Looking for your opinion on the best cold air intake

[krispya3]

I have a 17' A3 Quattro with a stage 1 ECU and TCU tune and a turbo inlet pipe + OEM s3 exhaust with resonator delete

Looking to put in an aftermarket cold air intake, I know it won't increase the HP, I just want more engine noise.

I was thinking S&B closed cold air intake or Racingline r600. any other recommendations?

[b1aZe]

Closed air intakes won’t provide much extra sound. Open intakes will.

[en22]

Yes^

Go with an open air intake for more noise. I have the APR carbon fiber open air intake. Can clearly hear the turbo noises


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[Davethaboss]

I have a 17' A3 Quattro with a stage 1 ECU and TCU tune and a turbo inlet pipe + OEM s3 exhaust with resonator delete

Looking to put in an aftermarket cold air intake, I know it won't increase the HP, I just want more engine noise.

I was thinking S&B closed cold air intake or Racingline r600. any other recommendations?

Me and another user here actually had a very long dialogue about this.

They will increase horsepower actually. I have seen a couple graphs thrown around this website and others that show it. Whether it becomes as useful at higher tuning stages, I do not know.

I went with the USP Motorsports Tear Duct Intake. Why?

I believe Eventuri from the UK makes the best air intakes for our cars. This is not hecause they are expensive but because of the engineering behind them. I bought the USP one to get as close as I could to the Eventuri. What I did was I ended up flipping the filter (big opening facing inside of the car) to provide more laminar flow and I definitely noticed a performance difference and also a difference in sound.

I have looked at almost every other intake and they all have very non-laminar designs which is done on purpose in order to filter the air better.

The USP is cheap but you can still clean the filter with K&N Cleaner and reapply oil like you would with any other washable filter according to USP.

Very rarely do I support cheap parts (and it is, the screws holding the carbon fiber weave to the plastic cylinder ended up loosening) but, it is the closest I can get to the Eventuri design without breaking the bank.

FYI - Eventuri and another 3rd party from the UK comfirmed pulling air from only ONE side was actually more beneficial than both (similar to OEM). I currently have the left side completely open and it cools the engine cooler sub-optimally. I have considered actually designing a 3D printed scoop to redirect air in a better way into the engine compartment.

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[MikTip]

I have Neuspeeds...best? Most are all the same...especial on a stock turbo...bigger turbo's will be a different ball game.

Highly recommend a filer wrap! It keeps water out and adds another layer protection for the oiled or non oiled filters.

[CavEsk1337]

Search the OEM Airbox mod. May not add the sound and "looks" you're aiming form but gets the job done at a significantly cheaper price. I ran a hybrid turbo S3 on one without a hiccup.

[letterj]

I have the AWE Airgate, which produces some cool induction noises without the lid. If it were cheaper I'd recommend as it seems to fit what you're looking for, but it's one of the more expensive ones that I can't say is truly worth the money.

[texasboy21]

Cut a hole in the stock airbox.

[FlyboyS4]

Me and another user here actually had a very long dialogue about this.

They will increase horsepower actually. I have seen a couple graphs thrown around this website and others that show it. Whether it becomes as useful at higher tuning stages, I do not know.

I went with the USP Motorsports Tear Duct Intake. Why?

I believe Eventuri from the UK makes the best air intakes for our cars. This is not hecause they are expensive but because of the engineering behind them. I bought the USP one to get as close as I could to the Eventuri. What I did was I ended up flipping the filter (big opening facing inside of the car) to provide more laminar flow and I definitely noticed a performance difference and also a difference in sound.

I have looked at almost every other intake and they all have very non-laminar designs which is done on purpose in order to filter the air better.

The USP is cheap but you can still clean the filter with K&N Cleaner and reapply oil like you would with any other washable filter according to USP.

Very rarely do I support cheap parts (and it is, the screws holding the carbon fiber weave to the plastic cylinder ended up loosening) but, it is the closest I can get to the Eventuri design without breaking the bank.

FYI - Eventuri and another 3rd party from the UK comfirmed pulling air from only ONE side was actually more beneficial than both (similar to OEM). I currently have the left side completely open and it cools the engine cooler sub-optimally. I have considered actually designing a 3D printed scoop to redirect air in a better way into the engine compartment.

Briefly, I've tested a bunch of intakes, Eventuri did well, USP not so well.

Expecting to have laminar airflow inside the intake after the air has passed through the grillwork is unrealistic.

