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FCP Euro Service Kits

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Performance builds on turbo cars often evolve with the same series of modifications: intake, intercooler, exhaust, and tune. An intake matters because that is how the car breathes. An exhaust matters because quiet mufflers equal greater flow resistance and slower turbo spool up. A software tune matters, especially on modern cars, as it truly wakes up the electronic components in the car for maximum performance.

But is an intercooler truly necessary? Does it really do anything more than cool the air?


While an upgraded intercooler can remain at the bottom of your to-do list, it is still a must have component. Whether you are tracking your car, or simply commuting in your tuned vehicle. If the car is making more than stock numbers on the dyno, an intercooler is definitely a necessity.

Are there truly power gains to be noticed from an upgraded intercooler? The answer to this question varies. Many companies will advertise that their design improves air flow and cooling efficiency, creating more horsepower and torque. While this is true under high temperature conditions, for P1 Volvos, the stock intercooler operates just as efficiently during the cooler winter months. Truth be told, I felt a slight decrease in performance after installing my upgraded unit; there was more volume for air to fill, weakening throttle response at lower boost pressure.

However, the Elevate intercooler does perform exceptionally well when paired with a tune! On track days and auto cross events, I have no fear of heat soak. Even holding boost at 18psi in 100°F weather, the car continues to pull strong. This is largely due to Elevate's unique front mount design. Sold as a direct replacement for the factory unit, it has nearly twice the capacity and is built from solid aluminum. No weak plastic end caps or narrow cooling fins on this intercooler.

The Elevate front mount intercooler can now be purchased through FCPEuro.

Volvo Performance Intercooler (C30) - Elevate 208:10001

A true must have item for anyone looking to get maximum performance out of their T5 P1 Volvo. While installation does require front bumper removal, the included instructions walk you through the process step by step. Even a novice DIY mechanic could remove the bumper within 30 minutes.

As with all Elevate products, fitment is perfect and no cutting is required. The intercooler is design to securely fit on the stock brackets and provides a new mounting location for the manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor. The unit also work perfectly with either the stock rubber hoses or the aftermarket silicone options.


I have had the Elevate intercooler installed on my automatic S40 and my manual C30. Both cars maintained great performance when pushed to the limits, no matter what the temperature was outside. I used to be a non-believer and was running a stage 2 Elevate tune with the stock intercooler; I assumed upgraded intercoolers were only needed for cars frequently pushed to the limits. However, just minutes into a spirited summer drive, the car bogged down from massive heat soak.

While heat soak can be terrible for performance, it can also be damaging to the engine. Higher temperatures are not good for internals or seals and neither are the computer's self adjustments to timing. Do yourself a favor and upgrade your intercooler. It does not need to be the first performance bolt on you add, but it definitely needs to be included on your tuned vehicle modification list.

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Written by :
Alex Fiehl


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