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Sorry, all, for the slow posting this week–I’ll make it up to you with a two-pack today, with one Car Lust this morning and one this afternoon.

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I’m a fan of turbochargers. It’s easy to be seduced by the thrust of horsepower they provide, of course, but I’m even fond of aspects of turbocharging that other people don’t care for.

Turbo lag, for instance–it’s not great at a race track when you’re trying to time your power application coming out of a corner, but for me that split-second delay before the wall of power hits is a delicious bit of suspense. The car feels as if it’s gathering itself for a sprint; and the short delay only makes the strong pull that follows even more entertaining. The characteristic whistle of a turbocharger spinning up also annoys some, but for me it’s the auditory signal that something special is going on under the hood. That whistle activates a Pavlovian response in me; but fortunately rather than a craving for dog food, it triggers a craving for horsepower.