- Home /
- Engine Hardware /
- Charge Air Coolers /
- Air to Air Coolers /
- APR Intercooler System - MQB and MQB Evo 1.8T and 2.0T /
- APR Intercooler System - MQB 2.0T (8SPD) (Tiguan/Arteon/Q3)
APR Intercooler System - MQB 2.0T (8SPD) (Tiguan/Arteon/Q3)
Fits 2018-2024 Audi Q3, Volkswagen Arteon, Tiguan
Version
APR Intercooler System - MQB 2.0T (8SPD) (Tiguan/Arteon/Q3)
Fits 2018-2024 Audi Q3, Volkswagen Arteon, Tiguan
Emissions
This part is legal under the provisions of EPA’s Tampering Policy dated November 23rd, 2020.
See Emissions DetailsAlso Bought
Features:
- Dramatically lowers intake air temp (IAT)
- -- Increases horsepower while minimizing power-robbing heat soak!
- -- Effectiveness tested to over 500 HP!
- -- 21 horsepower gain over the factory system!
- Massive core size
- -- Use of the OEM-location allows for a massive intercooler core.
- -- 24.25" x 16.25" x 1.16" - 457.1 in³ - OEM Tiguan
- -- 24.25" x 16.25" x 1.25" - 492.5 in³ - OEM MK7 GTI
- -- 24.25" x 16.25" x 1.37" - 529.8 in³ - OEM MK7 Golf R (Similar to Arteon)
- -- 24.00" x 16.25" x 2.25" - 877.5 in³ - APR
- Intercooler installed in the best location for this platform
- - Utilizes factory air dams for exceptional airflow across the core.
- - 100% compatible with the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system.
- Highly effective core design
- -- Bar-and-plate core with staggered and louvered fins.
- -- Rigorous testing determined core style, fin density, and size.
- -- Low pressure drop + highly effective cooling = high performance!
- Smooth cast end tanks
- -- Engineered for low turbulence/restriction and maximum flow.
- -- Organically shaped to promote airflow across entire core.
- -- Pressure tested to prevent power robbing boost leaks.
- -- No hidden labor costs or permanent modifications
- No trimming, cutting, or other costly modification required.
- -- No modification to the Adaptive Cruise Control System required.
- -- Full directions and APR world-renowned customer support included.
- Designed by engineers with lasers
- -- With the best equipment and smartest engineers, it just works!
Brand | APR |
---|---|
Color | Silver / Natural |
Cooler Type | Air to Air |
Core Frontal Area | 390.00 SI |
Core Height | 16.25 IN |
Core Type | Bar and Plate |
Core Volume | 877.50 CI |
Core Width | 2.25, 24 IN |
Direct Fit | Yes |
Emission Code | 7 |
End tank Construction | Cast |
End tank Material | 356-F Aluminum |
Product Type | Charge Air Cooler |
Version | 8 Speed Tiptronic |
Welding Type | TIG |
UPC | 810009934998 |
Part Number | IC100029 |
This part is legal under the provisions of EPA’s Tampering Policy dated November 23rd, 2020. The company has reasonable basis (test results) to verify that this product allows the vehicle to operate within legal emissions standards and is therefore legal to be sold for on-street use in all states that accept the legal provisions of the Clean Air Act and the EPA Tampering Policy. This product is NOT LEGAL FOR SALE OR USE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. Testing with the California Air Resources Board, in order to achieve 50-state compliance, is pending with CARB. Once testing is complete with California, and an E.O. number is issued, this product will be updated to 50-state legal status.
Have a question about this product?
DESIGN
APR pioneered the OEM-location direct-replacement intercooler system in 2006. Unfortunately, to the untrained eye, many intercooler designs appear the same. However, effectiveness of the system and overall performance are greatly determined by several key metrics. Alloy selection, end tank design, construction type, fin style, fin density and overall core dimensions must be analyzed and balanced accordingly to deliver class-leading performance. While the OEM’s goal is to create a lightweight, easy to manufacture and inexpensive to produce, cross-platform design capable of supporting factory power levels, APR’s intercooler must be capable of supporting more than double the factory output. Achieving this goal took a multi-step approach focused around intercooler core selection, end tank design and install location.
INTERCOOLER CORE DESIGN
The APR Intercooler core is a large bar-and-plate design featuring densely packed staggered and louvered fins. This design offers exceptional cooling while balancing pressure loss across the core, and maintaining critical airflow to the components behind the intercooler system. The core size was appropriately matched to the platform, minimizing pressure drop while leaving adequate space for appropriately designed end tanks. To APR’s mechanical engineering experts, the design represented the ultimate in performance, far exceeding the capabilities of the factory intercooler. To the driver, the result is simple: Repeatable performance, even in the most demanding of situations!
