Looking to upgrade my 2012 mini cooper s with an intake before i get the JB+ performance tuner. Is there really a difference in performance as the price is nearly double for the induction kit.

 

Save your money and just go with a drop in filter.

 

What kind of drop in filter? I would kind of like it to look nice. Not like $500 extra dollars nice but just better then stock lol. New to modding cars. went from a 2011 base altima to a 2012 MCS! so now i have a nice car to do some work to! and i love these cars. Nothing else like it.

 

I tried a K&N drop in filter. It was OK. Then went to a PiperCross foam air filter. I like the PiperCross much better. No oil, and it doesn't project into the airbox as far as the K&N did. The stock paper air filter also projects into the airbox. I figure the more room for air, the better. As far as "looks" go, neither the K&N nor the PiperCross will help any, as they both fit into the stock airbox. An open air filter under the hood of a HOT turbo engine will only grab HOT underhood air. Not good for performance. Maybe good for sound, which will make you FEEL like you have more power.

 

I totally see where you're coming from and one of the designs that I was looking at was the AEM one that actually uses the hood scoop for air intake. A lot of things I was reading though say that after 20mph it's all the same temp in there anyways. Not sure how true that is. I think I'm going to try to get something like a heat shield for the turbo to help isolate the heat.

 

With an unlimited budget, like that exists, I would be looking at a turbo wrap, and the AEM cold air intake. Next mods for me. Saving up.....

 

I have the AEM with hood scoop utilization and I like it a lot. It looks good and I felt there was a small but noticeable difference in performance. I also used heat resistant tape to cover the entire hood scoop diverter to keep intake air temperatures low, and to keep it from warping from under hood temps. Both attempts were successful. Mine also came with an additional heat shield for the turbo, bolted right above the stock heat shield.


As far as intake air temps, I have a ScangaugeII which tells me intake air temp. If I am doing highway driving the intake air is typically 5-8 degrees above ambient air temp. City-like driving will usually yield intake air temps about 10-15 degrees above ambient air temp.