Driving home today, booted it in second, car stuttered, **** load of black smoke and loss of power (bit of a bang but not very loud), drove the rest of the way at about 20mph with tons of black smoke and a very jerky ride.

Looking at the smoke when I got home it seems to be black with a hint of blue in it - does this sound like a blown turbo?

I've also looked at all the boost hoses (one of which has come off before) and they all seem intact.

Is there anything else I can do to confirm its a blown turbo?

Are you sure it hasn't popped off by the intercooler where it's difficult to see?

Get the car up on some axle stands, remove the undertray and if the pipe has popped off, it will be obvious.

Yeh I jacked the car up, (undertray is missing anyway but thats another story) everything looks as normal.

I rattled all the pipes I could see, how loose does it need to be before the car would begin to lose power?

Shall I take a pic?

sounds like boost pipe blown off somewhere? check the condition of the pipes might have blown a hole in it

Yeh I jacked the car up, (undertray is missing anyway but thats another story) everything looks as normal.

I rattled all the pipes I could see, how loose does it need to be before the car would begin to lose power?

Shall I take a pic?

Any split/hole will make the car power less, u may need to take some of the pipe work off and check for splits/holes in the pipe work. Check in the pipe work if there is any oil, first time mine went the IC piping was soaked in oil.

Checked all the pipes, no holes or splits, disconnected and reconnected what I could reach, still no joy :(

Strangely, starting it this morning there was very little smoke even when I took it for a test drive. Also still very jerky, car cant seem to make its mind up whether it wants to boost or not.

It'll be going to the garage on Monday.

Could be a sticky VNT mechanism then.

If the turbo has gone, is it worth getting a hybrid 130/150 or stick with a standard 130? What are the price differences between the two?

I don't plan on uprating the clutch at this stage so I don't really want more than 180BHP/300 Torque