This Looks Almost Plausible

This Looks Almost Plausible

But not quite. I was curious to see what can be done to give a bit more punch to the Jaguar (once the extended factory warranty expires in 2011), and I ran into this $89.95 supercharger kit that just made me start to laugh.

Superchargers compress incoming air in the intake manifold, usually with a compressor that runs off an engine belt. This gadget, however, is essentially an electric fan that goes inside the duct that feeds air into the intake manifold, and takes less than five minutes to install.

Now, if it actually increases the amount of air going into the engine, then it could provide more power. The fuel injection system will feed more fuel as it gets more air. (Superchargers were originally invented for aircraft to compensate for reduced oxygen at altitude.) But I'm more than a little skeptical that an electric motor is going to sufficiently pressurize the incoming air mass enough to make much of a real difference. But I do have to hand it to someone for being clever enough to come up with a cheap way to fool the rubes.