There are pros and cons to both.
With the top mount, there is less piping, therefore less restriction, therefore easier to blow air into the engine combustion chamber. However, the cons are that there is an awful lot of heat soaking into the intercooler from the hot engine, so if you are sitting in traffic, or running the car for an extended period of time, the intercooler might become less efficient. The other problem is that although the underhood ducting is cool, it doesn't have as much air moving through the intercooler as you could if you put it on the front.
bulls***!!!!!!!!!!! I'd like to see your testing or anyones testing that proves the bulls*** that just rolled on to the forum. Sorry but i have to correct false truths. Have you ever driven your car above 40 mph and then stop and feel the IC. ITS AT AMBIENT TEMP. Your not going to get any lower than AMBIENT air PERIOD. I agree the TMIC will heat soak more in Stop and go traffic, but how many drivers are racing in stop and go traffic????????
The front mount has more piping, and as a result, more restriction. However it is not going to have as much of a problem with heatsoak, and is more efficient (generally speaking) than a top mount is because of how much air is flowing over it.
Piping in a well designed setup MIGHT affect turbo lag, i doubt anyone here would be able to tell the difference. Also proper choice of a FMIC is VERY IMPORTANT. Get a FMIC with a shitload of pressure drop and YOU WILL LOSE POWER. plain and simple. I'm not going to tell you which way to go FMIC or TMIC, but keep this in mind. A LARGER CORE IC WITH LESS PRESSURE DROP AND MORE FRONTAL AREA (ON THE IC) WILL BE THE BEST REGARDLESS OF ITS PLACEMENT. If you don't understand frontal area, check my old postings.
So which one is right for you? Front mounts are probably better if you are thinking about putting a bigger turbo in so you can overcome the restriction through brute force, and if you plan on running your car at the track for extended periods of time.
Top mounts are better if you are looking for an easy way to bump up horsepower.
Think of it this way (speaking generally here, this may not be the case with the specific intercooler products available for the speed3)
The top mount will give you better gains out of the box.
The front mount has potential to give larger gains when proper tuning and bigger turbos are used.
The top mount will give bigger gains before heat soaks into it, but after it heats up may not give you much extra power at all.
The front mount will not get as much heat soaking into it and so will continuously give you that smaller gain.
If any of my information is incorrect please let me know, but this is how I understand the system to work.
If your going to upgrade your IC then choose what ever you like. ITS A PREFERENCE THING. there is not one person on here that can tell me that a FMIC will make more power than a TMIC. what i can tell you is a IMPROPERLY fitted IC will help you lose power if there's too much pressure drop.
Remember folks these are not hondas with a measely 9 psi, we run 15-17 psi or more. PRESSURE DROP becomes a big issue at high levels of boost.
CHeck my old postings for comparisons against to IC both in equal outside dimensions BUT different in design. the IC that you would think WOULDN"T cool the air very well MAKES MORE POWER, because it has less pressure drop.
Heres proof, and i have dyno sheets for those thinking i'm full of it.
26 psi 31* total timing netted 322whp and 346wtrq.
24psi 27* total timing netted 324whp and 380wtrq.
Now i'm running 27 psi and i make around 345ish whp (calculated through vehicle weight, time and trap speed at the local 1/4mile track.)
the IC's were exactly the same 18x6x3 but different in executuion of air flow through the core.
Sorry to slam subparpunk, but it is what it is........................(cheers)