MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X
MISHIMOTO MMTMIC-WRX-15X

MMTMIC-WRX-15XBK

Mishimoto® (15-21) Subaru WRX Performance Top-Mount Intercooler

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    Compatible: (2.0L)

    2015 - 2021 Subaru WRX
     

     

    These days it’s almost more uncommon to find a 2015+ Subaru WRX owner that isn’t looking to push more boost through their FA20DIT and give their morning commute a little more zest. With more boost comes the stock intercooler unit quickly gets in over its head. Mishimoto has the perfect intercooling solution with the Mishimoto 2015+ Subaru WRX Street Performance Top-Mount Intercooler.

    The Mishimoto Street Performance Intercooler takes the place of the stock unit and is specifically designed for use on the stock tune up to stage 2 maps and tunes. Our intercooler features fully cast aluminum end tanks TIG-welded to a robust bar-and-plate core designed for maximum cooling and minimal pressure drop. The new design boasts a 76% increase in core volume and 81% bump in external fin surface area equating to a 34°F drop in outlet temperatures over the stock unit. The 12% increase in flow is another reason why this intercooler the perfect addition to your tuned WRX

    This intercooler available in black, silver or gold with the optional add on of the Mishimoto ducting for increased airflow. Like all of our products, the Mishimoto 2015+ Subaru WRX Street Performance Top-Mount Intercooler includes the Mishimoto Lifetime Warranty for a worry free installation.

    The Mishimoto Street Performance Intercooler takes the place of the stock unit and is specifically designed for use on the stock tune up to stage 2 maps and tunes. Our intercooler features fully cast aluminum end tanks TIG-welded to a robust bar-and-plate core designed for maximum cooling and minimal pressure drop. The new design boasts a 76% increase in core volume and 81% bump in external fin surface area equating to a 34°F drop in outlet temperatures over the stock unit. The 12% increase in flow is another reason why this intercooler the perfect addition to your tuned WRX

    This intercooler available in black, silver or gold with the optional add on of the Mishimoto ducting for increased airflow. Like all of our products, the Mishimoto 2015-2017 Subaru WRX Street Performance Top-Mount Intercooler includes the Mishimoto Lifetime Warranty for a worry free installation.

    PURCHASE INCLUDES

    (1) Mishimoto Intercooler
    (2) Stock Engine Cover Adapters
    (1) Silicone Throttle Body Adapter
    (2) Worm-Gear Clamps
    Mounting Hardware
    Mishimoto Lifetime Warranty

     

    • Direct fit for the 2015+ Subaru WRX
    • Designed for optimal performance on vehicles using up to stage 2 tuning
    • Drops intercooler outlet temperature by 34°F over stock unit
    • 12% increase in flow
    • 76% increase in core volume over stock
    • 81% increase in external fin surface area
    • 100% aluminum construction with fully cast end tanks
    • Bar-and-plate core designed for maximum cooling and minimal pressure drop
    • Compatible with stock engine cover and charge pipe
    • Includes pre-drilled and tapped NPT sensor port
    • Available in black, silver, or gold
    • Mishimoto Lifetime Warranty

     

    ENGINE CODES FA20DIT
    CHASSIS CODES VA
    FITS 2015+ Subaru WRX
    2014-2018 Subaru Forester XT


    PRODUCT SPECS

    INSTALLATION TORQUE SPECS 22 in-lbs (2.5N*M) recommended for all worm-gear clamps. These clamps have an operating range of 18-27 in-lbs 2-3N*M. Do not exceed the maximum torque rating of 27 in-lbs (3N*M).
    CORE THICKNESS 3.9"
    COATING Powder Coated
    OUTLET 2.5"
    INLET 2.5"
    CORE SIZE 13" x 10.2" x 3.9"
    CONSTRUCTION Bar-and-Plate

     

    TOP CONTENDER – STREET PERFORMANCE TOP-MOUNT INTERCOOLER R&D, PART 1 – CONCEPT AND DESIGN

    Since 1992, the Subaru has made a name for itself by mixing these characteristics into the affordable WRX. Granted, we didn’t see this trim until 2000, but it’s no surprise why it immediately took off and became a staple in the enthusiast community. The trademark growl that came with the turbo-boxer engine powering all four wheels was enough to make anyone feel like they were driving a world class rally car.

    When it comes to the latest iteration of the WRX, we might not have that classic rumble anymore since Subaru ditched the unequal length headers when they changed up to the FA20DIT, but some things remained. The pistons are still horizontal, and all 268 of those horses are still put down to all four wheels with the help of a twin-scroll turbocharger. The charged air running to the cylinders is also still cooled by an intercooler mounted to the top of the engine instead of in front of it.

    To help with the overall shape of the new design, Jason uses our Faro Design Scan Arm to create a 3D model of the stock intercooler along with the space around it. Having a digital slice of this part of the engine bay means that the owner can still cruise around in his WRX while Jason works on improving the intercooler.

    As far as intercooler placement goes, Subaru is one of the few manufacturers that still places the cooler for the charged air at the top. It does have its advantages, of course. When using a top-mounted intercooler, you’re no longer obstructing the rest of the cooling system, plus you minimize pressure loss since (especially with this unit) the cooled air is dumping directly into the throttle body. Not to mention, you now have the perfect reason for a fully functional, and mean muggin’ hood scoop.

