are cold air intakes a good way to increase performance of my 2010 R55 S ? I've heard mixed reviews. AEM seems to offer the best one. any thoughts?

 

Intakes don't do much. The DP, I/C, and tune is what will give you actual power with those three combined together.

 

I'm not a mechanic. Layman's terms. DP, I/C?

 

Oh I'm sorry lol.

Downpipe(catted or not-catted), front mount intercooler!

 

Thanks for the info.

 

You do get a nice sound also!

 

Best results are achieved if the CAI design you are looking at has a means to trap air from outside and draw it to the filter......

 

Any recommendations?

 

No single mod (except a tune... more later) will give any appreciable increase in power. That said, GrayRaven (sorry, too old to worry about capitalization) is correct. Drawing cold air from outside the engine bay never hurts. AEM is an option. I prefer the Defenders of Speed (DoS) option. Like AEM and DDM, the DoS intake will only give minimal upgrade in power (but truly epic blow-off sounds) but is a part in what you need to ready your Mini for the true upgrade... a tune. To best take advantage of a tune you must make the engine breathe better, both in and out. If you are truly wanting more performance and lack funds to go whole hog, you might want to consider suspension mods, ie: shocks/springs/coilovers/sway bars/NM Torque Arm Insert/etc... (your Mini already has plenty of power) Good luck.

 

If your looking for a power gain you can feel and tell right away an intake is NOT going to do it. They make noise so people commonly "think" their car is faster.
If you want real power start with a Forge front mount intercooler
http://www.waymotorworks.com/forge-a...r-s-turbo.html
This will really lower intake temps and give you power you can feel.

A Downpipe will also give you a big gain but you will prob get a check engine light from it.

 

UniChip makes a great plug and play unit for our cars, for $445. You need to make sure you have a N14 engine code though. We have sold a few of the AEM Cold Air Intakes and installed one on our own Clubman. Very happy with the results, and it is very easy to install. Any cold air intake works best with a tune. Another less expensive option would be the Alta Boost Tube. It is more complicated to install, but for $126 is a great bang for your buck! We carry all three in stock and ship for free. PM, call, email us anytime!

Justin

http://www.pdmotorsports.com/product...oon-intake-kit