It might be the weekend, which means a science lesson would be the last thing people would want to watch but when it involves an A80 Toyota Supra making sensational turbo noises, we can’t say we are all too adverse to learning something new. 
That’s right, the Warped Perception YouTube channel has been using an A80 Toyota Supra as the basis for some well documented scientific experiments that provide an alternative perspective as to how boosted ICEs work in practice.
This time around, the intercooler is the topic of the experimentation with the objective to provide a visual depiction of the flow of air through a turbocharged system. Science has dictated that denser, cool air aids in increased power. That is since an engine can hold more air if it is cool and dense as opposed to hot and dispersed. The job of the intercooler in a turbocharged system is to ensure that the compressed air entering the engine is exactly this, allowing for increased power and better engine responsiveness.
It is the same principle that has been incorporated into most turbocharged vehicles since the advent of the technology and most recently the 405 kW BMW M4 CSL too.
In the example of the A80 Supra of Warped Perception, the hot air entering the intercooler is measured at above 90°C, which is expected since a turbocharger harnesses hot exhaust gases before sending the compressed air back into the direction of the motor. As the air passes through the cooling fins on the intercooler, it arrives at the other trough much cooler and denser.
In the case of this experiment, it comes out on the other side at a fresh 23.1°C. This is all demonstrated with the use of clear plastic tanks on each end of the intercooler. While on the dyno, the 20 pounds of boost pressure eventually erupt the plastic fabrication but not without proving and displaying the importance of a properly functioning intercooler system in a turbocharged application.
