The main reason street cars would use water to air intercoolers is packaging. Sometimes, it is just too hard to fit a big air-to-air IC. An air-to-water IC can be crammed about anywhere. Water lines can be run pretty easily. The secondary head exchanger is generally small and can be easily fit.

Race cars would use it because they can put ice in the IC and get cooler intake air than any air-to-air ever could.

If you can fit an air-to-air IC on a street car, why not use it? An air-to-water setup requires the air-to-water IC, reservoir, pump, lines, and a secondary heat exchanger. You are really transfering heat from air to water to air again. Why not cut out the middle man? The mass of the water in the system is helpful for the racer. He can chill his water below ambient. Then he can run alot of hot intake air through that IC before heating up his water. The mass of the water lets you store energy for use later. But, what happens on a street car when the water heats up to ambient or worse (idling in traffic in the dead of summer)? The water's mass now works against you. It will take alot of air to cool the water back down. Air-to-air IC's are generally made from aluminum and have little mass. Their fluids (air) have little mass too. That will affect how quickly the system can change temperature.

Corbin

'95 ESI-T
HRC+FMIC+ETC...



Gimme fuel...Gimme fire...Gimme that which I desire