whats the best cold air intake to get for under $300?

 

forgot to mention, for a 2012 mcs

 

Do you have a drop-in type filter now on the MCS? I have heard of people getting an uprated drop-in filter and being very happy. Just something for you to consider. I got my Alta CAI for $229 new. CAI intakes pop up on here all the time from guys turning their cars back to stock so keep your eye out. Defenders of Speed have been tipped as having the best CAI kit. Eventually I'm going with them. They are about $300 even if you want the best set up for just a little bit over your current price range.

 

If you want to spend less than $300 look for something used. Intakes are a low wear part so you can find one used for a decent price and not very abused.

 

+1 ^. Listen to Porthos. The guy knows what he is talking about.

 

okay thanks for the advise, i was also checking out the Alta intake.. do you like the Alta or if you were to go back in time would you have purchased a different one?

 

I had the Alta intake when it still had the silicon intake tube and I wasn't crazy about it. Mostly because it rubbed a notch into my STB. Now with the hard pipe it is probably a lot better. I got NM instead mostly because of looks and because of CARB.

 

I do like the Alta. It has worked perfectly and the install is about as easy as it gets. However, if I were to do it all again, I would have bought the Defenders of Speed Intake as it is a true CAI (the filter tucks behind the cowl to draw actual cold air). All other intakes just draw hot air from the engine bay. Keep in mind though that you wont make much of a power gain by switching to a CAI. Forced induction engines just don't work that way. If you want some significant gains a tune would need to be involved. But since I don't know the goals or hopes you have with installing a CAI, just take that advice as you see fit. Mileage did improve slighty but only slightly with the Alta, not sure what would happen with the DOS CAI.

If you are interested in the Alta CAI, wait until one shows up on here or craigslist or something. I wouldn't pay full price because as Porthos said, they hardly see any wear and tear. The Alta CAI is just some short tubing, foam, a piece of metal, hose clamps, and screws. The most you will have to do on a used piece is clean the foam filter. I have been happy with my Alta CAI, but it's not a true CAI. I live in CO where the air is thin so I need as much cold/dense air as I can get so that's really why I'm doing the switch to the DOS.

 

BTW there is an Alta CAI for sale on the marketplace link on NAM right now:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...pipe-used.html

 

im not really looking for huge gains, my mini is still under warranty so im looking to do just a few small mods, ill defiantly keep my eye out on used ones but from what you say the DOS sounds good, might just have to save up. thanks again

 

 

HAHAHAHAHA!! Love this. But no, not trolling. I'm serious. I try to read all your comments on topics I have interest in. You've unknowingly saved me headaches and research time on things which is always appreciated.

 

also to mention i have a functional hood scoop so would the ddm "ram air" intake be a smarter choice or do you guys think the dos is by far the best option, im not too into cutting a hole in the bulkhead but if thats the best choice then id have to think about it

 

Forced induction engines don't require ram intakes so the DDM intake doesn't really make it ram air. As far as quality and fittament (sp?) is concerned I would actually direct you to the AEM Air Intake:

http://www.waymotorworks.com/aem-col...-cooper-s.html

There are threads on here from people who own this and they absolutely love it. Yes, the scoop becomes 'functional' as air is flowing throw it in a less random way, but again, 'ram air' on a forced induction system is sort of an oxymoron.

Here is how I made my scoop functional:

http://www.minigenuineparts.co.uk/mi...lengeVent.html

I had a buddy fabricate some aluminum. We popped the hood scoop off (plugs hold it in but be gentle as they are plastic and can snap, but don't be too worried about it--just a little tip). Measure the holes where screws fit (which you can see on the part). Measured the width on the hood (without the scoop on), then measured from the hood to the turbo. Then cut and bent the aluminum and secured it with some small screws and nuts. We also removed the honeycomb plastic in the hood scoop so air could flow through. Now the scoop functions since air coming in is directed straight on to the turbo.

I still think the DOS CAI is your best bet for quality and function, but at least you have a bunch of options.

 

Sorry for flooding this thread but I forgot to respond to your dilema of cutting through the bulkhead:

1) People that have cut said it was super easy, but like you, I'm always aprehensive when I'm told to 'cut through or drill through' things. So in that case there is this:

2) http://www.defendersofspeed.com/modi...ulkhead-panel/
It's a pre-cut bulkhead. For me, $97 is a small price to pay for my peace of mind.

 

[QUOTE]Forced induction engines don't require ram intakes so the DDM intake doesn't really make it ram air. As far as quality and fittament (sp?) is concerned I would actually direct you to the AEM Air Intake:/QUOTE]
i honestly dont like the way that one looks, id like to have a "stock" look on first glance and the aluminum just stands out too much for my taste.

i really like that idea with the aluminum to cool off the turbo, i would love to try and have someone fabricate it for me thanks for the info on that.

and for the DOS CAI i missed the precut bulkhead on the site.. now knowing they offer a precut bulkhead im leaning towards the dos just got to save up the extra bucks

 

I have the NM Carbon Fiber intake and like it....this version doesn't meet your $300 limit, but the non CF can be had for $319.

 

FWIW, I just installed the AEM cold air intake (hood scoop design). Attached to this post a performance chart made from before/after Dynolicious runs, merged together. It's not a true dyno, so take it with a grain of salt -- this is all calculated based on phone accelerometer data and assumed vehicle weight (3150 lbs, with fuel, kit's cart seat, and my chubby body). But the car is faster to redline and power peaks higher.

(Any half-decent drag racer could do better than I do in the quarter mile.)

 

i really like the look of the carbon fiber, how much did that run you? would you recommend the NM intake over DOS?

 

do you like the aem? i just dont like the aluminum, id prefer black but i guess you could always paint it, right?

 

Got the CF version for $369 direct from NM...they are literally 15 minutes away from my house!

I chose NM for a couple of reasons....everything they make is well engineered and fits perfectly, I wanted something CF since I have CF all over the MINI, and I believe them as far as claims to increased performance.

I can't prove the HP/Torque claims as I haven't done a dyno....but the 10%+ claim to fuel economy is spot on.

 

Do I like it? Um. Install was easy, power is up a bit, it's a very well-designed and well-documented kit, and it gives the non-functional R56/55 hood scoop a purpose in life. I like it.

I don't really care about grey vs black… the engine's going to get dirty anyway.

No reason I can think of that you couldn't paint it black. Might want to do some research on painting over powder coat first…

 

im liking the CF NM but its a little pricey for me.. and for the AEM ill do some research for painting over the grey. thanks for the opinions

 

JCW Intake Box with the Yellow Cone Filter. Can get a nicer filter via DetriotTuned or DoS.

I have it and I like it!

 

how much did the jcw box cost you?