Quote:
Originally Posted by bee_are_zee
Shiv, not sure if this is the best place to ask but here it goes. How would you describe this setup to the ESC for normal street driving. I understand they provide fairly different power curves, but you are one of few people who has had a good amount of seat time with both set ups.
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Two different beasts. Both have very distinct pros and cons. Once I find the time, I'll do a comprehensive write up comparing the two.
Cliff notes: If you want something that can be installed/uninstalled quickly, there is nothing better than the Phantom SC. Once the battery packs are installed, you can literally remove the SC in minutes for dealership visits or, in my case, NA map development/testing. On the dyno, it also provides more torque up to 4500rpm which makes for better top gear highway passing performance (less need to downshift). Being an electric supercharger (not belt driven), you will also see better fuel economy which isn't trivial.
The Vortech kit, on the other hand, will get a a bit less mpg, give you slightly more whirring noise under the hood (I kinda like it). And while it won't give you as much torque on the dyno in the low end, the torque it does give you is IMMEDIATE. Whereas the ESC needs to spool up from rest, the SC is always spinning with the engine. So when the foot goes down, the bypass valve closes and you immediately have boost. This difference alone makes the two feel comparable in the low end. One gives more torque but is lagger. The other gives you less but is immediate. End result is about the same level of performance but with the SC feeling more natural and coherent (just like a larger engine) vs feeling like a smaller engine with an on-demand power adder.
Above 4500rpm, no comparison. SC wins hands down. It's definitely more satisfying. Not just in power but also response and power delivery and controllability. It's not an on/off switch like the ESC. And it makes peak power above 7000rpm which makes it feel and sound like a race car. When driving, you get into a groove of shifting, WOT, shifting, WOT, etc,. and it's very very satisfying in that it feels like a bigger, higher revving engine. No surges or any indication that it's boosted other than the sound of the bypass valve relieving pressure from time to time. Definitely a better driver's tool.
But the ESC is A LOT more affordable, especially when you factor in installation cost. Which in itself, is enough reason for many people to consider it. I suspect you will find more people going with the ESC first and then swapping over to an SC later once they get the taste of boost. I don't foresee people going the other way around. We have the Phantom kit on our shop car and I enjoy it very much. For less than $2k you pick up heaps of torque and ~40whp gains. But I'd be lying if it didn't say I wouldn't go with the SC if it was logistically feasible for us at this time. We are still developing NA maps and can't exactly install/uninstall the Vortech kit as needed.