I have seen aftermarket setups that put the turbo near the rear bumper. I guess if there's no room in the engine compartment, any old place will do.
The turbo operates on the energy content of the gases. The long exhaust pipe leading to the turbo shouldn't add turbo lag from distance, as the gas is going maybe 200 ft/sec. But, over all that distance the gas is radiating heat to the outside, and that isn't available to spin the turbo. Still, even a 4-5 psi boost can be noticeable.
So I guess the idea is do what you can.
R.