“Let’s Motor Faster” is Rogue Engineering’s catch phrase for their new MINI range. Tongue in cheek and playful as that may be, Rogue engineering take their tuning very seriously, and their Cooper S ‘Cold Air Intake’ is an prime example of their work for the new MINI range, continuing from their history in developing performance and styling parts for BMW vehicles.

Part One: The Installation…

The installation of the cold air intake kit was very simple indeed. If you have the right tools (and there’s not even many of those required) you could probably do this modification even as a ‘first step’ in DIY mechanics. Rogue supplied the kit with good a good set of illustrated instructions, and a list the required tools.

Removal of the factory air box and filter was the first simple step. All it takes is a torx screwdriver or spanner and a screwdriver.

The kit fits on using the existing screw/bolt holes for the standard air box. The positive battery terminal hooks on the new kit.

Part Two: First Impressions…

The kit is very easy to fit, although I did find that one 8mm bolt on the instructions was a torx bolt on my MINI, and being so simple to install this gives you a nice sense of achievement for very little effort indeed. Once you’re on your first journey, you can hear the difference more so than feel it, which isn’t to say this doesn’t affect performance, but the effect on the SuperCharger whine is superb. As with the PlayMini exhaust (reviewed separately) I fitted this during run-in, so the 4,500 and no full throttle limits had to be adhered to, but the whine of the charger is noticeably increased, which is nice, and the drive feels a little more ‘pokey’ too. The performance gains are not dramatic, but you certainly can feel a difference, there’s no side effects so far. However I feel this is a modification best appreciated nearer the redline, which I will report on at a later date.

Part Three: In Summary…

I ran the car for several hundred miles with the Rogue CAI installed, and I have nothing but good to say for it. Power gains were not huge, but those extra ponies you get are amplified greatly in ‘experience’ simply because of the fantastic noise fitting an open intake like this creates from the ‘S’ engine bay. During the time I had the kit installed I noticed no considerable difference in fuel consumption, which seems a concern to many when considering performance upgrades.

Compared to the standard plastic box and airfilter, this is a great improvement, and offers good value for money, however a fairer test would be to compare this kit with other CAI, which is something we plan to do at MINI2 soon. In summary, this CAI kit is extremely easy to fit (really is a 15 minute job), looks good, not out of place in the hi-tech MINI engine bay, and a treat for your ears, as well as improving the performance.

Part Four: Video Evidence…

Click Here to watch a 2mb video of the standard S, vs an S with the Rogue CIA and a PlayMINI Exhaust fitted, this should demonstrate the cabin noise levels before and after. You should be able to tell when the car changes! ONLY in WMV format at this time, sorry!

Rogue Engineering can be contacted via their website at www.RogueEngineering.com