A turbo is part of a car which is a turbine-driven forced induction device. It increases the efficiency of the internal combustion engine and power output by forcing extra air into the combustion chamber. Turbos used to be mainly on high performance cars but often you can get a turbo version of many makes and models and even on diesel cars. Although turbos have many advantages and can make cruising up a hill no longer a struggle, they can also cost a lot if they go wrong. Often there is no sign that a turbo is on its way out although you may experience a loss in power at times. When it goes you will often see black smoke coming out of the exhaust and the car will either stop completely or continue at very low power. Replacing a turbo is not cheap and can cost in the region of a thousand pounds (depending on the car).