Core Style / Internal Fin Structure
APR’s Engineers paid close attention to the balance between core effectiveness and pressure drop through the core, core style and fin density. With fin density too low, pressure drop decreases dramatically, but typically results in a core incapable of effectively cooling. Likewise, with fin density too great, pressure drop increases dramatically, resulting in the turbocharger working harder, and hotter, to produce the same level of airflow. By fine tuning this often unseen balancing act, as illustrated below, APR’s Engineers were able to maximize performance.
Core Styles
# | Style | Fins | Density | PSI Drop | Effectiveness | Cost | Comments | Recommendation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tube and Fin | Straight Channel | Low | Low | Low | $ | Poor Cooling | Not Recommended |
2 | Bar and Plate | Straight Channel | Low | Low | Low | $$ | Poor Cooling | Not Recommended |
3 | Quality Bar and Plate | Staggered and Offset | Medium | Medium | High | $$$ | Excellent Cooling | Recommended |
4 | Overly Dense Bar and Plate | Staggered and Offset | High | High | High | $$$ | Excessive Pressure Drop | Not Recommended |
Core Size
APR’s Engineers also paid close attention to the balancing act between core effectiveness, pressure drop and space for end tanks through core sizing. With the core too small, pressure drop decreases dramatically, but typically results in a core incapable of effectively cooling. Likewise, with core size too great, pressure drop can increase, resulting in the turbocharger working harder. However, more importantly, with no space for appropriate end tanks, utilization of the core and overall effectiveness of the system diminishes rapidly, negating the benefit of the larger core. APR’s engineers were able to balance each of these characteristics to deliver maximum performance. The APR intercooler system’s core volume, in terms of external dimensions, is 92% great than he OEM Tiguan, 78% greater than the OEM GTI, and 62% greater than the OEM Golf R (Similar to Arteon) Intercooler.
Core Specs
System | Core | Thickness | Width | Height | Volume | APR Volume Increase over Stock |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OEM Tiguan | Tube and Fin | 1.160" | 24.25" | 16.25" | 457.1 in³ | 92% |
OEM MK7 GTI | Tube and Fin | 1.250" | 24.25" | 16.25" | 492.5 in³ | 78% |
OEM MK7 Golf R (Similar to Arteon) | Tube and Fin | 1.375" | 24.25" | 16.25" | 541.8 in³ | 62% |
APR | Bar and Plate | 2.250" | 24.00" | 16.25" | 877.5 in³ |
Intercooler End Tank Design
To fully utilize the massive core, APR’s mechanical engineers designed cast aluminum end tanks organically shaped for proper airflow distribution across the entire core. By correctly sizing the intercooler core, end tank design was not sacrificed. The one-piece end tanks are CNC machined to provide a slip resistant mounting surface for hoses, precise integrated mounting surfaces, and perfectly flat connecting surfaces used for TIG welding the tanks to the core. Through proper alignment in welding jigs, each unit is assembled to tight tolerances for a precise and accurate fit.
Pressurized Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Analysis
APR’s Engineers determined the proper end tank design, for this application, with the help of pressurized CFD flow analysis via the SimuTech Group, and finally through real world testing. During the analysis, the effect of directional vanes were studied to test their ability to aid in airflow distribution. Analysis concluded there was no perceivable benefit on this application as the vanes only added more weight to the system. Real world testing without directional vanes resulted in a +0.5 °C to -0.5 °C temperature spread from the bottom to the top of the core on the outlet side, throughout the various back-to-back tests, further concluding the design maximized cooling effectiveness of the core.
Intercooler Placement (Audi S3 Shown)
Intercooler placement plays a critical role in overall performance. By utilizing the factory mounting location, APR’s engineers were able to design a core featuring a massive frontal surface area and large core volume, which plays a critical advantage over common short and stubby front mount designs. Utilization of the factory location means the core receives a high volume of pressurized airflow spread across the entire unit thanks to the highly engineered factory air dam system. Furthermore, by keeping the intercooler in the OEM-location and balancing core fin density, the factory air-to-water cooling system is not disrupted, which is ever so critical on this platform due to the use of an integrated cylinder head manifold cooling system. The APR intercooler system simply fits, which helps save on hidden labor charges during the time of install. There are no compatibility issues with active cruise control (ACC) systems and the design leaves room for future engine / transmission oil cooling upgrades for track-going customers. The intercooler installs without trimming any air dams, core supports, or more. There’s no drilling, or permanent modifications to the vehicle. Simply follow the included directions and enjoy!
Testing
Internally APR conducted a multitude of tests while choosing the appropriate intercooler core and end tank design. Thermocouples wer