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The motoring world is full of technical words and weird acronyms that not everyone understands. However, there are also many concepts used when having a conversation about cars that are not especially easy to comprehend. Have you ever heard of an asthmatic engine? If you don’t have much of an idea what they were referring to, stay with us and we will clear up your doubt.
Asthmatic engine. An engine that has trouble breathing?
Believe it or not, there was a time when all cars sold came standard with asthmatic engines. They were not broken by any means. In fact, you will rarely hear a mechanic refer to this concept at their workplace.
When someone refers to an engine as asthmatic, what they are really saying, somewhat jokingly, is that it is a naturally aspirated engine. That is, it is a traditional engine that is not boosted by a supercharger or a turbo.
At car meets, this word is often used to designate a sports car or a car that has the most basic engine, meaning the one without a turbocharger. We could say it is used somewhat pejoratively, although many owners of this type of vehicle present their car as such, as a car with an asthmatic engine.
What is the difference between an asthmatic engine and a turbocharged one?
Is there really that much difference between the two types of engines? Yes, indeed.
The naturally aspirated engine uses normal atmospheric pressure to introduce air into the cylinders, while the turbo engine uses a turbocharger that forces air in at higher pressure by taking advantage of the exhaust gases, allowing more oxygen to be introduced and therefore obtaining greater power during combustion.
The turbocharged engine provides a faster response and better performance at low and medium revolutions. However, at high revolutions, the naturally aspirated engine can end up responding better. In addition, the turbo engine makes it possible to obtain the same power as larger naturally aspirated engines while consuming less fuel, so on paper, they are more efficient powerplants.
In any case, you should know that turbo engines also have their disadvantages. They require more careful and costly maintenance compared to the naturally aspirated engine. Furthermore, they have more components that can fail, such as the turbocharger itself or the intercooler.
In short, we call naturally aspirated engines “asthmatic engines” because they take in a smaller amount of air than turbo engines. The concept is usually used as a joke or in a derogatory way, so don’t use these words when talking to a professional—or someone who loves their non-turbo car too much—.