Nitro and Turbo

What's the difference between nitro and turbo? And why were there boxes in the Crash Bandicoot games that were named "nitro" and would explode and hurt you if you touch them or some TNT box or boxes would explode near them? What does that have to do with cars?

Nitro is likely one of 2 things. Either it's Nitromethane, the fuel commonly used in Top Fuel Drag cars. Or it could be Nitrous Oxide, which is more simply known as nitrous, as well as laughing gas at the local dentist office. Nitrous is ported into the intake stream, as an increased form of Oxygen. Both are very combustible liquids, so that would explain the damage when hit, or when a TNT box is ignited near it. Although Nitro could be Nitroglycerin, if it's only doing distruction, and not giving a performance boost.

A turbo, is short for turbocharger. It's a compressor that uses exhaust gases to spin a turbine on one side, a shaft connects both sides, and a compressor turbine on the other side that compresses incoming fresh air, before sending that air into your intake (or intercooler then intake). The more compressed/dense the air molecules are, the more the engine can breath, and the more power you can theoretically get out of it.

I've never played the game, so I can't comment on specifics. But those would be my likely guesses. The Turbo should give a more lengthy boost, while the Nitro should be a quick boost (possibly controlled by having the push a controller button to activate).