JRspec 90° aluminum elbow (80 mm, 60 cm) "L" type

The Forge FMINT17 is an uprated intercooler for the Renault Megane Mk4 RS.
Forge’s highly skilled team and manufacturing department designed an intercooler that occupies the original space with no modifications to the vehicle being necessary, while still incorporating increased capacity pipework for optimum performance.
The end tanks were a fundamental part of this intercooler's design, opting for a classic and proven sheet metal construction, folded in such a way that a shallow fast flowing design with minimal back pressure is achieved. Lightness was also a key element in the design – making a high-performance intercooler as light as possible, this factor also significantly influenced the choice of intercooler core.

Once the end tank was designed, they specified several different intercooler core constructions before rigorous dyno testing began. The research and data collected pointed towards using a tube and fin core construction. This UK manufactured component worked perfectly and again was the best option for minimal weight. The stepped core design has 41% more capacity than the OEM intercooler, and the final product achieved an 8bhp gain with a 12Nm torque increase between 1900-2500RPM, and a 20Nm increase between 5500-6000RPM. This makes the Megane feel and pull harder at the top end of the rev range, and when combined with an uprated ECU software equipped vehicle, such as the development vehicle, the package transforms the 1.8T engine into the engine this Megane R.S. deserves.

The FMINT17 has an anti-corrosion powder coat finish which not only helps protect this intercooler from harsh environments, but also improves its thermal properties. As with all Forge Motorsport manufactured products, this intercooler comes with the Forge lifetime warranty.

Why test different cores? At Forge Motorsport, when developing an intercooler, they test several different cores for each application. For example, a bar and plate core, a tube and fin core, along with different fin pitches and heights (e.g., 22 fins per inch or 17 fins per inch), as well as modifying the internal fin pitches/shapes and density within the tube to fine tune the pressure drop the intercooler produces.
Pressure drop is not always a negative, as testing and research on various projects has proven. This is due to the pressurised air velocity being reduced by the pressure drop within the intercooler, which allows the air to cool for longer as it passes through the non-pressurised face of the core, which is open to the atmosphere. Excessive pressure drop can, of course, be problematic in high-performance engines, as when the intercooler reaches peak efficiency, the turbocharger has to work much harder to force the air through the core. This, in turn, creates higher intake air temperatures (IATs) due to the turbocharger producing more heat from being under increased strain.

A lack of pressure drop can also result in inefficiency, as the intercooler is not reducing the intake temperature, which leads to higher intake air temperatures.

Dyno results

Testing was undertaken on Litchfield’s Maha dyno, made by the same company who currently supply BMW M Sport and Mercedes-Benz with all their engine calibration and dyno testing services. They also took the opportunity to use Performance Remap Gloucester's dyno to compare results to ensure maximum accuracy of data.

The stepped core design has 41% more capacity than the OEM intercooler, and the final product achieved an 8bhp gain with a 12Nm torque increase between 1900-2500RPM, and a 20Nm increase between 5500-6000RPM.
Highlights:

Handmade

Lightweight - Tube and Fin Core

Stepped core design

41% increase in capacity over OEM intercooler

8 BHP increase

Up to 20Nm increase

Vehicles catered for:

Renault Megane Mk4 RS 280 (2017 onwards)

Renault Megane Mk4 RS 280 Cup (2017 onwards)

Renault Megane Mk4 RS 300 Trophy (2018 onwards)