OVERTAKE New Product Launch - Top Mount Intercoolers | Subaru WRX, STI, Forester XT
OVERTAKE is launching two top mount intercoolers at the same time, and between them they cover close to twenty years of turbocharged Subarus. One fits the 2015-2021 WRX and 2014-2018 Forester XT. The other fits the 2002-2007 WRX and 2004-2021 STI, with Forester XT and Baja XT applications supported through a couple of additional parts. Both replace the factory tube-and-fin intercooler with a substantially larger all-aluminum bar-and-plate core and cast aluminum end tanks, and both drop into the stock location without touching your charge pipes, Y-pipe, or intake manifold. No tune required. The engineering datalog tells the story in one line: 10 to 15 degrees F at the intercooler outlet where the stock unit reads 25 to 35 degrees F at the same boost levels and inlet temperature. If your Subaru feels slower on the third pull than it did on the first, keep reading, because that is exactly the problem these two parts were built to solve.
In a hurry? The VA TMIC for the 2015-2021 WRX and 2014-2018 Forester XT is available here, and the STI TMIC for the 2002-2007 WRX and 2004-2021 STI is available here. For everyone else, here is what OVERTAKE built and why.
What Is Wrong with the Factory Top Mount Intercooler?
Subaru put the intercooler in the right place. The hood scoop feeds ambient air straight down onto the core, which is a packaging advantage most turbo cars never get. The problem is the intercooler itself. The factory unit is a tube-and-fin core built to a stock power target and packaged with cost in mind.
On the 2002-2007 WRX and the STI, it looks unfinished under the hood, the core is easy to damage, and the end tanks were never shaped for how air actually moves through them. On the 2015-2021 WRX and Forester XT, the shortfall is one you can see from above: the hood scoop opens wider than the OEM intercooler uses. Air the scoop already caught spills around the sides of the core instead of getting pushed through it, and the outlet end tank was shaped for cost more than throttle response.
Then there is heat soak. A core with limited thermal capacity keeps up for a pull or two, then the outlet temperatures climb and the power gets inconsistent. Anyone who has run back-to-back pulls on a summer afternoon knows the feeling.
What Do Both OVERTAKE Intercoolers Share?
Both units are built around the same core, in the literal sense. Each uses an all-aluminum bar-and-plate core that is substantially larger than the OEM piece it replaces, with louvered ambient fins outside and serrated charge fins inside. Bar-and-plate construction is stronger than the factory tube-and-fin design, and the added core volume means more thermal capacity: more consecutive pulls before the intercooler heat soaks, and more consistent outlet temperatures while you are in it.
The end tanks are cast aluminum, CNC machined, and welded to a core that is soldered and pressure tested. That construction is why these intercoolers look finished under the hood instead of like an afterthought, and why the assembly stays leak-tight.
The numbers back it up. OVERTAKE's engineering datalog shows 10 to 15 degrees F at the intercooler outlet where the stock intercooler reads 25 to 35 degrees F at the same boost levels and inlet temperature. Lower outlet temperature is the whole game with an intercooler. It improves power, repeatability, and reliability, and the larger core stretches how long you have before heat soak sets in.
Both intercoolers come powder coated in black or silver, and the coating does not affect heat exchange. Both bolt into the stock location on the OEM mounting bushings, with slotted mounts that account for factory assembly tolerances. And neither one requires a tune.
How Does the VA TMIC Use the Whole Hood Scoop?
The headline feature on the 2015-2021 WRX and 2014-2018 Forester XT unit is the dual splitter design. The upper splitter uses the entire hood scoop opening, which the OEM piece leaves partially unused. The lower splitter directs ambient air to the top of the core, where the factory setup under-feeds it. Both splitters are CNC cut, CNC bent, and riveted for rigidity, and both come in the box with all mounting hardware. The result is simple: air the scoop was already catching gets pushed through the core instead of spilling around it.
The charge side got the same attention. Outlet end tank volume is increased over OEM, which improves the supply and temperature of air during abrupt throttle changes, the tip-in moment where the factory intercooler feels flat. The complex OEM outlet coupler is replaced with a straight connection to the throttle body, which simplifies the install and cleans up the path. A 5-layer silicone throttle body coupler is included.
The datalog makes the case in plain numbers. At matched boost levels and inlet temperature, the OVERTAKE unit read 10 to 15 degrees F at the outlet where the stock intercooler read 25 to 35 degrees F. That gap is what tip-in response and repeatable pulls are made of. More air through the core and more thermal capacity behind it keep outlet temperatures down across consecutive runs instead of letting the intercooler give up after the first one.