The extended duct design Eventuri shows is very crude. They have a 90 degree angle where the duct meets the filter housing, and sharp angles all over the duct, completely opposite from the intake design that has curved surfaces everywhere. I expect that had they bothered to try and design that duct to function better they would have shown a gain in airflow with it.

[Davethaboss]

Briefly, I've tested a bunch of intakes, Eventuri did well, USP not so well.

Expecting to have laminar airflow inside the intake after the air has passed through the grillwork is unrealistic.

The extended duct design Eventuri shows is very crude. They have a 90 degree angle where the duct meets the filter housing, and sharp angles all over the duct, completely opposite from the intake design that has curved surfaces everywhere. I expect that had they bothered to try and design that duct to function better they would have shown a gain in airflow with it.

Briefly, I've tested a bunch of intakes, Eventuri did well, USP not so well.

Expecting to have laminar airflow inside the intake after the air has passed through the grillwork is unrealistic.

The extended duct design Eventuri shows is very crude. They have a 90 degree angle where the duct meets the filter housing, and sharp angles all over the duct, completely opposite from the intake design that has curved surfaces everywhere. I expect that had they bothered to try and design that duct to function better they would have shown a gain in airflow with it.

The issue I had with your tests is that if any basic person took a quick glance at the findings they would be led to believe that upgrading an intake on this platform would not be worth it and stick with a stock solution.

Many videos on youtube for example regarding the APR intake have shown gains of 8HP / 14 ft-lbs on a dyno. Even the testing done on one guys RS3 yielded a noticeable difference between IE and Eventuri for example. Again we can talk all day about whether the method of testing was valid or not but I am still of the belief that the "ram effect" these air intakes are supoosed to take advantage of should work in theory. Otherwise these "gains" should not exist.

Your testing appears (IMHO) to have not taken full advantage of that. I would like to see a comparison of your findings vs community findings of their cars on a dyno. Obviously, we have 0 constants here now but, for curiosity's sake I would like to know if there was any corelation between the two in any way. (I think we would see most intakes perform similarly from a performance perspective because the stock turbo can only pull so much air in. Which tbh, the basic stock airbox mod folks here do would probably be sufficient lol.)

Also regarding the USP Tear Duct Filter, was testing done with the filter flipped (big side facing front of car) or the other way around? I am curious to know if reorienting actually does anything or not. ( I have a feeling it might not.)

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[krispya3]

thank you @flyboys4, this website helped alot

[FlyboyS4]

The issue I had with your tests is that if any basic person took a quick glance at the findings they would be led to believe that upgrading an intake on this platform would not be worth it and stick with a stock solution.

What are you referring to when you say "intake"? A complete stock intake will flow roughly 15-17% less than a good aftermarket setup. Whether or not that difference is "worth it" is a personal decision. It's easy to modify the stock airbox, inlet hose, and inlet pipe, to get near aftermarket performance. I found very little difference between a modified stock setup and the APR and Eventuri intakes.

Many videos on youtube for example regarding the APR intake have shown gains of 8HP / 14 ft-lbs on a dyno. Even the testing done on one guys RS3 yielded a noticeable difference between IE and Eventuri for example. Again we can talk all day about whether the method of testing was valid or not but I am still of the belief that the "ram effect" these air intakes are supoosed to take advantage of should work in theory. Otherwise these "gains" should not exist.

I agree that aftermarket intakes can produce a performance increase. I don't believe the gain is attributable to a ram air effect, rather they reduce the pressure drop compared to the stock parts.

Your testing appears (IMHO) to have not taken full advantage of that. I would like to see a comparison of your findings vs community findings of their cars on a dyno. Obviously, we have 0 constants here now but, for curiosity's sake I would like to know if there was any corelation between the two in any way. (I think we would see most intakes perform similarly from a performance perspective because the stock turbo can only pull so much air in. Which tbh, the basic stock airbox mod folks here do would probably be sufficient lol.)


I would not expect a dyno test to adequately simulate the airflow conditions at the airbox compared to the car traveling 30-100 mph on a road.
The perspective that the stock turbo can only pull so much air is the wrong way to look at it. These aftermarket parts are hopefully reducing the pressure drop across the intake which will lower the turbo PR for a constant output pressure.

Also regarding the USP Tear Duct Filter, was testing done with the filter flipped (big side facing front of car) or the other way around? I am curious to know if reorienting actually does anything or not. ( I have a feeling it might not.)

