steve,

the dark ones in your picture are 2.7 or rs4 intercoolers?

if the bottom ic is the rs6 intercooler, then it is definitely not something i've seen normally with ICs. most ICs i've seen both aftermarket and OEM dont' have offset end tanks... and the end tanks (if not straight inlet and outlet end tanks) have a profile like the darker IC. Even if you look at the race aftermarket ICs, you'll never see anything with an offset. Plus if you think of the amount and direction of force of the plumbing... it'll slowly rip the end tanks from the core of the intercooler. probably why RS6 ICs are prone to leaks.