Just finished the install, I think it looks great aesthetically speaking, but as far as how it sounds I'm a little sad.

I had a DOS intake on my last cooper, maybe I'm spoiled by that beautiful piece of work, the sound difference between the two is night and day. The AEM has more sound than stock, but its minimal in my opinion and you need to stomp the gas to get some wooshing. I am the last to take about slight gains from air intakes, and at this point just want my damn sound back! I have searched multiple threads and cant seem to grasp a general consensus on the best "sound" filter other than the DOS intake of course. I know open element would be louder, has anyone ever run the AEM filter without that hood scoop mount?

 

My AEM Intake was annoyingly quiet switching from a DDMWorks one.
I wanted the BOV Noise back. You will probably always get more with the DOS one because it is literally right behind the steering wheel since you have to drill a hole in the wall. But to fix my issue I replaced the AEM Cone with K&N RU-3130 and my whoosh sound came back. Its not extremely loud like my DDMWorks because that was an open box. The AEM one is a closed box but the loud whoosh is back. Stock AEM one was too damn quiet. The K&N cone will make a very noticeable difference.

 

I have a stock intake tube with the factory MAF on it, a 45 degree bend after that, and a 6" or 8" K&N cone filter. It's loud as hell, and doesn't look bad either. I had to remove the air box and fabricate a hanger for the air filter and MAF, but I had the other parts laying around. Easy peasy.

 

Funny, three post in here and not a single one mentions the performance aspect of the intake.

If you were looking for just sound, why would you spend that kind of money on probably the most well engineered intake systems for a MINI?

The AEM system is clearly more than just a noisemaker.

 

I understand the AEM is more than a noisemaker, I guess I didnt know what to expect since the only other intake I've ever owned was the DOS intake. Its definitely growing on me though.

 

So you have a dyno with facts to back it up since you stated, "clearly more than just a noisemaker."?

 

I haven't looked into the AEM, but I'd be surprised to see any performance gains over and above uncorking the air filter. They all have to neck down to like half the diameter at the turbo, so not much you can do there. I will be anxiously awaiting dyno results as well.

 

I have my own installation, that I did myself. I have my own seat of the pants feeling that the car doesn't run out of steam on the top end and still has all of the same pull it had down low. I'm not going to spend money on dyno time for an intake system.

Why does EVERY person on this forum have to scientifically back up EVERY ITEM THEY BUY?
You guys want to compare lap times when you debate sway bars. Nobody has time to rent a track.
You want lumens and lux readings when you compare LED bulb swaps. Who has the money for those instruments?
You want durometer readings when you debate tires. Why?
Parts for these cars are already over priced and now I have to figure in scientific testing cost and all of the time involved in testing, instead of trusting the guys with all of that at their disposal and who designed the parts?

And why does everyone on here believe, without doubt, that a small, specialty manufacturer with very little money behind them, would NEVER in a million years fudge their dyno numbers?

But a company like AEM, who has always made top of the line products and backed them up with dyno numbers from day one, and has designed one of the best stand alone engine management systems out there, is for sure, 100% lying about their dyno numbers?

I've looked high and low and still haven't found any side by side comparisons from anyone who makes MINI performance parts. I tried to find some info that told me "A" intake was better than AEM and here's a direct comparison, but I never did.

And if you compared their intake system to ANY other MINI system on build quality and engineering quality alone, nobody even comes close to the AEM system.

Is it worth the price they're asking for it? Hell no. It's WAY over priced for the increase in power it gives on a stock engine. And I would never have bought it if I paid retail for it.

If all you want is more noise, then save your money and slap a cone filter on your mass air meter.
If you could care less about noise and want an intake that fits perfect, looks like it belongs on the car, AND gives your engine the unrestricted breathing that all boosted cars need, you can't beat the AEM system.

On a related note. I'm still waiting for the big boys of MINI performance, or anyone for that matter, to do a direct comparison of their high priced intercoolers to the cheap ebay ones. If they're so confident in their products, then spending $200 for a equivalent Chinese model and posting dyno numbers, flow numbers, pressure loss numbers, and recovery stats would be worth it.
When they proved that their intercoolers that cost 3-4x as much also made 3-4x the power increase, they would make that $200 back and then some.

 

Over here in the UK the AEM is the system to have(does what it says on the tin)nearly all the guys i know of with Minis have them fitted,got one on my S, very pleased with it.Dont need more noise,got JCW exhaust system and a Miltek sports cat.

