I was wondering about that, myself. Wouldn't the additional airflow (cowl) be good to produce torque at the lower range?

 

The only reason for the intake flap arrangement on the JCW is for noise control during 'sedate' driving. Any open element arrangement, be it Alta, Madness, Pilo, HAI, or AGS does not have noise control as a primary or even secondary concern. Granted, with some CAI arrangements you have a choice of whether or not to open up the firewall partition for additional cold air and resulting in-cabin noise.

Many people get the AGS- and Alta-style CAI not solely for the performace gains but the sound as well. It seems to have been established that the AGS produces the most prominent intake note of any of the others, and that is precisely the reason some folks go for it.

For the record I have a JCW intake fitted with an Alta hose. I wanted my car to be quiet during normal street driving but be able to wake the beast up and let him roar at times. The intake coupled with the Milltek exhaust makes for the perfect setup for this IMO. Some might say the differences are like night and day.

 

If you decide on a Minimania intake and want to save some cash, PM me cuz I have one that I no longer use.

I went from Minimania to Alta and am currently waiting for the M7 AGS.

Chose the Alta over Minimania's for power looks and sound.

Changing from Alta to the M7 AGS to get more power and sound, but I lose the looks.:smile:

 

bottom line is pretty simple, it's watever that floats your boat..

dinan and jcw are nice and sedate (jcw only makes the sound when its at wot), they are pricey though

alta and m7 both are tops in power gains, i dont know what a m7 sounds like but they are priced around the same (m7 base kit vs. alta with silicone hose)

pilo and hai is at the price corner.. if you just wnt a cai that performs, and wont nit-pick over the hp figures, or looks ... you cant go wrong with the pilo or the hai

 

Man that (Alta) hose looks cool though!! I'm gonna have to think of a way to keep it under the bonnett and make it look functional even.

 

I emailed JCW and they did not respond.

I asked Downtown Mini's Service guy that does the aftermarket work (sorry, don't remember his name) and he said he always recommendes leaving the flap in place for the purpose of increased torque on the lowend compared to an open cone design, or an open flap. I left mine on to begin with and certainly have no lag in the low-end as I've seen posted with an open cone.

 

here is an un-obstructed intake:

 

Does anyone have SOUND CLIPS of the AGS and the Alta?

 

I believe this is the case as my before and after run showed distinct improvement to the torque curve. I don't think the flap design came from wanting the intake to be quieter vs open intakes at minor throttle, but rather is a side effect

Edit: Just to clarify, the day I added the JCW intake and exhaust we did a before and after dyno run which showed the improvement, in particular, to the torque

 

this makes no sense: a more restictive air path far, far upstream of the intake valves is good for low end torque? ask this service guy for the engineering principles behind his claim.......

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...24&postcount=1

 

Restricting an intake increases the stream velocity, which helps on the low-end. It becomes too much of a hinderance at higher RPMs, hence the cowl flap opening.

 

I had planned a CAI as my first performance mod, but let my stepson talk me into an Alta pulley at the Dragon. Good choice, but now I have questions like the original poster raised.

Do I correctly understand that all CAIs are louder than stock? JCW looks to be the quietest, but it is also more than I want to spend.

How does the Alta sound under non-spirited driving conditions? Is it very noticeable then? I'd like to be the one who decides when I get loud.

 

Yes.

It sounds whistly and whiny, moreso as you open the throttle.

Yes you notice it, compared to stock. Open cones are never quiet.

 

Personally I find very little sound difference between the stock intake and my JCW intake. I can hear a throatier growl above 4,500rpm, but I have to listen for it. That might be different with other components, dunno.

 

whovous, the Alta gives sort of a whistle sound with the slight throttle inputs and gulping sound when full throttle is applied followed by a nice SC scream at redline.

 

Then it is probably installed incorrectly. When the flap open (yours probably is not) it is OBVIOUS.

 

ive heard tons of people vouch the dinan is the most 'stock sounding'

when i first installed my alta i did not find the additional supercharger whine to be an annoyance... at crusing speed, the alta does make a loud whistle at about 0.1 vacuum (according to my boost gauge)....

anything else... you won't hear much difference...

 

I have a JCW intake. When the car goes above 4500 with full throttle, I hear a nice whine from the SC. If I am not at full throttle, but coasting or maintaining, I do not hear the whine so much.
It is different from before where the whine level was more linear. Sound about right?

 

Yes.