Chevrolet introduced a turbocharged version of the engine for the 1962 model year.
Development of this version was done by engineers James Brafford and Robert Thoreson, under the oversight of Bob Benzinger, who had become chief engine designer for the Corvair in 1959.
The turbocharged Corvair was released one month after the turbocharged Turbo-Rocket engine in the Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire, making it just the second turbocharged car in volume production.
This engine was not marketed under the Turbo-Air name, being listed initially as the Super Charged Spyder engine.

Many of the internal components were strengthened or otherwise revised to deal with the stresses of forced induction.
The engine received heavy-duty rod and main bearings, chromed upper piston rings, and nickel/chromium alloy exhaust valves.
The crankshaft in the turbocharged engine was made of forged 5140 chrome-steel.
The compression ratio was reduced to the 8.0:1 of the original 1960 naturally aspirated engine.
The multiple-carburetor intake system was replaced with a single side-draft Carter Yh carburetor.

The turbocharger was made by the Thompson Valve Division of Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge Inc., which became TRW in 1965.
The model selected weighed 13.5 lb (6.1 kg).
It had a 3 in (76 mm) diameter impeller and was capable of spinning at up to 70,000 rpm.

The turbocharged Corvair engine did not use a wastegate to limit boost pressure.
Instead, boost was controlled by an exhaust system designed to create back-pressure sufficient to limit the maximum boost.
To prevent the engine from running too lean a metering rod and jet were selected that supplied an over-rich mixture when at full throttle.
Static timing advance was set to 24° BTDC, with an additional 12° of centrifugal advance coming in above 4000 rpm.
To prevent pre-ignition, a diaphragm on the distributor provided a pressure retard function rather than a vacuum advance, and could retard timing by up to 9° at manifold pressures above 0.14 bar (2.0 psi).

With maximum boost pressure limited to 10 psi (0.69 bar), power output from this engine in 1962 was 150 hp (111.9 kW), a 47% increase over the 102 hp (76.1 kW) output of the naturally aspirated engine.
Torque was also increased by 58% to 210 lb⋅ft (285 N⋅m).
Chevrolet introduced a turbocharged version of the engine for the 1962 model year. Development of this version was done by engineers James Brafford and Robert Thoreson, under the oversight of Bob Benzinger, who had become chief engine designer for the Corvair in 1959. The turbocharged Corvair was released one month after the turbocharged Turbo-Rocket engine in the Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire, making it just the second turbocharged car in volume production. This engine was not marketed under the Turbo-Air name, being listed initially as the Super Charged Spyder engine.
Many of the internal components were strengthened or otherwise revised to deal with the stresses of forced induction. The engine received heavy-duty rod and main bearings, chromed upper piston rings, and nickel/chromium alloy exhaust valves. The crankshaft in the turbocharged engine was made of forged 5140 chrome-steel. The compression ratio was reduced to the 8.0:1 of the original 1960 naturally aspirated engine. The multiple-carburetor intake system was replaced with a single side-draft Carter Yh carburetor.
The turbocharger was made by the Thompson Valve Division of Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge Inc., which became TRW in 1965. The model selected weighed 13.5 lb (6.1 kg). It had a 3 in (76 mm) diameter impeller and was capable of spinning at up to 70,000 rpm.
The turbocharged Corvair engine did not use a wastegate to limit boost pressure. Instead, boost was controlled by an exhaust system designed to create back-pressure sufficient to limit the maximum boost. To prevent the engine from running too lean a metering rod and jet were selected that supplied an over-rich mixture when at full throttle. Static timing advance was set to 24° BTDC, with an additional 12° of centrifugal advance coming in above 4000 rpm. To prevent pre-ignition, a diaphragm on the distributor provided a pressure retard function rather than a vacuum advance, and could retard timing by up to 9° at manifold pressures above 0.14 bar (2.0 psi).
With maximum boost pressure limited to 10 psi (0.69 bar), power output from this engine in 1962 was 150 hp (111.9 kW), a 47% increase over the 102 hp (76.1 kW) output of the naturally aspirated engine. Torque was also increased by 58% to 210 lb⋅ft (285 N⋅m).
Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine