Really Light Stuff Intercooler

[Thomasio]

Riddle me this...

What costs 1/3 less than a Lotus Exige Cup intercooler... flows better than a Lotus Cup intercooler... decreases "heat soak", increases usable boost, improves supercharger efficiency, and is available with either a water / methanol injection port or the stock IAT sensor (Bosch) port... and is ready to bolt on to your Exige?

Announcing the really light stuff Intercooler, now shipping. $1385 MSRP ($1285 non-anodized). (It took a little longer to bring this to market than I had promised, but it was well worth the wait.) Includes brackets to modify the stock intercooler mounts to accept the wider rls Intercooler. Also includes bracket to modify engine-bay cover strut location. Uses the stock Exige S plastic duct, or optional carbon fiber duct (availability of CF duct: 3 weeks from today).

Designed to work as a part of an integrated solution (water / methanol injection, etc.) or alone.

[EDIT: added parts list.]

[Thomasio]

The black intercooler is the stock Lotus Exige S intercooler.

The intercooler with the red caps is the rls Intercooler. Shown here in plain aluminum, also available clear anodized and black anodized.

Oh, forgot to mention... sans anodizing, $1285.

[Thomasio]

Compared to the Lotus Cup intercooler (blue caps).

Note that the rls Intercooler is shown with water/methanol injection bung on the end-tank. Also available with the stock IAT (Bosch) bung at the same price.

[Mag]

woooohooooo!!!

[Thomasio]

But what about the quality?

[djo715]

hmmm, interesting... Is there a denser array of fins on the RLS intercooler compared to the Cup intercooler? What's the # fins per inch?

Cheers,
-Darryl

[andrewgotanelise]

$1285? Go get the dimensions you want for an i/c and if a i/c maker doesnt already have that size they could still fab up one cheaper than this. I've already gotten quotes.

[RacyTracy]

Originally Posted by andrewgotanelise

$1285? Go get the dimensions you want for an i/c and if a i/c maker doesnt already have that size they could still fab up one cheaper than this. I've already gotten quotes.

That was nice.....

[Thomasio]

Originally Posted by djo715

hmmm, interesting... Is there a denser array of fins on the RLS intercooler compared to the Cup intercooler? What's the # fins per inch?

Cheers,
-Darryl

Hi Darryl -

the rls Intercooler is a bar and plate construction, which is better flowing and better thermal capacitance than a tube and fin (like the stock Lotus intercooler).

[Thomasio]

Originally Posted by andrewgotanelise

$1285? Go get the dimensions you want for an i/c and if a i/c maker doesnt already have that size they could still fab up one cheaper than this. I've already gotten quotes.

Oh, that's great news. Can I order one from you today?

It's great that guys like you bring great products to market that are 1/3 cheaper than the Lotus part... oh, wait, you didn't. Hmmm...

[Bgwillyelise]

Before i pay $1300.00 for random I/C that looks identical to a Cup I/C. Lots of dyno proven scenarios will have to be posted.

And the above poster is right. $1300+ for an I/C of this size is a pretty much a lot on the high side.

A simple google search for Intercoolers and you would have a hard time finding any I/C that is more expensive than $1300.00. I bet we could contact Spearco and they would fabricate a Cup style I/C for cheaper. $800 or less range. The vast majority of I/C are 300-600 range. With the more expensive ones jumping to the $800 range.

$1300 is overpriced.

[II-soon]

Originally Posted by RacyTracy

That was nice.....

Actually... its $1385

[Bavarian Motorist]

$1300 is only over-priced if it does not produce results.


If there are PROVEN results, then that is what would justify the money, not just the value of the part.

[HoleInOne]

My MR2 runs a 6" thick sidemount intercooler from Spearco that's a bar and plate design as well. Looks similar in size to this one and I think it cost me around $1,200.

So I think that $1,285 is around right.

[codymac]

Supercharger kit (not pictured) included?

[300hpMR2]

Guys and gals! With all due respect, get off his back. He is bringing new products to the community and you are bashing him? He isn't forcing you to buy them. Treat vendors this way and we'll be left with little to choose from. I imagine some of the price has to compensate for the low volume of sales expected. There aren't as many Lotuses as there are Honda Civics so there is no benefit of economies of scale.

The other day I saw a new titanium front strut bar for a Civic for $125 shipped. No one expects those prices for a Lotus. You guys should see how much Ferrari charges for a frickin' ashtray.

Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now...

[Thomasio]

Originally Posted by 300hpMR2

Guys and gals! With all due respect, get off his back. He is bringing new products to the community and you are bashing him? He isn't forcing you to buy them. Treat vendors this way and we'll be left with little to chose from. I imagine some of the price has to compensate for the low volume of sales expected. There aren't as many Lotuses as there are Honda Civics so there is no benefit of economies of scale.

The other day I saw a new titanium front strut bar for a Civic for $125 shipped. No one expects those prices for a Lotus. You guys should see how much Ferrari charges for a frickin' ashtray.

Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now...

Yes, with the engineering costs, prototyping costs, machinist costs, materials and labor for the brackets to make the intercooler bolt onto the engine, the engine bay cover strut relocation bracket, weeks of data logging, etc. the $1285 (non anodized) MSRP is meant to offset a portion of the development costs. Call Lotus up and price a Cup intercooler: $2100+ MSRP. And, the Lotus Cup intercooler won't bolt on to your engine without modification, nor will your engine bay cover strut clear the intercooler.

It is a team effort: I'm working with some of the best engineers in motorsports. An ex Ferrari F1 forced induction engineer, Mr. Gerhard Schruf, has spent more hours on this product than I could have expected.

Can you order a generic intercooler on the Internet for a few hundred less? I'm sure you could. Will it have the same build quality? Will it have the Exige-specific mounting brackets and the Exige-specific duct rail? Will it be bar and plate construction? Will it have the plug n' play Bosch IAT bung? Will it come with adapter brackets to bolt onto your engine? Will the strut on your engine bay cover clear your Internet intercooler?

If you have more time than money, I encourage you to develop your own kit.

The reality is that if people can't justify developing these solutions by recovering some of their expenses, they just won't bother making the effort.

A sincere thank-you to those who have supported my new products... you keep the wind in my sails.

[Thomasio]

Originally Posted by Bgwillyelise

Before i pay $1300.00 for random I/C that looks identical to a Cup I/C. Lots of dyno proven scenarios will have to be posted.

In this world it is good to be skeptical. I'm happy to send you data logging results for now, dyno testing is planned within the next couple of weeks. All of the products that I'm developing have been optimized with datalogging, the dyno was put off until now so that the numbers are coming from production pieces as opposed to prototype pieces. That's the way I roll, ese.

Remember, though, that the dyno isn't going to show the best aspect of this intercooler: the reduction in heat soak. Only data logging will show that.

[Zinhead]

Originally Posted by 300hpMR2

Guys and gals! With all due respect, get off his back. He is bringing new products to the community and you are bashing him? He isn't forcing you to buy them. Treat vendors this way and we'll be left with little to choose from. I imagine some of the price has to compensate for the low volume of sales expected. There aren't as many Lotuses as there are Honda Civics so there is no benefit of economies of scale.

The Lotus market is very small, and most vendors in it seem to mix a healthy enthusiasm for the marque as well as a profit desire. Lotus probably has sold fewer than 500 supercharged Exige's in the US, and only a very small percentage will likely buy this product. He has to recoup his investment and development costs in a production run of probably less than 25 units. Nobody is going to get rich on this deal.

[Bgwillyelise]

Originally Posted by 300hpMR2

Guys and gals! With all due respect, get off his back. He is bringing new products to the community and you are bashing him? He isn't forcing you to buy them. Treat vendors this way and we'll be left with little to choose from. I imagine some of the price has to compensate for the low volume of sales expected. There aren't as many Lotuses as there are Honda Civics so there is no benefit of economies of scale.

The other day I saw a new titanium front strut bar for a Civic for $125 shipped. No one expects those prices for a Lotus. You guys should see how much Ferrari charges for a frickin' ashtray.

Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox now...

Whos bashing?
I only see people letting everyone else know what the avg. I/C price is. Also people stating their opinions on the price of this product.
I dont consider that bashing the seller. Im pretty sure everyone here enjoys and appreciates thomasio products.

Originally Posted by Thomasio

.

Can you order a generic intercooler on the Internet for a few hundred less? I'm sure you could. Will it have the same build quality? Will it have the Exige-specific mounting brackets and the Exige-specific duct rail? Will it be bar and plate construction? Will it have the plug n' play Bosch IAT bung? Will it come with adapter brackets to bolt onto your engine? Will the strut on your engine bay cover clear your Internet intercooler?
:

Yes they all will be Bar-plate design.
No they wont be able to bolt right up. But its not that difficult nor expense to fab up some simple brackets.

Heres a question.

What brand core are you using?