(Yes I tried using the search with no results.)

Ok then, air intake kits. Is there really any one kit that particularly does better than the others? Or pretty much all the same just different flavor? Ones to avoid? N18 '12 Clubman S.

 

Stock is going to be the best engineered part for your car. Period.

You can really go with any of the aftermarket intake systems, because they all do about the same thing, make more noise. Intakes don't make power on cars with MAF sensors, and some even hurt low end torque. If you were to add an intake to a car that required the added flow (ie big turbo build) there would be a gain, but even the guys with larger turbos are still able to run a stock airbox due to the fact that they flow just fine.

No matter how much surface area you open up for the filtered air it still has to pass through an opening of about 1.5" at the compressor inlet.

 

So basically just throw in a K&N style replacement filter and good to go? (My wallet is liking the sound of that!)

 

Yes on the Turbo MINIs the intakes just don't make the power the companies claim that make them. If you just want one for sound then go cheap with our DDM street intake
https://www.waymotorworks.com/ddmwor...et-intake.html

If you are looking for power a Forge intercooler would be the right investment as it cools the air after the turbo.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/forge-...r-s-turbo.html

Otherwise you can just put a high flow filter in the stock air box and be done. We only use the dry filters as we don't want to put oil through the MAF
https://www.waymotorworks.com/dry-pa...-cooper-s.html

 

I agree with the other posts about power,. You wont make much power with any aftermarket intake system, however some of the systems will allow you to drop your intake temps. I personally have a DOS intake which is no longer produced but my intake temps dropped about 15 degrees when I replaced the stock box. So for reference. If it was 80 degrees and sunny with the stock air box sitting parked the vehicle intake temp would climb to about 105-110 under the hood, and with the aftermarket intake my temps while parked would be around 90-95 degrees. I see the same difference while im under acceleration. The intake temp would be 10-15 degrees above ambient temp with the stock box and with the aftermarket intake the temp would be the ambient temp. So all in all not a huge difference but something to think about.

 

When I bought my car I was set on getting a good functional intake. I was set on the AEM ram air one. Then came to my senses. I don't really need that. It's still an intake and not really going to do very much but make more noise. Which I will admit was something I wanted. The stock JCW intake is great but I still opted for an intake. The non ram air style are all the same so there was no need to pay these outrageous prices for a tube bracket and filter. I was able to get the DDMWORKS one for a great price. The really hot engine bay temps worried me but I have not had any issues. Today was about 95 degrees in LA and I had no issues. I did open the hood scoop too.
If you don't like it its only a 10 minute install and they resell pretty quick on here.

 

This is a large reason why I like the openish filter intakes that sit behind the hood scoop.

I removed the blanket to allow more air pass thru. The K&N retains most of the stock airbox benefits including heatshield but allows for more fresh air to hit the filter.

On track days I'll take all the cooling I can get.

 

I had the AEM Ram Air Intake on my old '07 R56. Great piece of gear. Did not add any intake noise since it's still mostly a closed system. With an M7 scoop and a Mini Fini bug catcher I was very happy with the combo. The intake would have been a plus since I was planning to have the Manic stage two tune installed. I had a new IC, DP, and colder plugs ready to go when I had a brain fart and traded for an F56. I did have what you could call a noise maker installed although that wasn't the purpose for the part. It was a vacuum actuated, piston operated diverter/BOV by Forge. It made upshifts much smoother by venting the leftover boost between shifts.
But, to get back to my main point, the AEM is IMO the best aftermarket intake available for the N14/N18. I just wish there was a way to have a similar system on my F56. I had to settle for an ARMA Speed unit.

 

It was decided by testing and documented here a while ago that the R56 JCW upgrade intake flowed the best of anything offered aftermarket.

 

I also have the DOS intake. Love the sound. There is one for sale on the Marketplace right now.

 

Interesting statement and analysis.


The standard system runs a cold air pipe from the front of the car to the airbox which is all sealed and then feeds the turbo. Hard to see why you would get better inlet temps with another piece of kit.


All the air arrives in the standard box from outside the engine bay and the surface area of the pipework, assuming it is hotter for some reason on the standard system, isn't enough to transfer heat.

Either way, you have your data, I just can't work out why it would show what you saw.


For reference, all we did was machine back the compressor inlet mouth, replace it with a 2.5" straight pipe of alloy, fed from a 2.5" silicone pipe that leads to the standard airbox.. which is still feed from the front of the car. Works for 255 bhp at the wheels currently.


RW


Cheers,
Steven RW

 

 

using a short ram silicone piece from forge, stuffs the filter right behind the opening in the grill that went to the stock box. sound is way up, feels a lot stronger mid-top rpm range especially after shifts getting back into it. stock felt a little stronger right off the line.
for temps, even with the stock system, my ambients would be high just sitting in traffic anyway i really dont notice it climbing any more than before.
without the tune it throws a maf code, could be contributed to larger turbo though also