Does Speed Still Feel the Same?

A look at turbos, EV performance, and the soul of driving.

This week on DRS Diaries: We’re breaking down turbochargers like you’re five (yes, including boost kicks and turbo lag heartbreak), rewinding to January 30, 1964 when Porsche quietly dropped a motorsport cheat code with the 904 Carrera GTS, stepping into The Driver’s Room to debate whether electric cars are quicker but not necessarily more exciting, and wrapping it up with a simple reminder that sometimes the smartest car upgrade is the one that helps you see the road clearly in the rain. Let’s get into it!

Car Tech Explained Like You're 5

Turbochargers

Turbo = Engine gets help breathing

A turbocharged engine is like a person who can’t breathe properly​
until you give them an inhaler.

The engine makes exhaust gas
That exhaust spins a fan (turbo)
The fan forces extra air back into the engine
More air + more fuel = MORE POWER

So instead of breathing normally, the engine goes:
​INHALE HARDER. GO FASTER.

It’s basically the car saying:

Feels like:

Sudden push in the back
More speed without a bigger engine
Smiles per litre 📈

But…

Turbo Lag = Turbo still loading

When you press the accelerator suddenly, the turbo goes:

That small delay before power hits = turbo lag (generally upto 2000 RPM)

Floor it after that and:
​WHOOSH!!!

In simple words:

Normal engine = blowing air into a balloon yourself
Turbo engine = using a pump

Turbo = small engine doing big-engine things.
Like confidence, but mechanical. Not necessary.
Very fun.
Highly addictive.

This Week in Petrolhead History : Jan 30, 1964 Porsche revealed the 904 Carrera GTS, a car that quietly changed motorsport forever. It was one of the first production race cars to use a fiberglass body bonded to a steel chassis - light, stiff, and way ahead of its time. Built to dominate events like the Targa Florio, the 904 blurred the line between road car and pure race machine. With a mid-engine layout and brutal focus on weight reduction, the 904 wasn’t about comfort. It was about lap times, handling, and embarrassing bigger rivals. Why this matters: Porsche looked at racing… and said, “Let’s build a cheat code.” And motorsport has been chasing that idea ever since.

The Driver’s Room

Electric cars are quicker, but are they actually faster?

Electric cars win on numbers.
0–100 in 3 seconds. Instant torque. No drama, no delay.

But excitement in driving has never been about a spreadsheet.

Quicker ≠ Faster.​
Quicker is how fast you get off the line.
Faster is what happens over distance, corners, braking zones, and confidence at the limit.

An EV feels like a punch.
A performance ICE car feels like a conversation.

Sound, vibration, gear changes, engine braking, weight transfer - these are things you feel, not measure. They build anticipation. They reward skill. They make speed feel earned.

EVs are brutally efficient at going quickly.
But speed without emotion is just acceleration.

So the real question isn’t:
​“Which car is faster?”

It’s:
​Do you want speed… or do you want to feel fast?

And for many drivers, those two aren’t the same thing. (Myself included)

Keep revving,

Parth Kusalkar Founder, DRS Diaries.

Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. © 2026 DRS Diaries
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