A true performance upgrade intercooler for the 997.2 Turbo / Turbo S
This is the most refined of all the products we offer today, MERA launched in October 2021!
– Cooler inlet air temperature under the same conditions: 37Β°C/98.6Β°F (55Β°C/131Β°F), 18Β°C/32.4Β°F lower. See diagram below.
– More air to your engine, less backpressure, and improved airflow! Airflow at 0.175 bar / 2.54 psi pressure drop: 700 CFM (564 CFM), 24% more! See diagram below.
– Freeform 3D cast reservoirs.
– Custom-designed carbon fiber ambient air guides.
– Comes with high-quality silicone hoses and installation hardware.
MERA, as in more, means more cooling, better airflow, more performance. Simply put, MERA!
Starting with extensive market research at the outset of developing our 997 intercooler, we realized that not many of the upgrade products on the market were truly upgrades, but rather on par with the standard 997.2 units, or in some cases even subpar. We realized we couldn’t cut corners to keep costs down; we had to create the best possible solution for the available space in the car!
When launching this intercooler kit in 2016, we chose to use a UK-made Tube & Fin core, which provides excellent cooling and airflow combined with low weight. It has proven itself very well over the years, featured on various 1000 HP builds. Fall 2021 is the time for the next phase of the ongoing development of do88 products. After extensive testing, we chose to upgrade to a Bar & Plate, a Garrett motorsport-grade core, taking this already highly effective upgrade to the next level.
General Differences:
11Β°C lower IAT than the previous version.
12% higher airflow than the previous version.
New, lighter air duct made of real prepreg carbon fiber.
3kg weight increase per intercooler compared to previous DO88 intercoolers.
The core is new, but the end tanks and all accessories are the same as before. The intercoolers feature cast-end tanks that distribute airflow very precisely across the entire core. This is very important, as good tank design will benefit both pressure drop and cooling efficiency. To accommodate an intercooler of adequate thickness for the job, a new upper ambient air guide also had to be designed. This was designed in our 3D scanning environment to ensure a perfect fit with the vehicle’s integrated air ducts and the intercooler. To further eliminate bottlenecks, the MERA intercooler kit features 70 mm (2 3/4 inch) intercooler connections to allow unrestricted airflow. This also means new hoses are included for each location, all 3D designed with maximum airflow in mind. All hoses are CFD tested to ensure this. The turbo outlet hoses are manufactured to high-temperature specifications. The material is rated at a continuous temperature of 240Β°C (464Β°F). To truly utilize all the heat-transferring ambient air, the carbon ducts feature appropriate seals to the body, forcing all air to pass through the core and not leak around it.
Overall, the weight increase over OEM units is relatively small considering the intercoolers’ size and the fact that they are a dense, all-aluminum construction. Our intercooler weighs 8.45 kg (18.10 lb) per piece, compared to the OEM 997.2 intercooler, which weighs 3.30 kg (7.27 lb). While this may seem like a weight gain, it’s more than compensated for by the performance gains these intercoolers provide!
The intercooler kit comes with OEM-fitted hoses or a DO88 (70 mm) Y-pipe. The difference is the included hoses. Choose your version from the drop-down list above.
When it comes to performance, DO88 intercoolers significantly reduce intake temperature! The graph below shows the difference compared to the OEM 997.2 units. Data was collected with an AIM race recorder over 5 consecutive runs in immediate sequence. Full-throttle acceleration between 50 and 250 km/h (30-155 mph) in a Stage 1-tuned Porsche 997. No cooling in between, just maximum boost. During each test, the car was driven in Sport Plus mode with the air conditioning off.
The test was conducted as follows:
First, 5 laps were run with the car equipped with the OEM intercooler. Stop, quick swap of the DO88 intercooler components. Shakedown for a few minutes, and then 5 passes were performed exactly as with the OEM parts. The decrease in inlet air temperature is significant, with a peak delta of 18Β°C ??(32.4Β°F)Βsee the graph below!
Cooling is important, as is airflow. After many hours of development, fine-tuning the final tanks, and choosing a core to meet our requirements, the result is a much more efficient intercooler in terms of heat transfer and airflow. Using our in-house SF-1020 Superflow Probe Bench, airflow is checked as a complete system, with both inlet and outlet hoses, for both OEM 997.2 intercoolers and do88 performance intercoolers. What you see is what you get: MERA do88 performance!