The core measures 330.20mm x 256.50mm x 95.25mm, and the whole assembly fits the stock charge pipes and stock intake manifold.
What Makes the STI TMIC Different from a Generic Core Swap?
The 2002-2007 WRX and 2004-2021 STI unit is shaped around how these engines actually deliver charge air: through the OEM Y-pipe and its two outlets. The inlet end tank is designed as two complementary halves, one for each side of the Y-pipe, guiding flow across the end tank in the same direction the Y-pipe delivers it. The internal shape of both end tanks is greatly smoothed compared to stock, and the outlet end tank uses a funnel design that encourages flow through the core and into the outlet.
Durability matters more on this platform too, because the factory tube-and-fin core is easy to damage. The bar-and-plate replacement is stronger and more resilient to debris coming through the scoop.
The datalog tells the same story with different stakes. Against the stock intercooler at the same boost levels and inlet temperature, the OVERTAKE unit read 10 to 15 degrees F at the outlet versus 25 to 35 degrees F for the factory piece. On a platform whose heat soak habits are well documented, that extra thermal capacity is the difference between outlet temperatures that hold steady across consecutive pulls and a top mount that quietly turns into a heat sink halfway through your drive.
The core measures 479.50mm x 177.80mm x 95.25mm. The assembly fits the stock location, stock Y-pipe, stock intake manifold, and stock bypass valve, with slotted mounts for the OEM bushings. Gaskets, fittings, vacuum hose, and mounting hardware are included.
Does One of These Fit Your Subaru?
VA TMIC fitment:
- Subaru WRX - 2015 through 2021
- Subaru Forester XT - 2014 through 2018
STI TMIC fitment:
- Subaru WRX - 2002 through 2007
- Subaru STI - 2004 through 2021
- Subaru Forester XT - 2004 through 2008 (requires upgraded Y-pipe and STI-style bypass valve)
- Subaru Baja XT - 2004 through 2006 (requires upgraded Y-pipe and STI-style bypass valve)
If your turbocharged Subaru lands in one of those ranges, there is now an OVERTAKE intercooler for it. The 2008-2014 WRX and the 2022 and newer WRX are not covered by either of these two units.
Who Should Buy One?
If you daily the car and get into it on the weekend, consistency is what you will notice. The stock intercooler is at its worst exactly when you are having the most fun, and a larger bar-and-plate core keeps outlet temperatures where they belong for longer.
If you run repeated hard pulls, the thermal capacity is the whole purchase. More core volume means more time before heat soak sets in, and improved outlet temperature across multiple consecutive pulls is exactly what the larger core is there to deliver.
If keeping your stock plumbing matters, this is where these two units separate themselves. Some aftermarket top mounts require a matching charge pipe or Y-pipe purchase to complete the install. Both OVERTAKE units keep your factory plumbing: stock charge pipes and intake manifold on the VA, and stock Y-pipe, intake manifold, and bypass valve on the STI. No tune required on either.
And in the interest of honesty, not every build ends at a top mount. If your plan involves a much larger turbo and a serious power target, size the whole charge air system around that goal. For everything from a clean daily to a car that gets worked hard on the regular, these two were built to be the last stock-location intercooler you buy.
Ready to Retire the Factory Intercooler?
Both intercoolers are available in black or silver, and both ship with everything needed for a stock-location install. Grab the VA TMIC for your 2015-2021 WRX or 2014-2018 Forester XT, or pick up the STI TMIC for your 2002-2007 WRX or 2004-2021 STI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a tune for the OVERTAKE Top Mount Intercooler?
No. Neither unit requires a tune. Both bolt into the stock location and work with your factory plumbing as delivered.
Will the STI TMIC fit my Forester XT or Baja XT?
Yes, with two supporting parts. The 2004-2008 Forester XT and 2004-2006 Baja XT applications require an upgraded Y-pipe and an STI-style bypass valve. With those in place, the intercooler fits.
What is the difference between the black and silver finishes?
Color, and that is it. Both are powder coated finishes, and the coating does not affect the intercooler's heat exchange ability. Pick whichever looks right in your engine bay.
Will it work with my stock charge pipes and Y-pipe?
Yes. The VA TMIC fits the stock charge pipes and stock intake manifold, and includes a straight silicone coupler that replaces the complex OEM outlet coupler. The STI TMIC fits the stock Y-pipe, stock intake manifold, and stock bypass valve.
Why does bar-and-plate construction matter?
Two reasons. Bar-and-plate cores are stronger and more resilient to debris than the factory tube-and-fin design, which matters when the core sits directly under an open hood scoop. And the added core volume brings more thermal capacity, which means lower outlet temperatures and more consecutive pulls before heat soak sets in.
