Hyper Blog

If you're shopping for forced induction and you keep hearing the name Whipple come up, there's a reason: Whipple Superchargers has spent nearly four decades building the twin-screw supercharger, and it's the setup a lot of serious Mustang, Shelby, F-150, Bronco, and LS-platform owners land on once they've done the research. As an authorized Whipple dealer and installer, we get asked constantly what actually separates a Whipple from the other boxes on a shelf, and what "Stage 1" versus "Stage 2" really means for a build. Here's the rundown.

Who Is Whipple Superchargers?

Whipple Superchargers was founded in 1987 in Fresno, California, by racer and engineer Art Whipple. The company's defining moment came early, when Whipple introduced twin-screw supercharger technology to the American performance market — a design that had been used in industrial applications but hadn't been adapted for cars and trucks. Nearly forty years later, Whipple is still family-owned, still headquartered in Fresno, and still manufactures the majority of its components in-house with a team of more than 100 people. That in-house manufacturing is a big part of why Whipple kits fit and perform as consistently as they do — the company controls its own tolerances instead of outsourcing the parts that matter most.

What Makes a Twin-Screw Supercharger Different

Not all superchargers move air the same way, and the difference shows up the moment you touch the throttle:

• Roots-style superchargers trap air and push it into the intake manifold, where it's compressed after the fact. Because there's no internal compression, more air leaks back past the rotors, which means the unit has to work harder and runs hotter for the same amount of boost.
• Centrifugal superchargers work like a belt-driven turbo — boost builds progressively as RPM climbs, so you get relatively little boost off idle and the most near redline.
• Twin-screw superchargers, Whipple's design, compress the air internally, before it ever reaches the intake manifold. That means less leakage, less parasitic power loss, and a noticeably cooler discharge temperature than a roots unit making the same boost.

The real-world result is a boost curve that's already available at part throttle and low RPM, not just at wide-open throttle near redline. That's why a Whipple-equipped car doesn't just feel fast on a dyno pull — it feels fast merging onto the highway, rolling into a passing lane, or launching off the line, because the boost is already there when you need it.

Stage 1, Stage 2, and Competition/Tuner Kits — What's the Difference?

Whipple organizes most of its supercharger systems into stages, and it's worth knowing what you're actually choosing between:

• Stage 1 kits are tuned for a strong, streetable power gain with a more conservative pulley and boost level, built to work well on pump gas with predictable drivability.
• Stage 2 kits step up to a larger blower pulley and more aggressive tune for a bigger power gain, typically paired with supporting upgrades to keep everything living happily at the higher output.
• Competition/Tuner kits come without a base calibration, built for cars that are headed to a dyno for a custom tune — the right call if you're running E85, a built motor, or just want a tune dialed in specifically for your combination rather than a generic base map.
• Custom Supercharger Packages: this allows you as the customer to come to us at Hypermotive and say "I want to make 1,000rhwp" or "I just want to make 700rwhp" but I want a certain set of mods with the kit.  We cater packages to your liking, whether you're looking for crazy power or moderate safe power for the streets!!  

Several of Whipple's truck and SUV kits — including F-150 and Raptor Ecoboost systems and the 2021+ Bronco 2.7L kit — are also offered in 50-state legal configurations, meaning they're emissions-compliant everywhere in the country, California included.

The Packages We Offer

As an authorized Whipple dealer and installer, we stock and install kits across most of the platforms Whipple builds for, including:

• Mustang GT (S550, 2011–2023) — 3.0L and 3.8L Stage 1 and Stage 2 kits, plus Competition/Tuner versions
• Shelby GT350 / GT350R — Gen 6 3.0L Stage 1 supercharger systems
• Shelby GT500 — 3.8L supercharger systems and upgrade components for the Predator-based platform
• F-150 & Raptor Ecoboost (2.7L / 3.5L) — Stage 1 kits, performance tunes, cold air kits, and intercoolers, including 50-state legal options
• 2021+ Bronco 2.7L Ecoboost — Stage 1 supercharger kit, intercooler, and calibration
• C6 Corvette (LS3 / LS7) and Chevy SS — complete Whipple supercharger systems

We also carry the supporting parts that separate a proper install from a box-in-a-box-on-your-driveway job: upgraded throttle bodies, 10-rib and 6-rib belt systems, oversized heat exchangers and intercoolers, dual fan upgrades, alternator relocation kits, and billet pulleys for owners looking to fine-tune boost on an existing system.

Why the Install Matters as Much as the Kit

A supercharger is only as good as the install and tune behind it. Cooling system capacity, fuel delivery, belt routing, and the calibration itself all have to be dialed in together — and getting any one of them wrong is how a great kit turns into a comeback repair. As an authorized Whipple dealer and installer, we handle the full job: the supercharger system itself, any supporting upgrades your combination needs (bigger throttle body, better cooling, a stronger belt system), and dyno tuning to make sure the power you paid for is the power that actually gets to the ground — safely and reliably.

Running a Mustang and dialing in the chassis too? We've also put together a similar breakdown of Steeda's suspension lineup and packages.

Ready to Talk Packages?

Whether you're after a mild, pump-gas-friendly Stage 1 or you're building toward a Stage 2 or Competition kit with a custom tune, we can put together the right Whipple package for your vehicle and your goals. Stop by, give us a call, or browse our current Whipple lineup and let's figure out which setup makes sense for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a twin-screw supercharger different from Roots or centrifugal designs?

A Roots-style supercharger pushes air into the intake manifold and compresses it after the fact, so more air leaks back past the rotors and it runs hotter. A centrifugal supercharger builds boost progressively with RPM, like a belt-driven turbo, so there's relatively little boost off idle. A twin-screw design, which is what Whipple builds, compresses the air internally before it reaches the intake manifold, giving less leakage, less parasitic power loss, a cooler discharge temperature, and boost that's already available at part throttle and low RPM.

What's the difference between Whipple Stage 1 and Stage 2 kits?

Stage 1 kits are tuned for a strong, streetable power gain with a more conservative pulley and boost level, built to work well on pump gas with predictable drivability. Stage 2 kits step up to a larger blower pulley and a more aggressive tune for a bigger power gain, typically paired with supporting upgrades to keep everything living happily at the higher output.

Do I need a dyno tune with a Whipple supercharger kit?

Competition/Tuner kits come without a base calibration and are built specifically for cars headed to a dyno for a custom tune, which is the right call on E85, a built motor, or a combination that needs a map dialed in for it specifically. As an authorized Whipple dealer and installer, we handle the full job including dyno tuning to make sure the power you paid for actually gets to the ground safely and reliably.