I'm just wondering why, if you take out the stock air box of the MC, you can't just attach an aftermarket intake to the end of the stock hose? It seems simple to do with a couple of misc. connection stuff. I know that there is a metal heat sheilding used in some intakes but, is there a good reason you need the fabricated tube? It seems to me that you could buy a $40 to $60 K&N or AKIMOTO filter, and put it on. Wouldn't you get the same results as the Moss or Pippercross kits? I realize there may be a bit of fabricating to keep it from bouncing.

PS: I don't know about the Cooper S.

MINIACK

 

As for the Cooper, I believe the aftermarket hoses are smooth on the inside to aid in airflow, unlike stock. Also, the stock hose opening diameter may not be suitable to aftermarket filters. Dunno.

As for the Cooper S, having an open filter in your engine bay would be very bad. Since it's supercharged, you REALLY don't want hot air getting sucked in, as it gets heated plenty already by the supercharger. The intercooler can only do so much. That's why I went with the Rogue cold air box. That and the dyno number difference between it and the BMP on my car.

R

 

Okay. I get the whole cold air induction thing. Especialy on the S. But if you look at the Pipercross version it looks like it uses something to make the difference of the hose/filter via some misc. parts that are available from K&N. And the only reason a smooth tube wouldn't work (replacing the stock) is because of the little tube that goes somewhere. So is the reason for the inflated price is basicaly that they gathered all the parts together in a package or is there some engineering thing that I don't understand?here

 

davbret, have you dynoed your car with the different intakes? I am waiting until I can figure out which one is best, of which the bmp promises the highest numbers, but many don't say anything.

 

Yes I have had him on the dyno. Baseline was 143 on the first, and 148hp on the second run. Then we did the BMP and only got a gain of 2-4hp. Then ran the Rogue and got 7-9hp. I was putting down consistant 156-7hp.

R

 

MINIACK,

You could do that, but it would require fabrication. You would need to figure out the hose requirements, make a mounting bracket, and get a snorkel of some sort for the filter to fasten to. By the time you figure it all out and pu it all together, you really haven't saved much over this:



Randy
randy@mini-motorsport.com

 

Correction on the cost, the blue (also available in red) intake is $135. The $120 price is for a polished aluminum.

 

The answer to why pay the price for an aftermarket intake is of course to gain more horsepower (and, to a lesser extent, to enjoy more of the sound of the engine sucking that air in).

It seems to me from all I've read on this board and elsewhere, that the Rogue Engineering intake is the top of the heap. Knowing Ben Liaw (founder of Rouge Engineering and former founder of UUC Motorwerks) somewhat (just through telephone calls and traded emails over the years) and having had Rouge and UUC products on BMWs we've had/have... this all would have led me to believe that Rogue's MCS intake would take top honors even before someone said "Gentlemen, start your dynos!".

But...

...my wife & I were rushing to get our MCS ready for a photo shoot which we though was going to happen last July or August <and STILL hasn't happened> and so we had a prototype Monster Mini intake that has since been replaced with a production unit from Monster Mini. The prez of Monster Mini (Jason Reich) is a great guy and his theories on why their intake is the way to go seem to make sense to me, but they don't have dyno figures yet and neither do I.

Last week I went to visit Race Marque Systems to see their dyno facilities and project cars (600+ hp Z8 with a carbon fibre hood, anyone?) and likely this is where my wife & I will be taking "Austin" (nickname for our MCS) for his "checkup" and to have lots of temperature probes put in various places, dyno runs made, parts swapped on & off, etc... but this will be when we get a Round Tuit (and that may not be until February... 2004).

While at RMS, the founder & mad scientist there (Osh Millenian, sp?) was checking out our Monster intake. The reason for his concern was that although the bottom of the OE airbox is retained (and hence its ram air effect), the top is open and exposed to the immense underhood heat. In earlier discussions with Monster Mini when I voiced this same concern and mentioned Rogue's box and BMP's shield, I got this analogy:

"If it was 110 degrees outside and you were sitting in a room, would you want all the windows shut, or would you want air to pass through the room?"

Any thoughts on this? You don't have to "dumb down" your answer too much, but consider that I'm not terribly technical and definitely not mechanical (my last oil change I did? 1979) and I'm not in the car biz (in the investment biz, actually).

Better yet, anyone actually dyno tested a Monster Mini intake for the MCS?

Thanks