Version 2 Nissan GT-R Super Stock Intercooler – Improving the benchmark
Posted by Iain Litchfield on 15th September, 2025 in Uncategorised
Our Version 2 Super Stock Intercooler offers improved cooling, lower pressure drop and the same competitive price, making it the best stock location intercooler upgrade for the Nissan GT-R.
The story so far
We launched the original Litchfield Super Stock Intercooler in 2011. It was designed as a direct replacement for the factory Nissan GT-R intercoolers, giving owners a cost effective cooling upgrade. Built in the UK, it quickly became a proven solution, with more than 200 units sold to customers who needed to replace leaking OEM units or wanted extra cooling for higher power levels of tune.
We used the Super Stock as standard on our LM20 models, which produced 666bhp (675PS) and carried our full three-year warranty. Even today in 2025, we have had no LM20 failures dating back to it launch in 2016, which is a testament to the durability of the design and our detailed calibration setup.
Why a new design?
In the 14 years since the original launch, we have grown as a company, added our own in-house R&D and Fabrication team, and developed a full line of high-performance Race intercoolers. With that knowledge, we set out to improve the Super Stock while keeping it affordable.
This was no easy task. The original Super Stock remained the benchmark at sensible power levels, so any improvement had to be significant and backed up with testing.
Back-to-back testing
Our R&D program went back and compared the original Super Stock intercooler with a variety of alternatives, fitted to our 2015 Nissan GT-R development car. The car runs our popular Stage 4.25 specification with a standard engine and turbos, full exhaust system with downpipes, intakes, larger injectors and our latest ECU software. Power output was around 660bhp.
Testing was carried out on the same day with the front bumper removed, allowing rapid intercooler changes. To ensure accurate results, we reduced boost and ignition slightly in the mid-range to prevent the ECU from masking weak performance. The ECU calibration otherwise remained fixed.
The intercoolers tested were:
• Standard GT-R intercooler
• Standard intercooler with UK supplied cores
• Low-cost Chinese GTR intercooler with cast end tanks (Alibaba)
• US manufactured GTR intercooler with cast end tanks
• Litchfield Super Stock Version 1
Our original Super Stock remained the benchmark, but the data also highlighted the weaknesses of many aftermarket intercoolers, especially those using the cheap Chinese intercooler cores that often appear in the market.
Why intercooler design matters
A Nissan GT-R intercooler upgrade (or Nissan GTR intercooler upgrade if you search without the correct hyphen) is more than just fitting a larger core. A well-designed intercooler must extract heat effectively without excessive restriction or pressure drop. It must recover quickly after a full power run, allow airflow through to the radiator, and remain lightweight at the front of the car.
Our new Version 2 intercooler achieves this with revised lightweight end tanks designed and assembled in-house, featuring free-flowing larger inlets and outlets to eliminate the restrictive factory pipework. But the most important factor comes from the choice of core.
Tube & Fin vs Bar & Plate
Most intercoolers fall into two categories: Tube & Fin or Bar & Plate.
• Tube & Fin designs use thin aluminum tubes with attached fins, offering high thermal efficiency and low weight. They are more complex and costly to build but deliver excellent performance. Our Version 1 Super Stock used this design.
• Bar & Plate designs are cheaper and simpler to manufacture, which is why they dominate low-cost Chinese based GTR intercooler kits. They are heavier and denser, which initially absorbs heat well but quickly leads to heat soak, as our testing shows. They have little in the way of fin technology to extract the heat but conversely they have little restrictions so initial flow and torque are unaffected until the heat soak robs power. Recovery is slow, and airflow to the radiator is compromised. These intercoolers often look appealing on paper and can be bought for as little as $200 (though some UK resellers charge over £1,200). When you see the construction and quality of these cores it is clear why they do not perform and as our tests show.
Selecting the best core
To deliver real gains in our new design, we tested cores from:
• Our Version 2 design using our original UK suppliers core
• Our Version 2 design with PWR (Formula 1 supplier) 3mm core
• PWR’s own stock location intercooler
• Our Version 2 design using with Garrett’s latest intercooler technology core
While some of these were more expensive, the testing was conclusive.
The Garrett core was the standout choice. Its advanced fin density and offset construction allow maximum heat dissipation without the excessive weight of a typical Bar & Plate design. This new technology suits the compact Super Stock location perfectly, providing the best balance of cooling efficiency, recovery speed, and airflow.
Proven results
On our Stage 4.25 GT-R test car, the Version 2 Super Stock delivered gains of 18bhp and 23lbft over the Version 1.
Since release, the Version 2 intercooler has been fitted to customer cars producing anywhere from standard power up to 900bhp. It has proven itself on the road, at trackdays, and on runway events at over 200mph where the data shows excellent cooling and real world performance.
Conclusion
Our original Super Stock intercooler set the standard for cost effective GT-R cooling upgrades. The new Version 2 raises that bar even higher. With improved cooling efficiency, reduced pressure drop, and proven durability, it is simply the best stock location intercooler upgrade for the Nissan GT-R.
If you want your Nissan GT-R (or Nissan GTR) to run cooler and perform better, contact Litchfield to discuss fitting our new Version 2 Super Stock Intercooler. In stock now!
