Prologue: While motoring around town the other day, I had one of those moments where I wanted to make some space, so I poke the turn signal, downshift, hit the gas, and BOING! I'm in the open and giggling as I leave everything else behind. The question arose in my head: for a turbo car, how did BMW/MINI achieve nearly zero turbo lag in the new cars? (Mine is a '19 fJCW 2D hatch.)

I know that it's impossible to have zero turbo lag, but my car sure makes it feel like that. I remember driving some wannabe-sporty Dodge model in the early '00s that had a turbo and one of the first auto-manual gearboxes I'd ever driven. Aside from the craptostic gearbox, the lasting impression I got from the car was planting my foot on the gas, then waiting a fat one Mississippi or two before the turbo kicked in.

What's the trick with newer turbo cars that has nearly eliminated the lag?

Thanks for educating the not-too-technically-inclined but curious mind.

 

Direct injection, high compression, variable cam timing and lift, and a tiny twin-scroll turbo all combine for near zero turbo lag.