If you want the most air:
Blitz

If you want the 2nd most air but cleanest (supposedly) filter:
Apexi

Nicest budget intake:
New Greddy/Trust

Least restrictive cold air:
Pettit Racing

Most expensive but true cold air:
Knight Sports

Best setup if starting from scratch:
Peter Farrell

These are just my "personal" oppinions from spending hundreds of hours doing research on the web and talking to race shops. (damn, no spell checker on this thing)

 

Ok I am chiming in too... I have the rx7fashion CAI..shaped out of aluminum and very similar to M2's box...Now someone said m2 carbon box is flimsy...that's disappointing..because I know the overall design is very well thought out. The rx7fashion CAI is very well made , has 2 large oval shaped K&N's and fitment is good. I would recommend it 110%..

 

>>...the high performance stores also have sponsors. You can ask the >>race shops but chances are they only want to sell you their own >>product

This is a correct assesment. That is why Ari and Jason like the Apex intake and not the M2. That is why Tri Point doesn't like the PFS unit and any other examples.

Here is my point of view:

PFS is good in theory but it takes air from the intercooler which obviouosly is not something you want, especially from a stock cooler.

Pettit's intake may work well but it it too ugly and cobbed looking with harware store piping and hose.

All the Japan spec open air systems are well made but the negative aspects of open air filters are too serious to overlook. Keep in mind that the filters are directly behind the radiator. That's 200 degrees of air being compressed by the turbos before it hits your engine.

M2's intake looks good, does not take air from the intercooler, flows better than "sucking air from a straw". The air it gets is ambient. A much better place to start. Keep in mind the airfilters are the same size as the Pettit unit.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but until I see unbiased data, the M2 will be my intake of choice.

Paul

 

Anothe thing. M2's bos is not flimsy "it's carbon fibre". The lid is thin but the box is sturdy. It's not a fuel cell or a roll bar, it's job is to get cold air to the air filters and prevent hot air from getting to them.

Just for the record the RX-7 Fashion box is a direct rip off of the original M2 Aluminum airbox.

Paul

 

I've got both the Apex and the M2 (alum). I have had both installed in my car. I am going to a larger SMIC, so I couldn't use the Apex any more.

My intake temps on the PFC have shown NO difference (ZERO) in a wide range of driving conditions and ambient air conditions. This is mostly due to the heat soaking of the stock IC.

I can't imagine that the M2 keeps up with the Apex in flow, but there may not be a need depending on the other mods you have. Just as there may not be a need for colder air intake temps...again, depending on the rest of your mods.

 

By the numbers, Apexi CAI has the most HP increase. Dont get intakes with foam filters such as greddy, hks, etc..

1FAST7

 

i should also point out that ive heard alot of bad things about the M2 products. not performance wise but quality wise. some people have complained of the fitment of both the intake and the intercoolers. they both sit too high and either hit or rub on the hood or have the piping do that. some of their stuff also needs slight modifications in order to fit properly. I'm not bashing M2, im just pointing out what ive heard over time. hell, i even had the M2 intake for a bit but then got rid of it because i had slight fitment probs with it. nothing aweful but youd expect something that costs $500 to be PERFECT. i paid $300 for the apexi and it is perfect. so its all up to you which one you want

oh, and the M2 stuff wont work with certain aftermarket hoods, particularily the scoot hood

 

Yeah yeah and M2 aluminum box is a pretty good rip off of tri-points original box too....do we have to do this all over again... we did it on the big list like 4 years ago...

thank you !

 

I don't mean to flame you, mmaragos. I am glad you did some testing and reported the results. This response is to the thread in general...

In that case, the only advantage of the cool intake air could be power and lower in-chamber temps. It is harder for the turbos to compress 200F air to yield 100F air at the same pressure in the manifold than it would be if you started with cold air. So, the turbos give more backpressure with the hot intake air, which reduces power and increases the temp of the air in the chamber (because more of it will be hot exhaust).

I repeat what has already been pointed out... you cannot completely make up for hot intake air with an intercooler. Even if the temps of the intake air in the manifold end up being the same (which I think is not likely, despite this report) there is another cost for hot air -- backpressure.