This was the test of the USP intake.

[Davethaboss]

The issue I had with your tests is that if any basic person took a quick glance at the findings they would be led to believe that upgrading an intake on this platform would not be worth it and stick with a stock solution.

What are you referring to when you say "intake"? A complete stock intake will flow roughly 15-17% less than a good aftermarket setup. Whether or not that difference is "worth it" is a personal decision. It's easy to modify the stock airbox, inlet hose, and inlet pipe, to get near aftermarket performance. I found very little difference between a modified stock setup and the APR and Eventuri intakes.

Many videos on youtube for example regarding the APR intake have shown gains of 8HP / 14 ft-lbs on a dyno. Even the testing done on one guys RS3 yielded a noticeable difference between IE and Eventuri for example. Again we can talk all day about whether the method of testing was valid or not but I am still of the belief that the "ram effect" these air intakes are supoosed to take advantage of should work in theory. Otherwise these "gains" should not exist.

I agree that aftermarket intakes can produce a performance increase. I don't believe the gain is attributable to a ram air effect, rather they reduce the pressure drop compared to the stock parts.

Your testing appears (IMHO) to have not taken full advantage of that. I would like to see a comparison of your findings vs community findings of their cars on a dyno. Obviously, we have 0 constants here now but, for curiosity's sake I would like to know if there was any corelation between the two in any way. (I think we would see most intakes perform similarly from a performance perspective because the stock turbo can only pull so much air in. Which tbh, the basic stock airbox mod folks here do would probably be sufficient lol.)


I would not expect a dyno test to adequately simulate the airflow conditions at the airbox compared to the car traveling 30-100 mph on a road.
The perspective that the stock turbo can only pull so much air is the wrong way to look at it. These aftermarket parts are hopefully reducing the pressure drop across the intake which will lower the turbo PR for a constant output pressure.

Also regarding the USP Tear Duct Filter, was testing done with the filter flipped (big side facing front of car) or the other way around? I am curious to know if reorienting actually does anything or not. ( I have a feeling it might not.)

This was the test of the USP intake.

Regarding the tear duct filter, in the test you referenced you do not mention in the main body of the post or in the comments whether you had reoriented it or not and whether it made a difference.

It does look like you flipped it judging by the USP Motorsports badge being inverted. Was there any difference between the two or was only one position tested? I am viewing on mobile so maybe I am missing something...

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[FlyboyS4]

Regarding the tear duct filter, in the test you referenced you do not mention in the main body of the post or in the comments whether you had reoriented it or not and whether it made a difference.

It does look like you flipped it judging by the USP Motorsports badge being inverted. Was there any difference between the two or was only one position tested? I am viewing on mobile so maybe I am missing something...

I don't recall, it's been almost two years, but I probably did since I made the effort to try a different inlet. When a product performs unusually I generally try varying the test some. Since there is no mention of the filter orientation making a difference, it likely made none.

[texasboy21]

The stock intake is not a big restriction in terms of airflow. The main purpose of the intakes (besides being sold for profits of course) is to open up the pressure differential allowing the turbo to operate me efficiently. Take a log of your boost valve duty cycle with the stock set up, then with the 'filter on a tube' intakes - duty cycle drops.

Its the same principal with an upgraded downpipe. Simply adding the higher flowing catless downpipe does not instantly make all the extra power because of the additional (perceived) flow. It allows the engine/turbo to operate more efficiently.

[XLR8Performance]

Hey, I just wanted to introduce myself to help you modify your vehicle.

We stock thousands of parts from many different manufacturers like APR, 034, AWE, Milltek, Scorpion, and many more.

I see you're looking for an open-intake to hear some noise. I recommend a few different options: IE intake, APR's open carbon fiber intake, AWE AirGate™ Carbon Intak,e or Injens Short Ram Intake.

We also have a few other brands available like Racingline, 034, Eventuri & UNITRONIC.

We offer free shipping to the cont 48 US. If there are any questions, feel free to DM Me.

https://xlr8performance.com/search.p...&utm_id=INTAKE

[FlyboyS4]

The stock intake is not a big restriction in terms of airflow. The main purpose of the intakes (besides being sold for profits of course) is to open up the pressure differential allowing the turbo to operate me efficiently. Take a log of your boost valve duty cycle with the stock set up, then with the 'filter on a tube' intakes - duty cycle drops.

