Toyota GR Corolla/GR Yaris Stepped-Core Intercooler

Design & Engineering

CSF and Jackson Racing have long and successful track records with Toyota Performance Products. While the OE Intercooler for the GR Corolla is actually quite efficient and a good design, there is always room for improvement. Using advanced 3D Scanning along with advanced CAD and CFD software, the engineering teams were able to maximize the size of the intercooler while maintaining optimal flow and greatly increasing efficiency.

Stepped Core

The stepped core design increases the overall volume of the intercooler core by 45% and the surface area by 73%. The step core allows for maximum surface area and volume but utilizing all the available space without requiring the bumper or any core supports to be modified or cut. The tanks were carefully engineered to optimize flow through the lower and upper cores resulting in incredible smooth and even flow with maximum heat transfer.

Hoses, Clamps, & Inlet/Outlet

Each Intercooler kit includes motorsport grade hoses and clamps designed specifically to hold up to high boost. High grade 5-ply silicone construction makes the hoses incredibly strong and have a matte black finish for a more stealthy performance look. The clamps are a unique new design that incorporates a bead lock system to help hold up to extremely high boost.

These hoses step up from the factory 1.85in (47mm) diameter to a larger 2.5in (63.5mm) diameter to match the Intercoolers large inlet and outlet. They connect to the factory charge pipes but can be replaced down the line if you want to upgrade your turbo, charge pipes, etc.

Silver and Black Finishes

CSF has become very well known for offering multiple finishes because everyone has different tastes. The intercooler is available in a Black (#8285B) finish for those looking for a more stealthy look behind the grill. The Silver (#8285) finish has a more OEM look, but is also more visible through the front grille.

CSF vs OEM – GR Corolla Intercooler

The performance of the OE Tube & Fin Intercooler is actually quite impressive. It is able to drop charge air temps by almost 150°F which is quite good for even some aftermarket performance intercoolers. The main drawback of the factory unit is how quickly it heat soaks. Post cooler charge air temps can quickly climb by 60°F. The limited surface area really hampers the overall cooling capacity here.

The CSF x Jackson Racing Intercooler features a High-Performance Tube & Fin core. This type of core was selected both for the cooling efficiency, but also for the lighter weight characteristics when compared to Bar & Plate construction. A lighter weight intercooler helps keep excess weight off the front end, keeping the agile handling characteristics of the GR Corolla. The stepped core design gives the CSF x Jackson Racing unit a 45% larger core volume and 73% more surface area than the OE cooler.

The TIG-Welded Cast Aluminum end tanks increase the overall strength of the intercooler. This improves durability and longevity so you can be confident it will hold up to hard driving conditions. The CSF x Jackson Racing Intercooler mounts in the factory location and requires no modifications to the bumper or crash bar. The OEM ducting does requiring trimming to be used. This ducting helps guide air into the upper stepped core.

Testing CSF vs OEM

Testing was performed at World Motorsports in Torrance, CA with the help of Moto IQ . The OEM intercooler was run first to establish a baseline. You can see the OEM intercooler reaches heat soak relatively quickly (about 3 pulls). Performance was fairly impressive for an OEM intercooler, able to drop the charge air temperatures approximately 150ºF.

The CSF x Jackson Racing Intercooler just blew the factory system out of the water though. Charge air temperatures were reduced by more than 240ºF. That's 90ºF more than the OEM intercooler. This resulted in much lower Intake Air Temperatures (IATs) and that were just a few degrees over ambient. On top of that, heat soak took twice as long to set in. Even when heat soaked, the charge air temperatures remained around 60ºF cooler than that of the factory intercooler.