The original R56 Cooper S Stepped Core Intercooler is back!


Ambient Thermal Management (ATM), the innovators of the stepped core intercooler are reintroducing the original stepped core intercooler to the Mini R56 market. Previously sold by a vendor partner of ours (Helix), this FMIC brought cooler intake air temperatures with little cost of pressure drop to hundreds of Mini owners.

ATM has 20 FMIC in stock AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW for $459 plus shipping.
If you want to order simply contact us @
AmbientThermalManagement@yahoo.com

Shipping and Handling Rates are: 48 states USA-$40 flat rate

History:
Prior to the 335i and the R56 Mini stepped core design you had the option to either go taller or thicker with the cores. In our design process we measured the captive areas in the front of the bumper in both depth and height and went about designing an intercooler that took up all of this area. The end result is an intercooler with 53% more frontal area as well as 50% more core volume.

Core design:
ATM custom spec'd the core to this application. We were not constrained to an off the shelf core in regards to ambient and internal fin count as. The core in the ATM FMIC is a single unit stacked up to our specifications. We specified the ambient and charge row height and internal and external fin count.
ATM developed the rounded header bars. These header bars are the heart of our intercooler and acts as a velocity stack for all of the charge rows. This development decreased drag across the core and increased the flow efficiency from 80% to 98%. This gain in flow efficiency combined with our core volume allowed us to increase the internal fin count. The end result is the ATM FMICs ability to remove more temperature, meet the targeted air flow, and minimized the pressure drop for this application.




End Tank design:
All end tanks are not created equally, air likes to flow in a smooth curved radius as you can see the FMIC has rounded end tanks that are cast


Finish:
The ATM FMIC features a unique matte finish with a polished logo.

Install:
Fits in stock location- YES
requires no cutting, removal, and/or permanent modification- Yes

Overall Design:
More core volume than stock - Yes 50%
More Ambient face than stock - Yes 53%
More charge rows than stock (5) - Yes 14
Bar and Plate construction- Yes

Performance:
The legendary performance of this intercooler is well documented throughout NAM as well as many other mini forums. Some highlights are as follows:

STOCK turbo outlet temperature 245 degrees F(estimated using a 65 degrees F ambient and 65% compressor efficiency at 15 psi
Temp drop from 245 F to 111 F (peak temp) in 4th gear run = -134 degrees F drop

TEST turbo outlet temperature 253 degrees F(estimated using a 71 degree ambient and 65% compressor efficiency at 15 psi
Temp drop from 253 F to 89 F (peak) in 4th gear run = -164 F degree drop, 21% better cooling than stock

AIT temp- 30 degree F drop over stock
pre and post intercooler temp drop- 164 degrees F
Intercooler efficiency- 91% - 21% improvement in efficiency over stock (59%)
Core pressure drop spec is .5psi at 250hp (400cfm) airflow

About us:
Ambient Thermal Management has been in the aftermarket automotive performance design business for 14 years. We have been typically behind the scenes designing the parts that many well-known tuners have been and still are labeling and selling retail.
In the past this business has been a side project of Mark Quigley (background in exercise physiology and kinesiology) and myself; Anthony Gennello (background in thermodynamics and computational fluid dynamics). Approximately three years ago ATM decided to come to market directly by offering the stepped core intercooler to the Fiat 500 Abarth market. Since then the popularity of our products direct to the end users took off. We have reintroduced our N54/N55 BMW offerings to the market. Today we are reintroducing our R56 Mini Cooper S intercooler. Our latest product is the new Ford Mustang Ecoboost intercooler.

 

How much does it weigh ?

 

Hi Anthony!

The ATM FMIC in my Abarth transformed the car for the better, and my datalogging corroborates their measurements. These guys know what they're doing.

 

The intercooler weighs 14.5lbs. If there is ever a place where you would want mass, it's in the intercooler which is located in an ambient location. The mass acts as a thermal bank, fending off heat soak.

 

Hmmm. I would have thought opposite, once mass is heat soaked it would take longer to get back to ambient...... So a cooler made with 1/2" tank walls is better than 1/8" tanks walls ? Just asking

 

The key to what I said there is the location in an ambient space. The same would not be true for a top mount intercooler like the R53.

 

Why rounded header bars are the key to efficient intercooling:

Torque from Boost
The Engine Control Module (ECM) looks at the throttle pedal and interprets the amount of torque the driver desires. Next it looks at the options it has at hand to produce the torque. One such option is turbo boost pressure referred as "Target Boost Request". The turbo boost pressure is measured at the intake manifold.

Horsepower from Boost
Horsepower is realized by the increase of air molecules in the cylinder / combustion chamber. The colder the air is the more density is possesses meaning more molecules occupying a smaller space. Turbochargers compress air as a means to increase density. The more compression the higher the outlet temperature. The escalation of the outlet temperature flies in the face of the turbocharger's primary principal.

The question is how can we make boost without compressing the air?
The answer is in the delivery system. If we can reduce the pumping force required by the turbocharger and still hit the target boost pressure then we can decrease the turbo outlet temperature before even hitting the intercooler. The turbo can be kept in its efficiency range, come up on boost quicker, and as a bonus have more boost pressure on tap as compared to other intercoolers.

Rounded head bars
Our unique rounded header bars accomplishes this feat. We effectively decreases the pumping force required of the turbo there by increasing efficiency and effectiveness. The rounded header bars act like velocity stacks for each charge row within the intercooler core. It increases the flow efficiency of a typical bar & plate intercooler from 80% to a mind blowing 98%



This technology reduces the pressure drop so much that we are able to increase the fin density and further reduce charge air temperature. Not only that but our cores still lead the industry for minimal pressure drop despite the high fin densities.

The rounded header bars are an attribute that sets Ambient Thermal Managements intercoolers apart from others'. Its is not a simple process to replicate which is why you only see us offering it. We have developed this process of brazing our extruded header bars as part of the core. They are not "tacked on" as an after process. This is also why all of our cores are custom for every application.


Summary
Our intercooler actually MAKE HORSEPOWER time after time. When you press on that throttle pedal, rest assure your power will be there.

 

How does this FMIC compare to the Wagner? Both are priced similar

 

The custom rounded header bars mentioned earlier in this thread is what sets us apart from any other intercooler. We still have some stock left but not much.

 

We still have a few left in stock. If interested email us at AmbientThermalManagement@Yahoo.com