    It’s almost as if the WRX has an extra nostril that’s specifically for keeping the charged air cool.

    Even with its own dedicated channel of fresh, cooler-than-engine-bay air, the stock unit was developed with the good-enough sort of mentality that leaves one wanting more. With tens of thousands of these WRXs on the roads, it would significantly increase the price of the car out from under that $30k range if each one had a heavy-duty intercooler installed. Instead, Subaru used a lightweight, tube-and-fin construction for the core design, with plastic end tanks to shepherd the charged air to the cylinders. Both aspects are easy to mass produce and will perform well under typical commutes, but the stock core design will struggle once performance maps or tunes are introduced.

    Core thickness and internal volume are always specs that stand out when it comes to an intercooler. For a stock unit, this intercooler is actually pretty thick. We still see room for improvement, though.

    Being a top-mount, this intercooler is going to need all the help it can get. Since the WRX is a staple in the enthusiast community, it’s uncommon to find these not sporting tunes or MAPs to crank up the boost. This isn’t good for the inherently smaller heat exchanger, and this unit has to contend with the residual heat from the engine bay since, you know, heat rises.

    For the best perspective on fitment, we created the framework of our new intercooler design using metal piping and 3D printed versions of our end tanks.

    That’s where Mishimoto comes in. We’ve already been hard at work improving on the top-mount design. Our engineer is maximizing the available space to give the core a significant increase in size. On top of that, we’ve started from the ground up when it comes to our end tanks to ensure a smooth flow to and from the core.

    It might not seem like it at this stage, but our design will have a significant size increase over the stock unit.
    We even maintained compatibility with the factory engine cover, and have plans for including our own ducting for those who prefer to run this intercooler without the engine cover.

    After ensuring that our bigger core with the new end tank designs would fit under the hood of the WRX, we spared no time getting testable samples from the R&D facility to ensure the gains over the stock components. We also wanted to check our work against the challenge of different tuning options, so make sure you stay tuned (see what I did there) to see how our new top-mount design performs on the WRX.

     

    TOP CONTENDER – STREET PERFORMANCE INTERCOOLER R&D, PART 2 – PRODUCTION SAMPLE AND TEST RESULTS

    We last left you with our master plan like some sort of Bond villain divulging our scheme for world domination before our dashing secret agent makes his daring escape. Unlike those campy nemeses, we followed through. From metal framework and 3D printed end tanks to full aluminum glory, let’s take a look at the WRX Street Performance Top-Mount Intercooler in the flesh. Well, in the metal.

    Not only will our new intercooler fit with the stock engine cover, but you have the option to install the Mishimoto ducting for a more direct airflow to the core.

    I would venture to guess that most of you aren’t here to ogle the outward appearance of our new intercooler design, but rather to see if it can walk the walk. Fair enough. Let’s get right down to business. Our intercooler testing consists of three different parts, and the first of those is to determine the flow of our new design. Cooling vs. flow is a fine line that has to be walked when creating performance intercoolers, specifically when it comes to the internal fin pitch. Something too tight will lead to better cooling but flow worse than the stock unit. Too loose and the hot charged air flows straight through without a chance to transfer the heat. Let’s take a look and see how our design stacks up.

    The big question here: With the 12% increase in airflow through the intercooler over the stock unit, were cooling properties sacrificed for the sake of dissipating heat? To find out, we had to load up our donor WRX on the Dynapack system for the other two sections of our testing.

    For part two of intercooler testing, we run a series of single dyno pulls to determine two things. The first is to find out if there are any extra ponies picked up after the install of the bigger and badder design, and then we look for a snapshot of the outlet temperature difference. Our donor vehicle was already sporting a Cobb intake map powered by a V3 Accessport in tandem with an aftermarket intake and cat-back exhaust, which is right in the sweet spot for our Street Performance Top-Mount.

    Now, I would also venture to guess that a majority of you don’t solely drag race your WRXs, so repelling heat-soak is the key characteristic in these tests. To perform this test, our engineer basically stacks a series of power pulls back-to-back, without the chance for the intercooler to breathe in between. This give a true look as to how well the core can dissipate the heat under stressful conditions, and we can let the data speak for itself int this case.

    Even with the outlet temperatures peaking at over 250°F, our intercooler’s outlet temperatures practically flatlined throughout our heat-soak test.

    While we measured the heat, or lack thereof, traveling through the different intercoolers, we also kept records of other perimeters that owners of turbocharged vehicles might be concerned with. Namely, we measured the drop in psi from one end of the core to the other. A drop is to be expected when it comes to increasing the cooling capacity of intercoolers, but minimizing that drop is key for the best performance. We already noted that our engineer was able to balance cooling properties with airflow in this design, but how did that effect pressure. Well, when all was said and done, our top-mount had an average pressure drop of 1.2 psi, which is lower than the stock intercooler.

    Finding that right combination for the best power move is tricky. It takes plenty of practice and patience. Our Street Performance Intercooler for your WRX is like hitting the right button sequence in that combination and nailing the uppercut. The best part is that this intercooler is now available for your WRX, so get yours today!


    Still not sold? Worried about your specific tune or want to hear what some 3rd party testers say? That’s fine, so did we. Make sure to stay tuned for some 3rd party testing results from Area1320 Motorworks coming soon.

     

    Engineering Report:

    Install Guide:

     


     

    Warranty: