A small turbine gives excellent response but the back pressure limits the maximum power and also tends to overboost from mid-speed range upwards. To overcome this, when a small turbine is used, it is fitted with a wastegate, which limits boost from the turbocharger by diverting the exhaust gas from the main turbine once the preset boost has been achieved.
There are two main ways to get more power from a car's engine. The first (and until recently the...