear (burnouts are fun too). You'll also probably want extra instrumentation (AFR, boost, fuel press, etc). Installation of all this stuff is extra if you can't do it yourself.

If you're already worried about beating every dork that wants to try you on the freeway, you'd better set some cash aside for tickets and increased insurance too.

If you're on a budget, I'd recommend that you save up at least double the cost of the kit before you even order it. Trust me, the cost of the kit is only the tip of the iceberg.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. I'm still not sure what to get I am thinking about a turbo then anything so i only have the boost when i need or want it. I also may get a vortech charger since they are much cheaper to install then a turbo and are right between a turbo and twin screw. Anymore input be great. What do you guys think of a six conversion or would it not be worth the money. Any input on what i should do would be great.

I just bought my 2005 Mustang GT and im looking to mod it but keep it a daily drive the will get some what decent MPG.
 
I'd do a CAI, canned premium tune (Bama or Brenspeed), and 3.73 or 4.10 gears - then just enjoy the car for awhile. These relatively inexpensive mods will really wake the car up. As far as beating down every freeway punk you come across - forget it - life's too short (literally). There will always be someone faster/stupider. You'll very quickly find that you don't need the aggravation. Just my 0.02!
 
I'd do a CAI, canned premium tune (Bama or Brenspeed), and 3.73 or 4.10 gears - then just enjoy the car for awhile. These relatively inexpensive mods will really wake the car up. As far as beating down every freeway punk you come across - forget it - life's too short (literally). There will always be someone faster/stupider. You'll very quickly find that you don't need the aggravation. Just my 0.02!


:rlaugh:
those damn freeway punks! :rlaugh:
Sorry didn't mean to come across as an avid street racer........these scenarios were all hypothetical. I work for the county, so tickets are a big :nono::nono:

-James
 
I also may get a vortech charger since they are much cheaper to install....

That's why I bought the Vortech V2 S-trim. My total cost....

$3,716 = cost of the complete system (blower, injector, pump, tuner, etc.).
$ 899 = installation.
$ 450 = dyno tuning (two different days for different kinds of tunes).
$ 140 = set of 8 FRPP 3V0 spark plugs (colder heat range and copper).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
$5,205 = the grand total, which includes all parts, labor, tax, etc.

There are superchargers and turbos out there that could easily set you back $8K to $10K when you add up all the related parts & labor you'd need.

My GT is making about 440 flywheel hp with this setup (engine & exhaust are 100% factory stock), but could easily dial it up by adding an aftercooler and/or exhaust & engine mods. With minor bolt ons and the aftercooler, I have friends pushing 450 rwhp (well over 500 flywheel hp) with the same blower using conservative daily driver tunes.
 
define "best". centris, and TS dont give you boost all the time. centris are rpm dependent and TS are throttle dependent. i have a whipple and it doesnt go into boost unless you give it enough throttle. i can drive around all day and not go into boost, but there's no fun in that. i think the whipple is the most complete system w/ the GT500 fuel pump. if you add the cost of that fuel pump to other systems the price is about the same. for street application you cant beat the TS SC.
 
for what it's worth, there isn't much turbo lag if you choose the right turbo application. a small pair of turbos would spool up rather quickly, versus a big single turbo which would make even bigger numbers with a little lag while it's spooling up. however, that's largely dependent on your driving style and application. for instance, the turbo drag racers usually have automatics and build up the boost so they're leaving the line with full boost and lifting the front end off the ground.

However, depending on where you are, turbos are not smog legal just because they're turbos. California and many others are the case because you're putting something that sits between the MAF and catalytic convertors, and could possibly make the car run differently than it shipped. I'm not a big fan of their idea and smog limits, but there isn't much that we can do about (other than register your car in another non-smog state :D).

It's all about what you really want out of your car.

It's also rather hard to argue about the pricepoint of a centrifical blower. Paxton, Procharger, and Vortech are all rather cheap, come with nice kits, and are rather easy to tune. The same can be said about Kenne Bell and Whipple Twin Screws, however they are a couple bucks more. I've got to say that the Vortech kits are pretty nice, and have a large following where you could likely grab one used for half the retail price. I grabbed a Novi 2k with intercooler for $2000, and my buddy just sold his V1 S-Trim full kit (complete with a Snow kit) for $2600.

The Vortech line is nice because they've got a couple of different offerings. The V2 SQ's are really quiet at idle, spool pretty quickly, and they've now got V3 blowers which are entirely self contained and no longer require punching holes in the pan. Alternatively, the Twin Screws are also rather quiet on idle, and give out that patented whine when stomping on the gas. I guess it's all up to you, as similar power levels can be had on the same boost. The beauty of superchargers are that they are a true bolt-on, 4-5 hours of work, and you've got a supercharger ready to go. Can't exactly say the same for the turbos.