I like the A'PEXi filters (and use on one my single turbo), but I don't think that a hot-air intake is a good idea for any car if it can be avoided. If you saw higher dyno numbers posted for an open intake filter, think again about the testing conditions -- an open intake with the hood open is quite different from running with the hood closed.

-Max

 

How about some pics of the intakes, both open and cold air you guys have installed on your cars. I'm planning on keeping the stock IC, for now anyway so please keep this in mind when you're giving your thoughts. Thanks for all the feedback. You've given me a lot more information than I had previously and some things to think about.

 

M2 Intake

 

Apexi all the way... sure it can suck in hot air, but there is always a way aleviate the stock IC inefficiency issue...just fabricate a heat shield and an air duct...sorry fellas, specs are top secret for the time being since im still perfecting the design

 

I agree with you 100% Max. But it is always a balance of trade-offs. You might get lower intake temps with a CAI, but you might also get less flow. Or you might get more flow but higher intake temperatures with an open intake.

IMO, no one has done an adequate study of intakes to determine what is better for making more horsepower with the stock turbos.

We don't know if the lower intake temperatures (but resistricted flow) of a CAI will outweigh the benefit of less resistricted flow (but higher intake temps) of an open intake.

My example is not the best, because the stock intercooler is the weakest component. It cannot keep up with the rest of the system. If an adequate intercooler was in place, then there would likely be a noticable difference in intake temps between intakes as monitored by the PFC.

 

http://www.blitz-uk.co.uk/maxpower2001.htm

http://www.blitz-uk.co.uk/
(click on air filter button after loading above link)

 

Apexi installed on a '99

 

Hey, I never got this many reply's when I posted this thread a while back (oh well), but glad to see it now

Cold air boxes:
Pro:
Seperates the hot engine air from the intake and draws cooler air from underneath the car.
Con:
Air filters are too small.

M2 Carbon fiber is cooler than metal but Pettit's version has more breathing room. (not sure if CWR is metal)

Open air:
Pro:
Filters are much larger and less restrictive.
Apexi has a dual funnel and Blitz has a 4" opening
Con:
Draws hotter air when idle or in trafic.
Larger intercooler can offset that problem

Ram air:
OEM design has a restrive inlet.
Racing Beat improves and opens the inlet.
Peter Farrell improves even more with large K&N cone.
Knight Sports looks like it uses its own ducting to the nose (I can't get any more information on it)
Pro:
Forced cold air from nose when car is moving.
Con:
OEM is restrictive. The '99-'01 seperates the intake from the intercooler ducting.
RB is flimsy and over priced. PFS is a kit that comes with the small IC & pipes in to it's duct. Can suck hot radiator air "only" inbetween shifts and on idle or traffic.
Knight Sports will cost about $1,000 (ouch).

So which is best? ...probably the Knight Sports (if it's duct is seperate from the intercooler). Otherwise, since there is no comparison tests between cold air & open intake then it's a prefernece toss up.

...Again, i'm not repeating hear say. This is just my personal opinion from my own research to answer the same question.

 

this is a great post but everyone seems to have their own opinion based on their own experiences and research. if you want the best intake for you then do alot of research and figure out which ones right for you.

 

anyone have pics of what the m2 box looks liek inside?! i have been wantign to see this for a while and what kind of filter/filters does it use

 

I took these a while back to ask a question about the oil in the intake, but you can see what it looks like on the inside:

http://63.108.11.6/jrspics/intake1.JPG
http://63.108.11.6/jrspics/intake2.JPG
http://63.108.11.6/jrspics/intake3.JPG

 

hey thanx, now a new quastion is the new CF one they sell identical to this one other then teh material its made of?

 

Almost, but they sealed off that one part where you can see there is a gap.

 

pretty much, only the lines are a little smoother. the intake uses 2 k&n cone filters, you can see how tight things r in there

 

i am still leaning toward the m2 intake out of the two, the other being apexi. i dont see the need for apexi and an isolated box for it anywhere up to 350 hp....or i coudl be wrong

 

One thing no one has brought up with CAI vs open is the supply to the air pump. Although no direct experience with this, I remember that if you supplied the airpump with hot air, it accelerates it lifespan. So if you run an open filter you could experience pre-mature failure of the airpump.

Does anybody remember this?

 

I like this intake myself, kind of the best of both worlds!