Its the same principal with an upgraded downpipe. Simply adding the higher flowing catless downpipe does not instantly make all the extra power because of the additional (perceived) flow. It allows the engine/turbo to operate more efficiently.

Th open intake would need to maintain the same air temperature as the stock (closed) setup since the air temperature going into the turbo also factors into the wgdc.

[aaronc7]

The issue I had with your tests is that if any basic person took a quick glance at the findings they would be led to believe that upgrading an intake on this platform would not be worth it and stick with a stock solution.

Many videos on youtube for example regarding the APR intake have shown gains of 8HP / 14 ft-lbs on a dyno. Even the testing done on one guys RS3 yielded a noticeable difference between IE and Eventuri for example. Again we can talk all day about whether the method of testing was valid or not but I am still of the belief that the "ram effect" these air intakes are supoosed to take advantage of should work in theory. Otherwise these "gains" should not exist.

Your testing appears (IMHO) to have not taken full advantage of that. I would like to see a comparison of your findings vs community findings of their cars on a dyno. Obviously, we have 0 constants here now but, for curiosity's sake I would like to know if there was any corelation between the two in any way. (I think we would see most intakes perform similarly from a performance perspective because the stock turbo can only pull so much air in. Which tbh, the basic stock airbox mod folks here do would probably be sufficient lol.)

Also regarding the USP Tear Duct Filter, was testing done with the filter flipped (big side facing front of car) or the other way around? I am curious to know if reorienting actually does anything or not. ( I have a feeling it might not.)

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What sort of 'ram air' effect are you going to get on a dyno that you wouldn't on a flow bench?

At the end of the day you can skew results from a dyno pretty easy. Remember they are trying to sell a product. Do a few pulls on the stock intake, one of them the car is a little heatsoaked and makes a little less power. Now do a few pulls on the intake you're trying to market. Let's take the best run of that versus the worst on the stock intake. Wow look we have 8hp / 14lb-ft gains! Of course aftermarket intake can produce gains, especially on larger turbo setups, but I'm still always skeptical of any published gains and will not read too far into the marketing BS.

all this said, I have a modded stock airbox and APR's newer/cheap intake because I like some turbo noises.

[Spinnetti]

Another funny point is everybody advertises, +xhp for intake, filter, intercooler tubes, intercooler, turbo inlet, exhaust, downpipe, coil packs, plugs, oil etc.. how come all our cars don't make 900hp? Its not additive. For near stock cars, intake mods are mostly "feel good", so "best intake" literally is an undefined question in scientific terms and thus has little meaning. I like the APR full system because it looks good. Does it help any? maybe. When we mod stuff, often the value is in the story we tell ourselves as to how cool, custom or whatever the car is now that we changed it and made it our own even though our butt dyno is sure that valve stem mod made 7 more hp. Many mods probably make things worse in some way or another for that matter. I had occasion to drive my sister-in-law's almost identical stock A3 quattro right after my very modified S3, and I realized that, you know, the base car is just fine as it is. I just like to mod stuff, thus "best" is only best for me, my use case, budget, objectives and view point.

[Eli0073]

CTS affordable and open great noise.IMG_20210615_130106__01.jpg

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[krispya3]

Thank you everyone for your input. I think I am going to go with integrated engineering for now.

[Bobbybrown]

Lots of feedback ...

My personal opinion after driving for 15+ years goes back to cold air intake 101. Why soak up anymore hot engine air with an open air design ... its called a "cold" air intake for a reason.
A CAI provide minimal gains, but every little bit counts when you start going from Stage 1 and up.

I first went with the RacingLine with a foam filter (they didn't have the cotton one a few years back) but didn't want any issues down the road from the foam breaking down so I swapped it out.
After a week of doing my own research ... I went with the S&B. Closed air design and when you pop the hood ... this thing looks amazing!!!

I also bought a second filter so I can swap it out every spring with a clean and reoiled filter. Funny how may times you look at someone's filter which was once red, but is now a burgundy or almost black in color.
Oh ... and don't forget to purchase the MQB air inlet block off plate so you can direct as much cold air to your intake as possible ... and turn that Soundaktor down to zero, who needs to hear that artificial sound.

[gabec007]

@flyboys4 thanks for your in depth testing. All I can saw is WOW. My question for you is do you think a lower flowing stock design intake like the 034 would do better in a hot lapping situation over an open design intake like the CTS? Both are on the cheaper end and seem to offer benefits over stock, but is there any worry in your mind about the hot air in this car with the open filter design?