2002-2007 Subaru Impreza WRX / STi

Introducing the latest Front Mount Intercooler from PERRIN!

The process of compressing incoming air to create boost and power also has a nasty byproduct of heat. Heated air lacks the density to make higher horsepower, increases detonation, and forces the ECU to pull timing. All of which reduce the power you are looking to create.

Easy solutions do exist for this problem and PERRIN offers several choices for your vehicle and personal taste. For mild modifications and a stealthy look, turn to Perrin's Top Mount Intercooler upgrades, available for Impreza, Forester, and Legacy models. These bar and plate cores offer more surface area per square inch than cheap tube and fin choices from Perrin's less worthy competitors and the overall size is more than 200% of the OEM unit! But Top Mount Intercoolers do suffer from under hood heat buildup and while excellent for mild performance gains, the Front Mounts are the ideal choice for all out, bar none HP gains!

Enter the world of PERRIN Front Mount Intercooler upgrades with gargantuan cores, cast end tanks, high velocity tubing, and proper mounting supports, there simply isnt a better choice for your car, period. These intercoolers will support more than 1000 HP and, due to Perrin's stringent quality control process, have less than 0.25 psi drop across the core at 20 psi, improving throttle response and putting the boost where it belongs: in the combustion chamber!

Features

There are many things that make the PERRIN Front Mounted Intercooler (FMIC) better than the rest. With the very inclusive parts list, structural intercooler support beam, huge core, smoothly routed boost tubes, and super detailed instructions, you know you are getting the best WRX / STi FMIC out there.

INTERCOOLER CORE
The most important part of any intercooler system is the core. The core is what is doing all the work. The core is like a radiator for the charge air. The turbo heats up air as it creates boost and this super heated air is not good for power. Hot air isnt good, as it is less dense than cold air and the heated charge can cause detonation. This is where an intercooler comes into play. As the hot air passes through this glorified radiator, ambient temp air flows across the intercooler to cool the charge. But how well the charge is cooled is controlled by the size of the core and how quickly the air flows through it. Also, the pressure drop is important because if a core is very restrictive and has a high pressure drop, you are loosing power.

The factory Intercooler is a tube and fin design which is great for being light weight, and easy to manufacture, but not good for performance. Perrin feels as if the optimum core design is the 3/8 bar and plate style. This gives a 3/8 charge air and ambient air path, instead of the common 1/4 size, or smaller tube and fin style. Also, the bar and plate core is much more durable than the tube and fin. This is something to consider. Since the intercooler will be on the front of the car, rocks and other debris will hit it. A tube and fin is very thin and can easily get damaged.

The factory Intercooler does an ok job of cooling air on a stock car, but once you start to modify the car, this no longer holds true. The PERRIN FMIC core is 28long x 9.25 tall x 3.5deep. This gives you a volume of 906.5 cu-in. The stock core is 7long x 18.5tall x 3thick giving it a volume of 388.5 cu-in. The volume is a great way to get an idea how well the intercooler will do both in both flow and cooling. Generally bigger is better, to a point. If it is too thick, you start to loose cooling efficiency. Perrin's FMIC core is the best overall for cooling, pressure drop, and looks. Because of its size, it fills the opening of the WRX/STI bumper very well!