 

Reason I mentioned you in that comment, because you clearly said it's more than a noisemaker. That's all it is. You might gain a lack of 2-3whp with it, but it's all facts without dynos, that's very interesting. You just said AEM is the best intake too, that too is not accurate. The best intake out there was DoS. I've had two intakes on this car, what a waste if I'm looking for performance. The point is you don't want to increase intake temps with an open intake. Yes you can increase a slight little bump with power in the high RPMs, but the low end grunt will be gone. This little 1.6L needs a FMIC, DP, and tune. Boom, call it a day if that's power you want to perform on the open road or track or autocross.

Any-who, I digress. I'm not arguing with you or trying to attack you. I've done plenty of mods to my car and went the right way about making sure it performs. AEM is a great noisemaker and looks like a quality piece.

 

So you will sell me the DOS intake then... right!?

 

I'd love to but I'm on my stock box because it performs better with my mods. You won't get anyone to sell you a DoS intake cause they're rare to find unless someone parts with the car, good luck with that lol!

 

Trust me I know... traded my first mini with DOS intake and exhaust depot exhaust because I couldn't get my stock stuff back... too far. First thing I do when I get my new mini is go to both sites and they are both out of business!

 

Just curious what mods are you looking at? What model did you get?

 

I bought a 2013 S bayswater. Before I had a 2010 cooper S with DOS intake and full turbo-back exhaust depot setup, it was sweeeeet. I have the AEM intake for now, the JB+ on the way, and the Invidia Q300 catback on the way as well.

 

I like the Bayswater, it looks awesome in that blue. Enjoy the mods, you'll be roasting tires on the JB+.

 

I actually have the bayswater in midnight black...looks great to me with the black wheels. Couldnt of timed it perfectly... wanted a pre owned as I dont like the new generation and this one was right down the street with 8k miles on it.

 

I will be succinct. The people who are looking for quantification of the performance gains from a given part are installing mods for the sole purpose of increasing performance. Judging by what other people with far more Mini knowledge than I have posted, a CAI is not an effective performance mod for the R56S. I don't know why that is so difficult for you to understand.

I have dealt with AEM in the past, and while they don't seem to be the worst out there, I can assure you that they do not make strictly top of the line parts. Manufacturers' claims of power gains always need to be taken with a grain of salt, hence proving them on the dyno. If you're concerned, a lot of tuners will let you do two quick pulls for $50-$60. Do one with and one without your intake to see what happens.

That being said, nothing attracts a car snob like a BMW product, and I am with you on the $200 intercooler (which IS a proven effective performance mod for these cars). I'm installing one on my own car, as a matter of fact.

 

Two things:


1) I would bet that 80% of the people posting comments about how the MINI doesn't benefit from a CAI have little to know experience at all, and are just regurgitating the gospel they've had shoved down their throats. Unfortunately, this is typical forum life.


2) Shhhhh....don't let anyone know you're installing a cheap intercooler. That's heresy.
Mines going on this week.

 

Hey guys, I've never made any improvements or changed to my 2012 Cooper S, this will be the first thing I'm looking to do. My main goal is just to get some more turbo sounds coming out of the engine. While at the same time not messing around with my MPG, or ruining the motor. I've looked on the market at several different systems, and they all seem fairly similar. My main concern with something like the k&n typhoon system is that it will be sucking in warm hot engine heat while sitting in Boston traffic, and while just going down the road 55pmh+

And I'm worried that if I remove the hood scoop grill, that it will allow rainwater to get into the system and ruin the motor, not to mention hert my MPG, does anybody have any experience with a system like this, or removing their hood scoop grill without damaging anything? And does a system like this actually improve MPG.

Please any input will help

 

To quote myslef in the other thread you posted in, just in case you missed it:

 

With my AEM intake the honeycomb in the scoop is still in place however, the solid bits have been removed. After 6 hours of driving 70+mph in the RAIN, only the top of the filter was slightly damp to the touch. MPG was suffering during this time but I think rain or not, that much humidity and water on the road would make any autos mpg suffer. I no longer worry about my AEM intake water logging my filter. (In service for 3yrs)

 

Same here, best bang for the buck. Zero reason to spend a dollar more for a fancy bracket with a name.

 

This might sound strange but after I sold my AEM intake I noticed right after my hood was misaligned, it was the pressure of the hood pressing down on the sponge gasket. Never could get a good aligned properly, I didn't like the fact that the AEM took away my low-end torque.

 

Question on the low-end torque comment, has anyone ever dyno'd with AEM intake and without the intake? Not including AEM themselves of course. I have seen these comments before, but I've yet to see a dyno shoing how much less and exactly when its less. If that makes sense.